December 21, 2011 · 8:22 pm

French Onion Soup

This recipe is quick and easy for a cold winter night.  I like the taste of Better Than Bouillon instead of bouillon cubes.  I also prefer provolone cheese, but any soft cheese, like mozzarella, will do.

By Pat Savoie

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Ingredients

2 onions, sliced
3 Tbsp butter
6 tsp beef bouillon
6 cups water
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Provolone cheese
French bread, toasted

Method

Saute onions in butter stirring until brown.  Stir bouillon in hot water and add to onions.  Add Worcestershire sauce.  Place a slice of provolone cheese in the bottom of a bowl and ladle soup on top.  Eat with French bread.

If the soup is too salty, add more water.

Some people like to serve the soup in a bowl, then top with toasted french bread placing the cheese on top, then broiling the bowl.  I don’t like to wash the bowl with cheese all over it, so I put the cheese on the bottom.

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December 19, 2011 · 12:05 pm

Oreo Truffles

As a little girl, I have been in awe of how my dad can dunk and fit three Oreos in one bite.  We have been taught the proper way to eat Oreos by dunking until the last bubble rises.  I love this recipe because it reminds me that even a grown-up can be a child at heart.

By MaryEllen Burton

Ingredients

one bag of Oreos
one 8 oz cream cheese
almond bark

Method

In a food processor, chop entire bag of Oreos until almost powder fine. set aside.

Cream cream cheese in mixer.

Combine Oreos with cream cheese beat until well blended.

Use your hands to roll mixture into bite-size balls.

Refrigerate.

Place 6 blocks of almond bark in microwave safe dish for 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir till smooth.

Dip one truffle at a time. Set on wax paper to harden. Decorate with colored sugars if desired.

Chocolate Bark may be used interchangeable or to decorate.

For Christmas I like to use the cool mint oreos.  For Easter I plan to make German Chocolate, again in honor of my dad.  I think the coconut is perfect for the Easter season.

For Thanksgiving we drizzled chocolate over the tops for added interest.

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Filed under Candy, Dessert, Holidays

December 12, 2011 · 10:31 am

Crock Pot Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow Snowmen

At our Gingerbread House Party we served a crowd of people hot cocoa with this simple recipe made in a crock pot.  I prepared it the day before, stored it in the fridge, and reheated it the day of the party. We provided an array of treats to accompany the cocoa including some adorable marshmallow snowmen. The kids kept coming back for more!

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Crock Pot Cocoa Ingredients

6 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Method

Combine ingredients in the crock pot and turn on high.  Stir occasionally until warm.  Reduce heat to low or warm depending on how hot you’d like it served.  If you like, you can whisk the mixture until it becomes frothy. This recipe makes about 8 cups.

For our party, we made 1.5 recipes to serve around 20 people. I made the extra ahead of time on the stove and added it to the crock pot later. During the party, I warmed it in the microwave to give it a head start.

Marshmallow Snowmen Ingredients

3 regular marshmallows per snowman
1 Hershey Kiss for each hat
2 pretzel sticks for arms
Food Writer marker for face and buttons
Optional fruit ring or fruit by the foot for a scarf
Royal Icing or melted almond bark

Bamboo skewers (We had to cut ours in half.)
Floral styrofoam block for display
Colored tissue paper to cover block
Variety of marshmallows to fill in around the block on the platter

Method

Thread 3 marshmallows on the end of a skewer.  Attach Hershey Kiss hat with icing or almond bark. Let set.  Use a food writer marker to draw on buttons and face.  Place skewer into a tissue paper wrapped floral styrofoam block for easy display. Arrange the block on a platter and sprinkle marshmallows around. These extra marshmallows can be easily grabbed by kids to put in their hot chocolate.

I have also sent these snowmen in school lunches.  Just place them in a baggie.

Tip: Food writer markers can be found near the icing and sugars in the grocery store.  However, I recommend buying them from Hobby Lobby or Michael’s because you can use a 40%-50% off coupon.

Hot Cocoa Buffet Items

  • crushed peppermints
  • mint chocolate chips
  • a variety of marshmallows
  • cinnamon
  • candy canes
  • Redi-Whip

For an adult party, you could also include:

  • peppermint schnapps to make a Peppermint Patty
  • ginger and orange liqueur to make a Candied Orange
  • Bourbon
  • brandy
  • Kahlua
  • unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

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Filed under Candy, Drink, Entertaining, Holidays, Lunch Box

December 11, 2011 · 7:41 pm

Christmas Tree Cream Cheese and Crackers

An easy way to spruce up cream cheese with pepper jelly and crackers for Christmas is to shape it into a festive tree.  Begin by cutting the block of cheese diagonally; then place the two straight sides together.  Trim the bottom of the tree evenly.  For the star, us a knife or small cookie cutter to cut the shape out of a large carrot or bell pepper. For the trunk, use a thin piece of celery or a green onion.  We like to top the cream cheese with our pepper jelly or store bought raspberry chipotle sauce.  Serve with wheat thins or sesame rice crackers.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

If you are planning a Christmas party, you may also like our Cranberry Christmas Punch, Cranberry Key Lime Punch (alcoholic), Christmas Butter Cookies, or Pesto Cheese Wreath.

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Filed under Appetizer, Holidays

December 5, 2011 · 7:38 am

Orange Marmalade Truffles

It’s December and that means the month of orange!  We have beaucoup satsumas, Louisiana Sweets, kumquats and blood oranges making their way to us from Louisiana to Houston. I love this time of year when I make candied orange peels, orange pecans, marmalade, and of course orange chocolate truffles just in time for the holidays.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I use Ghirardelli brand.)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons orange liqueur, such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest, from 1 medium orange
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Method

In a medium saucepan, heat cream just until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan.  Remove from heat and add chocolate.  Give it a minute or so to melt, and then stir until smooth.

Add marmalade, liqueur, and zest, and stir until combined. Pour into an 8-by-8-inch dish. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Once set, scoop the ganache into teaspoon-size balls. Roll between the palms of your hands to create smooth round truffles, place on a baking sheet, and repeat with remaining ganache.  *If the ganache is too hard to easily spoon, let it sit on the counter for a time to come to room temperature.

Place cocoa powder in a shallow dish and roll truffles in the powder to coat, shaking off excess. