February 1, 2012 · 8:00 am

Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Around three o’clock in the afternoon someone in the Savoie family will always ask, “Who wants coffee?” Serve Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake during your family’s “coffee time” or for a gourmet breakfast. It’s delicious!

by Pat Savoie

Serves 6-8

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Ingredients

½ cup butter, room temperature
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
7/8 cup + 1 T. sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup buttermilk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 7/8 cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.

3. Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

If you like coffee cake, you may also like our recipes for Cherry Coffee Cake, Apple Coffee Cake, Jumbo Oatmeal Raisin Coconut Cookies, and Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins.

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Filed under Breakfast, Cakes

February 1, 2012 · 7:43 am

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots

The vegetarians are coming!  The vegetarians are coming!  How will I cook green beans without bacon and onions?  Southern Living solved this dilemma for me with this easy recipe.  My husband, Kent, says I can make it any time.

Shallots make any dish special.  Their mild flavor partners well with these green beans.  Sometimes sides need to be simple and delicious and this recipe does just that.

By Pat Savoie via Southern Living

Ingredients

2 lbs haricots verts (tiny green beans)

3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp light brown sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb shallots, halved lengthwise and peeled

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Method

Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 3 to 4 minutes;  Drain;  Plunge into ice bath; Drain.
Melt butter and brown sugar with olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
Add shallots and saute 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low;  Add vinegar;  Saute 10 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high;  Add green beans and saute 5 minutes.
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

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Filed under Side Dish, Vegetarian

January 27, 2012 · 4:19 pm

Leek and Bacon Dip

This was one of those recipes from a covered dish get together that everyone was raving about.  Ewww…leeks!  How can leeks be good?  Can anything be more fattening than bacon and cream?  Like they say, “Try it you’ll like it.”  I know I’m serving it at my next get together.

by Pat Savoie.


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Ingredients

4             Leeks, white section only, discard green
1    lb      Bacon
1   pint  Whipping Cream
Parmesan cheese
Crackers

Method

Clean leeks by slicing (like the white bulb of green onions) and soaking in a bowl of cold water. (See our recipe for Julia’s Potato Leek Soup for examples of how to clean leeks.)
Fry bacon until crisp- Keep bacon grease in the pot.  Drain bacon on paper towels and then crumble.
Pour leeks and bacon crumbles into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Mix in a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Pour whipping cream over mixture and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.
Bake 350 until bubbly throughout.
Serve with crackers.

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Filed under Appetizer

January 25, 2012 · 11:36 am

Cranberry Orange Applesauce

I have never liked the texture of applesauce. It gives me the chills, so I refuse to eat it.  However, I found the Cranberry Orange Applesauce recipe in Everyday Food magazine intriguing. I had more oranges than I knew what to do with and leftover cranberries from another recipe, so I thought I’d give this version a try.  I can’t believe how good it tastes!  Because you control the texture of the sauce, you can make it to your liking–chunky for me. When I took a bite there were no fissons (chills) as I used to say, but only delight.

My girls adore the pink color of this applesauce and asked for it in their lunchbox.  We also packed it for a picnic. The recipe filled two of the jars pictured, about 4 cups.

contributed by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

4 pounds apples, such as McIntosh, Gala, and Braeburn
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)
2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar

Method

  1. Peel, core, and slice apples.
  2. In a large pot, bring apples, cranberries, orange juice, and 1/2 cup water to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer until apples are very soft and falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.
  3. Mash with a potato masher (my choice) or pulse in a food processor until smooth with small chunks remaining. Add sugar.
  4. Let cool, then transfer applesauce to airtight containers.

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Filed under Canning, Dessert, Lunch Box, Side Dish

January 20, 2012 · 10:22 pm

Baked Apricot Spread

I love the fruit and cheese flavors of this spread.  It is so easy to make and so delicious.  Serve it at your next party.

By Pat Savoie via Kraft

Ingredients

1       pkg     cream cheese, softened
1       cup     shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup     sour cream
1/2 cup     dried apricots
1/3 cup     sliced almonds

Crackers

Method

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese until well blended.
Add sour cream and apricots.  Mix well.
Spread into a 9 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serve with crackers.

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Filed under Appetizer, Vegetarian

January 13, 2012 · 9:26 pm

Dianne’s Deep Dish Pizza

Reuben and I lived in the Chicago area in the mid 1970’s.  This recipe was published in the Chicago Tribune from the original Uno’s Pizzeria.   A few changes have been made to satisfy our taste buds.

The pizza pictured has Italian sausage, onions, red peppers, mushrooms and black olives.  The list is endless, pepperoni, artichokes, spinach, hamburger, etc., as to what you can mix with the tomatoes to feast on your perfect pizza!

by Dianne Williams, our cousin in Houma, Louisiana

Crust

Dianne & Reuben, Aunt Corrine's son

1 package dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 ½ cups sifted flour

Cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in water; add sugar, salt and oil; stir well until sugar is dissolved; let stand about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour to make a soft dough; knead dough until smooth & elastic.  Put in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until double in bulk.  Punch dough down.  Brush a 14” round deep dish pizza pan with oil & sprinkle with cornmeal.  Press dough in bottom and up sides of pan.  Let rise about 20  to 30 minutes.

Filling

16 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese

1 lb. Italian sausage

28 oz. can of pear tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt to taste

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Lightly brown sausage in skillet.  Drain with tomatoes.  Stir in seasoning.

