Category Archives: Dessert

April 8, 2011 · 9:13 am

A Cup, a Cup, a Cup Fruit Salad

If you have a child eager to help in the kitchen like I do, this recipe is ideal.  It’s so simple–a cup of this, a cup of that. Your only problem will be insisting that they wait a few hours for the salad to chill and flavors to meld.  I like to bring this fruit salad to salad themed potlucks to add a little variety to the buffet. I also pack it in the girls lunch box with an ice pack.  They can tell their friends that they made it themselves!

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (Store the leftover in the fridge.)
1 cup miniature marshmallows, plus a few to give the kids now since they can’t eat the salad until later
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarine oranges, drained (I cheat and use the whole 15 oz can.)
1 cup sour cream

Gently mix, cover, and chill for several hours.

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Filed under Dessert, Lunch Box, Salads, Vegetarian

March 21, 2011 · 10:10 am

Anne’s Fruit Cocktail

My mother-in-law Mary Jane Dronet worked as a demo lady for Sam’s Club in Lake Charles for 22 years.  During the 1990s her friend Anne brought this fruit salad to a company potluck. Jane kept the recipe because the main ingredients are easy to have on hand.  It also makes quite a bit and is good for serving a crowd. Jane likes to eat it for breakfast with cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt.  Add fresh fruit to the mix if the fruit cocktail will be eaten in one day.

by Anne, Jane Dronet’s friend.  Submitted by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

2 cans mandarine oranges, drained
2 cans pineapple chunks, drained
1 can peach pie filling

Recommended fresh fruit additions:
4 bananas, sliced
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
grapes

* You can use kitchen scissors to cut the peach slices smaller if you like.

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Filed under Dessert, Lunch Box, Salads, Vegetarian

February 9, 2011 · 10:15 am

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Here's Miette's Dog by a Tree

What fun!  This is the one time the kids can play with their food and not get into trouble.  I like to serve it on clean placemats with a few cookie cutters and a rolling pin.  It also packs well in a lunch box with a few marshmallows and chocolate chips on the side to decorate with at school.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1 1/4 cup powdered milk

Combine ingredients in a mixer and mix on low for a few minutes until smooth.

Transfer to tupperware or a baggie. The serving size is a large spoonful to start.  (It can be sweet.) I’d rather the kids not squeeze it all at once!

I like to serve it with chocolate chips and marshmallows for the girls to use in their creations.

Store the untouched dough in the refrigerator. Heat in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it up again.

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January 22, 2011 · 4:05 pm

Lemon Curd

My dear friend Laura and I are hooked on the deliciousness of this lemon curd.  Paired with cream scones, it’s makes both a luscious breakfast and dessert.  We found ourselves eating it right out of the jar.  Using this recipe, which makes around 3 cups of curd, we made one jar to eat immediately and canned two half-pints for later.

Contributed by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet from the book Put ’em Up! by Sherri Brooks Vinton

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 cup lemon juice  (5-6 lemons)
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt

*If you zest your lemon with a microplane, the zest should be fine enough to leave in.  If your zest is larger, strain off the solids with a fine mesh sieve before placing into jars.

**If you plan to can some of the lemon curd, set a large pot of water to boil for the hot water bath and clean jars and unused lids in hot soapy water.

Method:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive double boiler. (I used a glass bowl set on top of a pot of just boiling water.)

2.  Whisk the curd constantly until it thickens, about 10 minutes.  It should not boil.

3.  Strain if you would like to remove the zest.

4.  Ladle into clean jars.  Either refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or can in a boiling water bath.

Boiling Water Bath:

Ladle into clean, hot 4 oz or 8 oz canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Wipe the rims clean, center lids, and screw on bands until finger tip tight.  Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes, making sure water covers the jars at least  inch.  Turn off heat, and let jars rest in the water for 5 more minutes.  Remove and set aside for 24 hours.  Check lids for a good seal.  Store in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.

* The book notes that there is enough acid in this recipe to safely store this curd on the shelf; however, don’t be tempted to skimp on the lemon juice.  Follow the recipe exactly to ensure safe canning.

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Filed under Breakfast, Canning, Dessert

January 22, 2011 · 4:04 pm

Cream Scones

My childhood friend, Laura, and I have always enjoyed good food.  Both of our parents like to cook, and we’ve spent many a meal at each other’s homes over the years.  She’s someone I can count on to read lots of  cookbooks and not be intimidated to try a new recipe. During her last visit, we made these scones for the first time and were both delighted with the results.

Contributed by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet from the cookbook The New Best Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably Gold Medal or Pillsbury brand
1 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
5 Tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place oven rack in the middle position.

1. Place the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in the large bowl of a food processor with a metal blade.  Process with six 1-second pulses.

2. Remove cover and distribute the butter evenly over the dry ingredients.  Cover and process with 12 1-second pulses.

3. Transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in the heavy cream with a rubber spatula until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

4. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by hand until it forms a ball, around 10 seconds.

5. Press dough into an 8 inch floured cake pan.  Turn out and slice the round into 8 wedges.  If desired, glaze them by brushing cream over the tops and sprinkling them with a little sugar.

6. Place wedges on an ungreased  baking sheet.  (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 2 hours.)

7. Bake until the tops are slightly browned 12-15 minutes.  (I baked mine for 15 minutes.)  Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Serve with lemon curd.

