50 States, 50 Desserts: America's Favorite Sweet Treats
What makes it onto our plates varies as widely as the definition of what it means to be American, but if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's our love of desserts. Even if what that constitutes varies from coast to coast, state to state, or home to home, there is some common ground to be found. If you're amid the apple groves in Washington State, or the peach trees of Georgia, you can usually put your money on a few desserts that will be a hit at a potluck; in Hawaii, or New York, locals know exactly what to bring as a gift to out-of-state friends. So, in this patchwork quilt of a country, we've decided the only way to identify our favorite desserts is to go state by state, naming the unofficial state sweet as you might a state bird.
What results below, after months of reaching out to sources around the country and whittling the answers down, is a list of the most iconic desserts from every US state—and Puerto Rico and DC. From berry-stuffed pastries and buttery cakes to use-what-you've-got pies and sugary frozen treats, they tell our stories and bring us together. Read on for the best dessert to try in every single US state. These are the sweets that'll make you turn to your server and say, 'I'll have what she's having!'. — Megan Spurrell & Arati Menon
We also did a deep-dive on beloved Indigenous sweets across the US—read more about these dishes, and where to find them, here.
Peanut butter pie
Daniel Tingcungco
Alabama: Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut butter pie's exact origins have yet to be cracked, but its presence is far-reaching. Across Alabama the dessert tempts diners at barbecue joints, seafood shacks, and white-tablecloth restaurants alike. The pie's ubiquity nods to a key crop—Alabama routinely ranks among the top four peanut-producing states—and to a pioneering historical figure: trail-blazing scientist George Washington Carver, the child of once enslaved parents who changed the face of farming with his hundreds of inventions for peanuts' uses, while teaching at Tuskegee Institute. Later, in the 1920s, one of the country's first commercial peanut butter manufacturers began operations in Brundidge, Alabama, a fun fact celebrated during the small town's annual Peanut Butter Festival. Perhaps it's no wonder that, today, peanut butter pie has such a grip on Alabama. In this storied dessert, pie crust and toppings can vary—graham-cracker and chocolate-cookie crust are common, with chocolate sauce drizzles and whipped cream or meringue on top—but some combination of peanut butter, whipped cream, cream cheese, and sugar is blended into a fluffy, sweet, and nutty filling. Standouts include the slices on offer at Decatur's century-old Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, where creamy peanut butter pudding rests on peanut butter crumbles in a flaky pastry crust under a crown of melt-in-your mouth meringue and chopped peanuts. Acre in Auburn serves the treat with a fine-dining flex: Banana meringue sits atop layers of chocolate-cookie crust, chocolate ganache, and rich, silky peanut butter filling, all of which gets torched tableside. —Jennifer Kornegay
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kids Don't Want Screens—They Want Freedom
Kids love being on their phones and would rather do that than anything else. Right? New research finds that this is a myth. Children reported that what they really want to do is hang out with friends in real life—with no adults hovering and no screens. Kids go online because that's generally the only place they can meet up and have fun without constant adult supervision. Being glued to screens is their default, not their desire. In an August 4 Atlantic piece I cowrote with Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation (and my Let Grow cofounder), and Zach Rausch, director of the Tech and Society Research Lab at New York University, we discuss the survey we conducted with The Harris Poll. We asked 500 kids aged 8 to 12 to pick their favorite way to spend time with friends. The choices were: unstructured play, like pick-up basketball or exploring the neighborhood; adult-led activities, like ballet or soccer; and socializing online. The results surprised many people. It wasn't even close: kids want to meet up in person. No tutus, no trophies, no internet—and no adults! Basically, our kids want an old-fashioned, free-range childhood. But the survey also told us that this is almost an impossible dream, because kids are rarely allowed any free, unsupervised time. We found that: Most kids are not allowed to be without an adult in public spaces (streets, parks, playgrounds, stores). Most kids have rarely or never walked around without an adult. Fewer than half of the 8- and 9-year-olds have been to another aisle at the grocery store on their own. More than a quarter of the 8- and 9-year-olds—and 1 in 5 of the older kids—aren't even allowed to play in their own front yard alone. Our kids are growing up on lockdown. Their childhoods are strangely adult when it comes to tech, and infantilized when it comes to real life. The poll found that more 8- and 9-year-olds have talked to an artificial intelligence chatbot than have ever used a sharp knife. Perhaps unexpectedly, we don't blame parents for this. We blame the fears, social norms, and laws that have made micromanagement seem like a wise way to raise kids. But is it? Kids are more depressed than ever, according to the surgeon general. The same is true for parents. Today's childhood isn't working well for anyone. The saving grace for kids—and the thing driving adults