Hays enjoys cooking with her children
Making food with her children and bonding with them in the kitchen is the best part of cooking for Candace Hays.
“I get busy being a mom, but one of the best parts of cooking is that any time I’m in the kitchen, my kids want to be in there too,” Hays said. “I can use that as a way to bond with them and I pass down generational recipes. It’s very rewarding.”
Hays was born and raised in Ohio and moved to Philadelphia in 2018 to reunite with her high school sweetheart and now husband, Thomas. They have five children, Jeremiah, Thomas, Ambus, Dominic, and Aurora, with a sixth child on the way.
Hays also owns Hays Pet Boutique, which won the Small Business of the Year Award during the Philadelphia Community Development Partnership banquet Monday night.
She started cooking when she was about 10 watching her brother cook and trying different restaurants in the area.
“I love food, and people who love food love cooking,” Hays said. “According to my husband, I do a pretty good job with it. A big dish I remember while growing up was our hamburger and mushroom gravy, and it was my favorite thing my grandmother made. It’s still one of my favorite things along with fried chicken.”
Hays also enjoys making fun snacks like cheese balls, which is something everyone in her house always wants, Buckeyes (peanut butter balls), and “caramel crack,” a dessert that can be broken into pieces.
“With savory dishes, I have to go with things like sausage and sauerkraut, which is something I had up north all the time,” Hays said. “I also make cornbread and bean soup.”
HAYS FAMILY
HAMBURGER AND MUSHROOM GRAVY
12 hamburger patties
One large sweet onion
1/2 cup flour
Two packs of mushrooms
4 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper
Garlic to season hamburger patties
Fry hamburger patties until cooked through. Remove from pan. Chop onion and mushrooms and add to hamburger drippings.
Once fully cooked, add flour and stir in completely. When fully incorporated, add broth and let thicken into gravy. Once done, throw patties into gravy. If desired, separate with mashed potatoes or rice.
CANDACE HAYS
BUCKEYES
16 oz. peanut butter
1 pound confectioners sugar
1.5 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
Melted chocolate bark for dipping
Mix together the peanut butter, sugar and butter. Roll into balls and insert tooth pick for easier dipping. Chill in the freezer about 30 minutes.
Dip into melted chocolate, and place onto cookie sheet lines in wax paper. Store in the fridge until hardened.
BANANA PUDDING WITH MERENGUE
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
3 egg yolks
3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp butter
60 vanilla wafers
3 bananas, thinly sliced
For the meringue:
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
6 tbsps granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom. Add the egg yolks and 1 cup of milk. Whisk until smooth and then whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk.
Place over medium heat and cook until it simmers and is thickened for around 10-15 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Place a layer (around half of your 60) of vanilla wafers in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Arrange half of the banana slices over the wafers.
Pour half of the pudding mixture over the bananas and repeat layers. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make the meringue, beat the egg whites and cream of tarter with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar and keep beating on high speed until stiff peak form. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Spread the meringue on top of the banana pudding, cover completely. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Serve warm or chilled.