By ANDREW ARMSTRONG / Recipe Columnist

Some of the best recipes come from the southern states. Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida and even Texas have some of the most well known cuisines you will ever taste. Spaghetti is nothing without southern garlic toast, and who doesn’t love the thought of a homemade salad dressing?

All these recipes are accumulated of some of our neighboring states. Alberto sure has taken a toll on Florida, but next time you get a hankering for a Miami beach trip, enjoy a cherry muffin before you hit the waves.

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Southern Fruit Swirl Ice Cream

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

2 cans of condensed milk

2 cans of evaporated milk

2 ½ tablespoons of vanilla extract

2 ¾ cups of sugar

1 carton of Almond Milk (vanilla flavor)

3 ½ pounds of fresh fruits, chopped

12 eggs

Scald the milk and let it cool. Blend all the ingredients together, then place in an ice cream freezer.

Texas Garlic Toast

2 ½ cups of butter at room temperature

1 ½ tablespoons of garlic salt

1 ½ tablespoons of garlic powder

1 loaf of fresh fresh bread or a baguette, sliced

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Fold the first three ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Spread the desired amount on to the bread. Bake at 350 degrees, until browned and crispy. Refrigerate the leftover garlic butter spread. If using fresh garlic, then throw the spread away after three days.

Breakfast Cookies

½ a cup of brown sugar

½ a cup of margarine

¼ a cup of butter softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of orange extract

2 cups of quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1 cup of whole wheat flour

½ a teaspoon of baking soda

½ a teaspoon of cinnamon

¼ a teaspoon of ginger

¼ a teaspoon of cloves

¼ a teaspoon of salt

1 cup of prunes, chopped

1 cup of apples, chopped

1 cup of nuts, chopped

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, margarine, butter, egg, orange extract and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Beat at low speed until a soft dough forms. Stir in the prunes, apples and pecans. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before storing.

Mississippi Mayonnaise Bread

½ a teaspoon of cornmeal

¼ a cup and 2 tablespoons of mayo

2 tablespoon of butter, melted

2 cups of self rising flour

1 cup of milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Preheat the oven at 400 degrees. Mix all the ingredients, together and pour into a greased 10 – inch cast iron skillet or a loaf pan. Bake for 25 minutes, until lightly browned.

Sour Cream Italian Dressing

½ a cup of mayo

½ a cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons of milk

1 tablespoon of vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of basil

1 teaspoon of honey

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

Mix it all together and chill 24-48 hours, before serving.

Floridian Cherry Muffins

2 ½ cups of flour, sifted

½ a cup of sugar

1 jar of maraschino cherries, chopped

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

½ a cup of milk

½ a cup of the cherry juice

¼ a cup of butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

Almonds, chopped

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and toss well. Mix the liquid ingredients together with the dry. After the mixture is well blended pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.