crazy—is that one escape hatch beckons: the screen. Kids who have never been to a store on their own can conquer entire kingdoms online and connect with school friends and people in other countries alike. We nag at children to get off their devices, but why would they? We give them so few real-life alternatives. But if we would step back and let them step up and out, kids would be engaged with the world outside their door. Nearly three-quarters of the kids in the Harris survey agreed they "would spend less time online if there were more friends in my neighborhood to play with in person." Obviously, technology is attractive. But kids have a strong, almost evolutionary desire to play and roam—the way most of us adults did. Let Grow, the nonprofit I helm, is dedicated to making that kind of childhood easy, normal, and legal again. Our free programs for schools and parents encourage real-world independence and free play. And the Reasonable Childhood Independence laws we've helped pass in 11 states affirm the right of kids to play outside, walk to school, etc., without their parents being investigated for neglect. It's not fair to blame kids for being online when we don't let them go almost anywhere else. As we said in The Atlantic piece, "If parents want their kids to put down their phones, they need to start opening the front door." The post Kids Don't Want Screens—They Want Freedom appeared first on Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
This Mom Is Going Viral For Sharing The Brutal Truth About Exactly What It's Like Being A Working Mom In America
Bringing home a new baby is tough enough, but the current United States parental leave policy can make things even more difficult. The US only guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave via Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) — with restrictions about the company's size and the employee's tenure — leaving new parents to determine if they can afford extra time with their newborn or to recover after birth. According to a 2019 Pew Research Center report, "the US is the only country among 41 nations that does not mandate any paid leave for new parents." They also noted that "the share of moms who are working either full or part time in the United States has increased over the past half-century from 51% to 72%, and almost half of two-parent families now include two full-time working parents." The National Institute for Health reports that on average, new moms go back to work after 10 weeks, and that longer leave is "seen primarily among economically advantaged groups, such as college educated, married parents who can afford to take unpaid leave." So it's no surprise that brookiethecookie, aka @adayinaeats on TikTok, recently went viral with a video in which she shared just how difficult the life of a working mother in the US can be. In the video, she can be seen crying at her desk, with a text overlay that says, "me at work because I'm watching my baby sit up for the first time through the monitor." @adayinaeats / Via "Being a working mom is so much harder than I could've imagined. Missing the milestones just breaks me," she said in the caption. Many commenters were immediately supportive and understanding. "One year of paid federal maternity leave NEEDS to be the standard. I'm glad women are getting louder about this, it's a huge issue," said one. "The US needs to figure something out bc being a parent in this country is so unfair." "The US is cruel to families. Every other developed nation has figured out the balance." "USA is a third world country in a Gucci belt." "It's crazy how a country can be so obsessed with controlling pregnancy but won't support moms after birth..." The conversation made its way over to Twitter (now X), where people discussed parental leave in other nations. "I'm on an 18-month paid leave through the government," said one person, alongside Canadian flag emojis. "In Scandinavian countries a year of parental is granted to both parents." Some commenters argued that this was a signal that moms shouldn't be working, period, and should be stay-at-home mothers if they have children. "Proof that marrying a good provider man is a flex. Being a girl boss isn't." "the government isn't responsible to give you time with your child. this is why choosing a good husband who allows you to be a stay at home mother is so important," another person said. "Ladies: Marry a provider husband so you can raise your kids." But others fought back, saying raising a family on one income wasn't affordable these days in America, and that it's important for women to pursue their careers as well. "sure, go ahead, please you guys show us how you provide for a full family with one salary in this economy," one person said. "we need women in universities in the workforce in positions of authority n power. that being said paid maternity leave until your baby is kindergarten age shld be a given." Another commenter pointed out that this isn't just a problem for moms; it's tough on all parents. "men want to see their babies firsts too and get upset about this EXACT SAME THING," they said. And finally, this person summed up the whole discussion pretty succinctly: "America core." You can see brookiethecookie's full video below. @adayinaeats / Via Now I'd love to know: if you're a working parent, what are your thoughts on the S's parental leave policies? What do you think would be an ideal amount of time to take off for new parents? And if you're not in the US, what is the parental leave like where you live? Let us know in the comments. And if you'd prefer to remain anonymous, you can fill out the form below.
