Dolly Parton worked hard and loved food. She mixed the two by sharing recipes through cookbooks, serving food inspired by her own home meals at Dollywood, and releasing a line of mixes for baked goods.
One of Parton’s collaborators wrote about his time working with her. Robert Greenblatt revealed the sweet treat she brought to work for him to enjoy.
Dolly Parton Shared Homemade Fudge While Working on ‘9 to 5’
Greenblatt, 66, approached Parton to adapt “9 to 5” into a Broadway play. The former Showtime, NBC and WarnerMedia executive wrote about that experience in Deadline.
The “I Will Always Love You” songwriter wrote new songs overnight for the play. A probelm with the set interrupted opening night. Parton took the stage to entertain the audience for 15 minutes with no preparation. She made the experience even better by bringing a treat to work.
“Dolly sat out in the darkened theatre and would sometimes call out a funny comment in the middle of a scene to ease the pressure,” he wrote. “She also knew that I had a sweet tooth and would sometimes bring us homemade fudge, just one of the many kind gestures from the little country girl at heart.”
The mogul’s boxed baking mix includes the flavor chocolate cake mix and a double fudge brownie mix. She said that she didn’t have a favorite, but her husband Carl Dean did.
“My husband’s a big chocolate fan, so I’m always cooking him chocolate,” she told People.
Dolly Parton Learned How To Cook To Help Her Big Family
GettyParton’s has 11 siblings and the children helped in the household. The music legend and her sister Willadeene were responsible for cooking when their mother was expecting a baby.
The movie star and Rachel Parton George released a cookbook called “Good Lookin’ Cookin'” together. They explained that they learned from watching their mother, Avie Lee. She used her hands instead of measuring spoons and liked classic recipes.
“Some of the old things like meatloaves and dumplings, stuff you just kind of throw a lot of love and whatever you’ve got in the pot,” Parton told Martha Stewart. The sisters talked about keeping their mother’s memory alive through her recipes.
Parton died at 80 years old after battling cancer on Aug. 25. Many will remember her for her beautiful songs, funny moments, and great movies. But she also touched people’s lives through food. Baking With Dolly’s website released a statement after the news.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dolly Parton. Dolly brought joy, warmth and generosity to everything she touched. We were incredibly fortunate to experience that firsthand through our partnership with her across Duncan Hines and our growing line of Dolly-inspired frozen foods,” read the website.
“We are proud of what we created together and even more grateful to have known and worked with such an extraordinary person. Our hearts are with Dolly’s family, friends and the millions around the world who loved her. Her remarkable legacy – and the joy she brought to so many – will live on,” the statement continues.”
