By Two weeks. Caleb is three weeks shy of his first birthday and he took two steps unassisted on Thursday. Two steps, then sat down, then looked at CJ with an expression CJ described in the text as something between pride and alarm, which is the correct face for a person who has just realized their own capacity is larger than they knew. CJ sent a video. I watched it twenty-three times. He is a Simms. He was going to walk toward the kitchen eventually. He is doing it now.
The Carters are coming for the birthday weekend — Darnell and Paulette driving from Decatur. Carolyn coming from Birmingham. Destiny and Travis coming from Birmingham. Odalys and her husband are not coming but Deontay is, which means the whole community table is represented. Eleven people plus a baby who will not remember any of it but who will be given the photographs when he is old enough, and in the photographs he will see everyone who loved him before he could ask for love.
I have been writing in this journal since Marcus was sick, which was the spring and summer before his death. That was twelve years of writing now, more than twelve — I lost count somewhere after the five hundredth week. I wrote through the dying and through the grief and through the rebuilding. Through Destiny's licensure and CJ's marriage and the pandemic and Bernice's death and the baby. Through all of it, the kitchen first, the page second. I have been trying to find the language for something I can only get close to: the way ordinary life is the extraordinary thing, and the kitchen is where you can see that most clearly, and the people you feed are the whole story.
When I thought about what to bring to Caleb’s birthday weekend — eleven people around the table, the Carters driving from Decatur, Carolyn and Destiny and Deontay all coming in — I kept coming back to something that felt like a celebration without being showy about it, the way this family has always been. The coconut in this macaroon cherry pie reminds me of every church potluck and repast I’ve set a dish on, and the cherries are the sweetness Marcus always said belonged at any table worth gathering around. You make this for people you love before they can ask you to, and that’s the whole point.
Macaroon Cherry Pie
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
- 1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
- 1 teaspoon almond extract, divided
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Place the unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges as desired.
- Add the filling. Combine the cherry pie filling with 1/2 teaspoon of the almond extract and stir gently to blend. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pie shell.
- Make the macaroon topping. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Add the sugar, salt, melted butter, vanilla extract, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, stirring until combined. Fold in the shredded coconut until the mixture is evenly moistened.
- Top the pie. Spoon the coconut mixture carefully over the cherry filling, spreading it gently to cover as much of the surface as possible without pressing it down hard.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the coconut topping is golden brown and set. A toothpick inserted in the center of the topping should come out clean.
- Cool before serving. Allow the pie to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 59g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 230mg