When my family gathered for my grandmother’s funeral earlier this year, my dad came across her recipe box. Inside, he found a splattered, handwritten index card for Pineapple Jelly Roll, one of his favorite desserts.
He asked if I’d make it, so I took the recipe home and started poring over my grandmother’s haphazard notes. Her measurements were clear, but the instructions were murky. I did my best to interpret her words, and a few hours later, my first attempt was ready.
There was one glaring issue: It was ugly, and not in an endearing way either. Even a generous dusting of powdered sugar didn’t help. After making tiny tweaks to the filling (a tad less brown sugar, a splash of lemon juice) and adding pineapple whipped cream to cover up the craggy exterior, I finally felt like I had done Doris Odom justice.
I’m baking it for my dad this Thanksgiving so that, for just a moment, we’ll have my grandmother back at the table with us.
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