Famous recipes from the opposing team's bench

Across Southeast Missouri, baseball means the St. Louis Cardinals, but just to be fair here are some well-known Boston dishes you might want to try.

Boston Baked Beans

1 1/4 cups dry navy beans or dry great northern beans (1/2 pound total)

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 cups water

Rinse beans. In a medium saucepan combine beans and 3 cups water. Cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight. (Or bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and soak for 1 hour. ) Rinse and drain beans.

In a 1 1/2-quart casserole or bean pot combine soaked beans, onion, celery and carrots. Stir in molasses, salt, mustard, pepper and 2 cups water.

Bake, covered, at 325 degree for 4 1/2 to 6 hours or until beans are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed (up to 1 cup). Makes 8 servings.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Boston Cream Pie

This recipe comes from the foodtv.com Web site, courtesy of the Omni Parker House Hotel in Boston. Boston Cream Pie isn't actually a pie, but really a sponge cake with a layer of cream filling in the middle. The dessert is topped with chocolate.

For Sponge cake:

7 eggs, separated

8 ounces sugar

1 cup flour

1 ounce melted butter

For assembly:

4 ounces toasted almonds

For sponge cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In two bowls, separate egg yolks and white. Add half the sugar to each bowl. Beat both until peaked. When stiff, fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Gradually add flour, mixing with the wooden spatula. Mix in the butter. Pour this mixture into a 10-inch greased cake pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until spongy and golden. Remove from oven and cool.

To finish: Level the sponge cake off at the top using a slicing knife. Cut the cake into 2 layers. Spread the pastry cream (recipe follows) over one layer. Top with the second cake layer. Reserve a small amount of the pastry cream to spread on the sides, to let the almonds stick. Spread a thin layer of chocolate fondant icing (recipe follows) on the top of the cake. Follow immediately with spiral lines starting from the center of the cake, using the white fondant in the pastry bag. Score the white lines with the point of a paring knife, starting at the center and pulling outward to the edge. Spread the sides of the cake with a thin coating of the reserved pastry cream. Press on toasted almonds.

For pastry cream:

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups milk

2 cups light cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

6 eggs

1 teaspoon dark rum

In a saucepan bring the butter, milk and light cream to a boil. While this mixture is cooking, combine the sugar, cornstarch and eggs in a bowl and whip until ribbons form.

When the cream, milk and butter mixture reaches the boiling point, whisk in the egg mixture and cook to boiling. Boil for one minute. Pour into a bowl and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Chill overnight if possible. When chilled, whisk to smooth out and flavor with 1 teaspoon dark rum.

For chocolate fondant icing:

6 ounces fondant

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

Warm 6 ounces of fondant over boiling water to approximately 105 degrees. Add melted chocolate. Thin to spreading consistency with water.

For white fondant icing

5 ounces fondant

Warm 5 ounces of fondant over boiling water to approximately 105 degrees. Thin with water if necessary. Place in a piping bag with a 1/8-inch tip.