Perre Coleman Magness

Go wild decorating these with candy corn or sprinkles or colored sugar. 8 ounces candy corn, plus more for decorating 1. Melt the candy corn and 1/4 cup of the cream in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the candy corn is melted and the mixture is smooth, set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. 2. Whip the remaining 2 1/4 cups cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

I first learned about "funeral potatoes" while I was working on The Southern Sympathy Cookbook and discovered that it really is a perfect sympathy food — rich and comforting, easy to put together on short notice, and feeds a crowd. This version combines everyone's favorite potato accompaniments — butter, cheese, bacon, and chives — for a really hearty, homestyle dish. In times of sadness or need, people like to turn to the familiar and the comforting, and this dish certainly fits the bill.

A lemon pie filling so easy you can make it in the blender. I happily use a store-bought rolled pie crust fit into a pie plate then blind-baked. This is all about easy. 1 9-inch pie crust 1 thin-skinned lemon (about 4 to 4-1/2 ounces) 1/2 cup water 1-1/2 cups sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, melted 2. Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trimming the edges as necessary.