June 18, 2010 · 10:04 pm

French Silk Pie

I loved to make this pie for holidays.  Everyone loved it especially the children.

by Pat Savoie

2                egg white
1/2          cup  sugar
1/4          tsp  cream of tartar
pecans — chopped

3/4          cup  butter
1                cup  sugar
2                ounces  unsweetened chocolate — melted
1 1/2        tsp  vanilla
3                eggs

1                cup  whipping cream
2                Tablespoons  powdered sugar
1                Tablespoon  Creme de cacao

For an egg white crust:  Beat egg whites, add sugar and cream of tartar.  Grease heavily the bottom of the pie plate, then spread the egg white mixture. Sprinkle with pecans.  Bake 200 degrees for 1 hour.  Turn oven off and leave shell in until cool.

For Filling:  Cream butter, add sugar, vanilla, and chocolate (Melt chocolate in the microwave, then cool.  Do not add hot chocolate to the butter or else the butter will melt.) Add the eggs 1 at a time beating 5 minutes after the addition of each. This will insure the silky texture.  Pour into cool shell and refrigerate.

For Topping:  Beat chilled whipping cream in a chilled bowl.  Add sugar.  Fold in Creme de cacao, do not beat.

NOTES : Sometimes I make a regular pie crust.  Bake it first, then sprinkle toasted pecans on top before pouring in filling.
Top the whipped cream with chocolate curls made with a potato peeler and a Hershey’s candy bar at room temp.

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June 18, 2010 · 10:00 pm

Fantasy Fudge

My mom made this every Christmas when I was little.  I made it for my children and now they make it for theirs.  Kent especially loved making it with us.  He always had to make sure we said, “It makes it shiny!” when we added the vanilla.

by Granny–Dolores Borel

3              cups  sugar
3/4          cup  butter
2/3          cup  evaporated milk
12             ounces  semisweet chocolate
7               ounces  marshmallow cream
1               cup  pecans — chopped
1               teaspoon  vanilla

In a large sauce pan, combine butter, sugar and milk.  Bring to a boil. Turn down the temp but it should still boil.  Stir over a low heat for 4 minutes. Drop a little in a glass of cold water and feel if its holding together. (Soft boil.  test by pushing down the ball with your finger.) Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate.  When melted, add marshmallow cream.  Add vanilla. (Fudge will turn glossy) We always say “It’s shiny!” Fold in pecans (toast pecans first for more flavor)
Pour into a butter dish and cool.  Cut into small squares.

NOTES : To roast pecans:  Preheat oven 450. Soak pecans in water to cover 20 minutes.  Drain well.  Sprinkle 2 Tbsp salt evenly over the bottom of a 15 x 10 jelly roll pan.  Arrange pecans in a single layer; sprinkle with 2 more Tbsp salt.  Place in hot oven and turn off.  Let stand in oven 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Toss pecans in a strainer to remove excess salt.  Cool.
Or to roast pecans:  Just put in a pan and cook for 10 minutes in a 350 oven.

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June 18, 2010 · 9:56 pm

Cherry Cresent Roll Dessert

Granny taught Elizabeth how to make this.  Dave likes it a lot.  Serve hot.

by Granny–Dolores Borel

8            ounces  cream cheese — softened
1/3        cup  powdered sugar
1            egg
1            cup  cherry pie filling
2            packages  cresent rolls
1            teaspoon  vanilla or almond extract
1/2        cup  powdered sugar
1            tablespoon  cream cheese
1            tablespoon  milk
1/2        teaspoon  vanilla

Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla or almond extract. Unroll cresent rolls and arrange like a pinwheel.  Spread mixture in middle.  Spoon cherries on top.  Pull the spokes of the pinwheel up and over to the center. Bake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make and icing out of the powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk and vanilla.  Drizzle on top.  Eat hot.

*Instead of cherries, use apples and pecans.  You may also change the shape to look like a king cake.

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June 18, 2010 · 9:51 pm

Caramel Popcorn

We always made this for Halloween. Stuffed in clear plastic gloves, it makes great favors.  Elizabeth served it at the twins second birthday party with a circus theme.
My mom, Dolores Borel, made this for me when I was little.  I made it for my children.

contributed by Pat Savoie

4            quarts  popcorn — popped  (Any popcorn will do.  Microwave popcorn is easy.)
1             cup  brown sugar
1/2         cup  butter
1/2         cup  light corn syrup
1/2         teaspoon  salt
1/2         teaspoon  vanilla
1/2         teaspoon  baking soda

In a saucepan combine butter, sugar, syrup and salt.  Boil over low heat 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Stir in baking soda.  Mixture will foam.  Continue stirring and pour over the popcorn in a large baking pan.  Stir trying to coat most of the popcorn.  Bake 250 stirring every 15 minutes for about 1 hour (If you can wait that long).  Pour out over counter top and cool slightly breaking large pieces apart.  Store in an air tight container.  (If there is any left over)

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June 18, 2010 · 9:47 pm

Candied Orange Peel

Granny made these gumdrop-like candies every Christmas when we were little.

When David was getting married, Mary Ellen made them for Kayla’s wedding shower and served them with Chocolate Shots.  They looked great presented on a plate together.