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Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

November 30, 2010 · 9:49 am

Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

These little muffins taste like butter pecan ice cream without the ice cream!  In 1998 I (Elizabeth) did my student teaching at Barbe High School in Lake Charles.  It was my first taste of what the teacher’s lounge had to offer…lots of treats!  The math teacher, Mrs. Bradley, brought in these pecan pie muffins and I couldn’t get enough of them.  Her husband, Mr. Bradley, was one of Dave’s math professors at McNeese.  He was a lucky man to have such a good cook for a wife!  When my father-in-law brings me a bag of hand peeled pecans from his trees in Lafayette, I know just what to do with them.

by Mrs. Bradley

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2/3 cup real butter melted
2 eggs beaten

Combine the sugar, flour, and pecans.  Beat the eggs and butter together.  Pour egg and butter mixture over the pecan mixture and stir until moist.  Fill miniature muffin tins 2/3 full. You can either grease the tin or use papers.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen.

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November 14, 2010 · 11:15 am

Jello Shapes

These jigglers are perfect for lunch boxes and picnics.  They hold their shape and do not melt with an ice pack in the bag.  My kids have such a fun time cutting out little animals, hearts, and their letter of the week.  You can use the tip of a straw to make faces in the shapes.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

4 small packages of jello, any flavor
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup white grape juice

Mix jello with boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved.  Pour in white grape juice.  Pour mixture into a 9×13 dish and refrigerate until solid.

Cut into cubes or use cookie cutters to make shapes.  You can dip the bottom of the dish in warm water for about 30 seconds to help the jello come out of the dish better.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

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November 11, 2010 · 7:37 am

Cinnamon Bananas

When I was in junior high school, Santa brought us a microwave oven for Christmas.  We were all so excited.  The microwave came with a recipe book that included a recipe for “baked” apples.  You simply cored the apple and stuffed it with butter, cinnamon, and sugar then popped it in the microwave.  As kids, the apple coring was not a simple as it looked, so we made up our own after school snack, which was the same thing but with bananas.  We thought it was delicious!  You can eat it alone or serve the bananas with ice cream.  It’s the perfect use for over ripe bananas and my four-year-old kids can easily make it with a little help.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

one banana broken into pieces
sprinkle of sugar
sprinkle of cinnamon
dab of butter

Place all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave about 1 minute until banana is soft.  Stir to combine.  Serve warm.

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November 2, 2010 · 9:58 am

Fruit Cookie Cups

These adorable cookie cups are at must at birthday parties.  We call them “adult cupcakes” since they are so much better than regular cupcakes. They also make a great Fourth of July treat when topped with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries.

by Mary Ellen Burton

1 package Pillsbury sugar cookies (The flat one, not the tube.)
1 7oz jar marshmallow cream
1 8oz cream cheese block softened
small pieces of fruit

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a mini-muffin pan. Let cream cheese sit on the counter to soften while making the cookie cups.

Cookie Cups:
Use a pizza cutter to cut each cookie in half while it’s still on the cardboard.  Roll each half in the palm of your hand and press into a 1″ circle. Place each disk in the mini-muffin pan.

Press a tool into a cup of flour and then press a circle into the dough until a cup is formed and the sides reach top of pan. Mom actually owns a wooden kitchen tool made for tasks such as this, but if you don’t, get creative!  We’ve been known to use the end of an ice cream scoop and even the handle of a screwdriver!  Your fingers do not work well for this job because they do not put even pressure on the sides of the pan.  The cookies will likely be thin around the top and be difficult to remove later.

Bake for around 8 minutes.  Cool in pan for 3-5 minutes and carefully pry the cups out with a butter knife.  If you wait too long, the cookies may crumble when removed.  If you try to remove them too early, they are too soft to remove.  You want them just right where the cookie is still soft enough to press back into shape if they are damaged during removal.

Repeat process for second half of dough.

Let cookie cups cool completely.

Filling:
In a mixer, combine marshmallow cream and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Do not attempt to combine by hand. (This is the same recipe as our favorite fruit dip.)

Fill a pastry bag or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off with mixture and carefully fill each cookie cup.  You can also scoop and drop the mixture into the cups with a spoon.

Top with fruit.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield 24 cookie cups.  We often double the recipe for a crowd.

If you are in a hurry, make fruit pizza instead (see picture below) following the same recipe. Cut into bite-sized squares to serve.

Use pizza cutter to slice cookies in half.

Let cups cool completely before filling.

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Filed under Appetizer, Dessert, Holidays, Lunch Box, Showers or Teas, Vegetarian

October 25, 2010 · 10:48 pm

Julie’s Pumpkin Bread

My friend Julie brought this delicious pumpkin bread to bible study last fall, and I just had to make it this year.  Canned pumpkin can be hard to find during months other than October and November, so don’t miss your chance to bake a loaf and fill the house with the smell of spice.  I like to serve it with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

by Julie, Elizabeth’ friend from church

*This recipe makes a large loaf, muffins, several mini loafs or one bunt cake.  The recipe may easily be halved.

Ingredients

3 cup sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
15 oz can pumpkin
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2/3 cup water

Method

Mix dry ingredients  in a bowl and then add in to mixed liquid ingredients.

Bake at 350 in a big loaf pan or bundt for 50-60 minutes until a tester comes out clean.  For muffins or small loaf pans bake a shorter amount of time.

To whip cream, chill metal mixing bowl by swirling around some ice cubes in the bowl and then tossing them out.  Add liquid whipping cream and beat on high until soft peaks form.  Add a little powdered sugar to taste. Spoon over bread.

Freeze or give away extras.  Use a halloween cookie cutter to cut slices into shapes for school lunches.

For muffins, add 2 cups mini chocolate chips. 12-14 minutes for mini-muffins. 20-22 for regular muffins.  Freeze and put in lunch boxes.

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Filed under Bread, Cakes, Dessert, Freezes Well, Lunch Box, Vegetarian