Condé Nast Traveler
9 hours ago
- Condé Nast Traveler
50 States, 50 Desserts: America's Favorite Sweet Treats
It's no easy feat to pinpoint the most iconic desserts in the US. In a country so sprawling, so shaped by the comings and goings of communities, so contoured by unique terrains and the harvests they produce, how does one even describe the American table, for starters—and whose American table are we talking about when we do? What makes it onto our plates varies as widely as the definition of what it means to be American, but if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's our love of desserts. Even if what that constitutes varies from coast to coast, state to state, or home to home, there is some common ground to be found. If you're amid the apple groves in Washington State, or the peach trees of Georgia, you can usually put your money on a few desserts that will be a hit at a potluck; in Hawaii, or New York, locals know exactly what to bring as a gift to out-of-state friends. So, in this patchwork quilt of a country, we've decided the only way to identify our favorite desserts is to go state by state, naming the unofficial state sweet as you might a state bird. What results below, after months of reaching out to sources around the country and whittling the answers down, is a list of the most iconic desserts from every US state—and Puerto Rico and DC. From berry-stuffed pastries and buttery cakes to use-what-you've-got pies and sugary frozen treats, they tell our stories and bring us together. Read on for the best dessert to try in every single US state. These are the sweets that'll make you turn to your server and say, 'I'll have what she's having!'. — Megan Spurrell & Arati Menon We also did a deep-dive on beloved Indigenous sweets across the US—read more about these dishes, and where to find them, here. Peanut butter pie Daniel Tingcungco Alabama: Peanut Butter Pie Peanut butter pie's exact origins have yet to be cracked, but its presence is far-reaching. Across Alabama the dessert tempts diners at barbecue joints, seafood shacks, and white-tablecloth restaurants alike. The pie's ubiquity nods to a key crop—Alabama routinely ranks among the top four peanut-producing states—and to a pioneering historical figure: trail-blazing scientist George Washington Carver, the child of once enslaved parents who changed the face of farming with his hundreds of inventions for peanuts' uses, while teaching at Tuskegee Institute. Later, in the 1920s, one of the country's first commercial peanut butter manufacturers began operations in Brundidge, Alabama, a fun fact celebrated during the small town's annual Peanut Butter Festival. Perhaps it's no wonder that, today, peanut butter pie has such a grip on Alabama. In this storied dessert, pie crust and toppings can vary—graham-cracker and chocolate-cookie crust are common, with chocolate sauce drizzles and whipped cream or meringue on top—but some combination of peanut butter, whipped cream, cream cheese, and sugar is blended into a fluffy, sweet, and nutty filling. Standouts include the slices on offer at Decatur's century-old Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, where creamy peanut butter pudding rests on peanut butter crumbles in a flaky pastry crust under a crown of melt-in-your mouth meringue and chopped peanuts. Acre in Auburn serves the treat with a fine-dining flex: Banana meringue sits atop layers of chocolate-cookie crust, chocolate ganache, and rich, silky peanut butter filling, all of which gets torched tableside. —Jennifer Kornegay
