Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish. Melt butter and whisk in flour, cook at least one minute, bubbling. Slowly whisk in hot milk until smooth. Add salt and pepper and pinch of sugar. Taste the roux to make sure it's properly flavored. Add corn and remove from heat. Whisk eggs in medium bowl and gradually add to warm mixture, stirring to blend. Pour warm mixture into casserole dish and set in a pan of hot water.

Bake one hour until set. Test by inserting tip of a knife into center. When done, knife will come out clean.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 170 calories, 8 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 145 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 8 g protein

Barbara Anderson, who operates the gracious Shipman House bed and breakfast in Hilo, sent in these spiced peaches, which have been part of the family's Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners for as long as she can remember. "This is so 'ono! It came from my mother's recipe box," she wrote.

One thing to note: This recipe is best if it's made several days ahead of time, so plan accordingly. She writes, "In a pinch, this is still pretty good if made in the morning and served that night, but it definitely improves over a couple days' time."

Anderson suggests you use sliced rather than peach halves, as the original recipe calls for, because half a peach is a lot when you're loading up at a holiday table.

SPICED PEACHES

In a medium-size stainless-steel pan, mix together all ingredients except peaches. Boil for 5 minutes.

Add peaches, simmer 5 minutes more. Turn off heat, let cool. Transfer to bowl, syrup and all. Chill in refrigerator a few days.

Serves 6.

Per serving (1-2 halves depending on brand of peaches): 210 calories, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 57 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 54 g sugar, 1 g protein

Kate Tobin wrote to say her family asked her to send in their holiday favorite, served at Thanksgiving, Christmas and very special occasions. It's a carrot souffle she clipped out of Cooking Light magazine. It became an instant hit. "There are never any leftovers," she writes. As the family — Kate, her husband and two daughters — celebrate their first holidays in the Islands, it will remind them of past times together.

CARROT SOUFFLE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook carrots in boiling water for 15 minutes or until very tender; drain. Place carrots in a food processor; process until smooth. Add granulated sugar and the next 7 ingredients (granulated sugar through eggs); pulse to combine.

Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until puffed and set.

Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 190 calories, 6 g total fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 250 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 23 g sugar, 4 g protein

In response to your request for readers to send in their family's recipes for traditional accompaniments to the Thanksgiving turkey, here is a recipe for a favorite of our family.

Lynn Scaduto of Hawai'i Kai, spending her 15th holiday season in Hawai'i, forwarded the most unusual recipe of the bunch. She writes: "This Taffy Apple Salad recipe was found by my sister, Vicki Dunne, who brought the salad to Thanksgiving dinner at our house over 20 years ago, and the family has been enjoying it ever since. When we lived in Illinois, three generations gathered at our home to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Now we're rather scattered around the country, and my 85-year-old mother always says she'd give anything to be able to have one more Thanksgiving at our house where we were all together again. ... I know it's strange, but somehow it actually reminds you of taffy apples when you're eating it! (Guess it's a combination of the apples, peanuts and sweetness.) Incidentally, there are actually some grocery stores in Illinois that sell this salad in their deli during the holidays (not quite as good as homemade!)"

This is another recipe that spreads the work over a couple of days.

TAFFY APPLE SALAD

The night before:

Drain pineapple and mix in large bowl with marshmallows. Refrigerate overnight.

Cook pineapple juice, sugar, flour, egg and vinegar until thickened into a sauce. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

Next day:

Mix apples and peanuts with pineapple and marshmallows.

Combine sauce and Cool Whip. Pour over fruit, toss and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Makes approximately 2 quarts, about 8 servings. (Make a double recipe for a party.)

400 calories, 22 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 15 mg sodium, 49 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 43 g sugar, 9 g protein

Lolly Saari of 'Aiea sent in this rich broccoli dish, which is always served at her family's holiday meals. She got the recipe from a fellow teacher, Charlene Ishimoto, when the was teaching at Kawananakoa Intermediate School in the 1980s.

BROCCOLI CASSEROLE

Combine broccoli, mayonnaise, onion, eggs and cream of mushroom soup in large casserole dish or glass 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Top with grated cheddar. Mix crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter and spread evenly over the top.

Bake uncovered in a 350degree oven for 45 minutes.

Per serving: 500 calories, 42 g total fat, 13 g saturated fat, 100 mg cholesterol, 810 mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 4 g sugar, 11 g protein

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.