We recommend using the leftover juice to make Granny’s Orange Pecans.

by Granny–Dolores Borel

6        medium  orange — peeled
1        Tablespoon  salt
2        cups  sugar

Peel the oranges by hand and scrape with a spoon to remove the membrane from the orange peel.  As an alternative, use a vegetable peeler to create long strips of peel that will later be trimmed.  A vegetable peeler will create thinner candies than the peel and scrape method.

Add salt and peel to 4 cups water.  Weigh down peel with something and keep submerged overnight.  Drain and rinse.

The next day, cover with cold water and heat to boiling.  Drain and repeat 3 times.

Cut peel with shears in strips.

In saucepan, combine peel, sugar and 1/2 cup water.  Heat and stir until sugar dissolves.  Cook until transparent.  Drain and roll in granulated sugar.  Dry on rack.  Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups.

Transparent peels ready to be drained and sugared.

Drying on the rack.

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June 18, 2010 · 5:40 pm

Sparkling Strawberry Punch

Monsignor DeBlanc, Dolores & Jerry

Granny served this punch at Pat’s wedding reception in 1973. She likes sparkling strawberry punch because it’s not too sweet.

Monsignor DeBlanc married Pat and Kent at Our Lady Queen of Heaven.  This is his recipe for punch.

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by Monsignor LeBlanc

20         ounces  strawberries, frozen
6            ounces  lemonade, frozen concentrate
1/4        cup  sugar
1/2        bottle  almond extract
28         ounces  club soda
3            28 ounce  ginger ale

In blender at a high speed, blend strawberries, lemonade, sugar.  Pour into bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Make an ice ring with lemons, strawberries and mint.

Pat and Kent's Wedding Reception

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June 18, 2010 · 5:35 pm

Pineapple Lemon Punch

A favorite punch for showers.

by Pat Savoie

2            large  pineapple juice
12          ounces  lemonade, frozen concentrate
1            bottle  almond extract
2            cups  water
2            cups  sugar
2            liters  ginger ale

Heat water and dissolve sugar.  Add to pineapple juice, almond extract, and frozen lemonade.  Freeze in ziplock bags.  It will not freeze too hard.  When ready to serve, add concentrate to bowl and pour in ginger ale.  Slushy.

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June 18, 2010 · 5:31 pm

Hot Eggnog

Hot eggnog has always been a Christmas Eve tradition in both Kent’s family and mine (Pat).   It’s a family tradition to serve it warm right out of the pot.  Add a spoon of whiskey to taste.

by Granny–Dolores Borel

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Ingredients

1        cup  milk
1        egg — separated
1        Tablespoon  sugar
1        dash  salt
vanilla to taste

Method

Multiply these ingredients times the number of people to be served. Heat milk, but do not boil.  Separate eggs.  Beat egg yolks until fluffy.  Add sugar and beat until light yellow.  Take  some of the hot milk and add to the beaten eggs.  Now pour the egg mixture into the hot milk. Add salt (about 1/4 tsp to a large pot).  Add vanilla ( about 1 or 2 Tbsp to a large pot). Beat egg whites and add 1/2 Tbsp sugar per egg white.  Don’t beat too stiff.  Fold into hot eggnog.  Sprinkle with nutmeg if you wish and add whiskey if you like to the cup when you serve.

*Don’t boil or eggs will curdle.  Be careful if reheating in the microwave, eggs will curdle if too hot.

Mary Ellen and Granny

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June 18, 2010 · 5:21 pm

Strawberry Champagne Punch

I had this at a wedding shower where the punch (without champagne) was served out of a decanter.  Guests topped their glass with the champagne and a fresh strawberry.

by Pat Savoie

3            Ounces  Strawberry Gelatin
1                Cup  Boiling Water
6            Ounces  Frozen Lemonade Concentrate — thawed
2              Cups  Cold Water
750      Milliliters  Rose Wine
750      Milliliters  Champagne — chilled
1              Pint  Strawberries

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water; cool.

In punch bowl, combine gelatin mixture, lemonade concentrate and cold water.

Just before serving, stir in wine, champagne and strawberries.

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June 18, 2010 · 5:06 pm

Pesto Cheese Wreath

The red and green stripes make this look like a Christmas wreath.  Pat has been known to embellish it with holly and a ribbon.

Elizabeth served this at her annual Christmas Sweet Swap luncheon for the ladies at church.

by Pat Savoie

2         cups  parsley
1/4     cup  almonds — slivered
2         tablespoons  parmesan cheese — grated
2         cloves  garlic
1          tablespoon  basil — dried
1/4      teaspoon  salt
2          tablespoons  olive oil
24        ounces  cream cheese
1/2      cup  mayonnaise
1/4      cup  whipping cream
1          teaspoon  sugar
1          teaspoon  onion salt
1/3      cup  pimiento — drained

Prepare parley-basil pesto with first 6 ingredients in small food processor or blender.

Beat cream cheese and mayo in small bowl until smooth.  Beat in whipping cream, sugar and onion salt.

Line 5 cup ring mold or bundt pan with plastic wrap.  Spoon half the cheese mixture into prepared mold; spread evenly.  Spread parsley-basil pesto evenly over cheese.  Top with chopped red pimentoes.  Spoon remaining cheese mixture over pimentoes.  Spread evenly cover, refrigerate until cheese is firm;  8 hours or overnight.

* If you don’t have a ring mold, you can use two different sized bowls by placing the smaller one inside the larger one.

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