I chop and drain the tomatoes in a colander. Leave them there and pour in the sausage to drain. I add any other ingredients at this point – such as mushroom, olives, pepperoni.  Mix it with spices all in the colander, then put it on the pizza!

Cover dough with mozzarella cheese slices (staying about1/2” in from the edge of the pan).  Place sausage/tomato mixture on top of cheese.  Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Put pizza in oven preheated to 500 degrees; immediately reduce heat to 450 degrees.  Bake about 20 – 25 minutes until cheese is melted and sausage is fully cooked.

If you like Dianne’s Pizza, you may also like Pat’s version.

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Filed under Main Dish

January 9, 2012 · 12:24 pm

Chocolate Shots

This will put a “kick” into any holiday party or wedding shower!  What could be more fun than chocolate filled with liqueur flavored ganache?  I made these for my daughter-in-law’s wedding shower and served them with candied orange peel.  What a great combo.  This Christmas, I substituted Godiva liqueur for Bailey’s Irish Cream and left out the orange zest.  Espresso beans were replaced with strawberries.  The chocolate cups can be found online or sometimes in the gourmet sections of Tuesday Morning or similar stores.  

By Pat Savoie, originally by Lisa Patrin

Ingredients

1       cup    heavy whipping cream
6      oz      chopped semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup    Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur
1     pkg     edible chocolate cordial cups (18)
1    Tbsp    fresh orange zest
18              chocolate covered espresso beans (We found ours at Tony’s Pizza in Lake Charles!)

Method

Bring the cream just to a boil in a small saucepan.  Remove from heat.
Whisk in chocolate until smooth.
Whisk in liqueur.
Place in bowl and refrigerate 45 minutes until chilled, but not firm.
Using and electric mixer, beat ganache until thick and semi firm.
Stir in a pinch of orange zest.
Fit a pastry bag with a size 6 round tip and fill with ganache.
Pipe ganache into chocolate cordial cups almost to the top.
Sprinkle with orange zest and place a chocolate espresso bean on top of each cup.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Filed under Appetizer, Candy, Dessert, Showers or Teas

December 24, 2011 · 9:23 am

Cynthia’s Christmas Wassail

Emily served this warm wassail as we helped decorate the Christmas tree in her new house.  Little did we know that Dad would soon knock the whole thing over!  It’s a Christmas we won’t soon forget.
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by Cynthia Sausley, Emily’s mother-in-law

Ingredients & Method

2 qt apple juice
2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
2 1/2 cups pineapple juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1 cup sugar
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Stir all ingredients in a large pot and simmer.
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Filed under Drink, Holidays

December 23, 2011 · 9:23 am

Pickled Shrimp and Onions

Here is a recipe for your Christmas buffet that’s sure to impress.  My mother, Dolores Borel, served this years ago when hosting for her dance club.  This Christmas, she helped me with the presentation for my party.  Everyone was in awe of how wonderful it looked and tasted.

By Pat Savoie, recipe from Dolores Borel

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Ingredients

2           pounds shrimp
2           sweet onions, sliced into rings
1 1/2     cups       vegetable oil
1 1/2     cups       white vinegar
1/2        cup         sugar
1 1/2     tsp          salt
1 1/2     tsp         celery seed
4            Tbsp      capers with juice

Method

Boil shrimp in salted water 3-5 minutes or until pink.  Chill in a cold water bath.  Peel.  Combine remaining ingredients and marinate shrimp and onions in the refrigerator several days stirring occasionally.

For presentation, I covered a cone-shaped piece of styrofoam first with lettuce, then with parsley using floral picks.  Marinated shrimp and onion rings were attached to the “Christmas tree” with plastic picks.  Excess were arranged at the base.

Rebecca and guests enjoying the Christmas buffet

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Filed under Appetizer, Seafood

December 22, 2011 · 9:42 am

Rugelach

This fruit and nut filled cookie is perfect to have in the afternoon with your three o’clock coffee break.  The cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top fills the house with a wonderful aroma while baking.  I made these this year at my Christmas cookie party and gave some as gifts.

By Pat Savoie via Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

8           ounces      cream cheese, room temperature
1/2      pound       butter, room temperature
1/4     cup             granulated sugar, plus 9 Tbsp
1/4     tsp              salt
1          tsp             vanilla
2         cups          flour
1/4    cup            brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp            cinnamon
3/4    cup           dried cherries, chopped (or any dried fruit you like)
1         cup            pecans, chopped (or any nut you like)
1/2    cup            apricot preserves, pureed
1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp milk, for egg wash

Method

Dough:
Beat cream cheese and butter until light.
Add 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, add flour until just combined.
Dump dough onto well-floured board and roll into ball.
Cut ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Filling:
Combine 6 Tbsp sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, cherries, and pecans.

On a well-floured board (I use my Pampered Chef pastry mat and cover dough with plastic while rolling with rolling pin), roll each ball of dough into a 9 inch circle.
Spread each circle with about 2 Tbsp of pureed apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/4 of the filling.
Press the filling lightly into dough.
Cut each circle of dough into 12 equal wedges, cutting first into quarters, then each quarter into thirds.
Starting at the wide edge of each wedge, roll toward the center.
Arrange on a parchment lined cookie sheet point side down.
Chill 30 minutes.
Brush each cookie with egg wash.
Combine 3 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies.
Bake 350 about 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown.
Cool on wire rack.

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Filed under Cookies