January 23, 2026
We thought it might be fun to do a recurring blog post of some of our favorite recipes we did back in our restaurant days, from the three cookbooks that our mother authored, as well as some of Tom’s favorites from over the years. We operated our restaurant for 35 years and had a great reputation for fine food and dining, with a number of recipes also featured in national publications. Our mother wrote three cookbooks which included; Cooking with Love, The Kavanaugh Cookbook, and The Cookbook of Menus. We always felt our restaurant was a leader in the dining experience here in the Brainerd Lakes Area, and set the tone for many of the better restaurants that we have in the area today. During that time, we utilized Farm to Table, when nobody else knew what that was. We also became famous for our walleye recipes, utilizing only fresh walleye and selling over 300-pounds of this wonderful, flavorful fish each week in the summer. So, each time we do the recipe corner, we will share a little story about the recipes, and hopefully you will be able to enjoy them at home.
Kavanaugh’s Famous Walnut Pie with Ice Cream and Caramel
Of all of our recipes, this had to be the first one to share! Our mother developed this amazing recipe in 1975 and first tested it out on the family that Christmas. This simple dessert was a true hit, and over the next 30 years would become our signature dessert, which sold over 100,000 servings and was even featured in several national culinary magazines. The walnut pie is still a favorite at family gatherings, and we’ve always felt that it is a simple, but very unique recipe.
Walnut Meringue Crust
2 Egg Whites
¼ cup Sugar
1 ½ cups chopped walnuts
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Slowly add the sugar, beating until very stiff. Fold in the walnuts and spread into a buttered pan and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool and either refrigerate or freeze until use.
Caramel Sauce
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup cream
Melt butter in a saucepan, add brown sugar and bring it to a light boil. Add the cream and allow it to boil for 1-2 minutes. Cool to a warm temperature and serve.
To Assemble: Cut the walnut pie into portions and top with vanilla ice cream. Top with warm caramel sauce and some chopped walnuts.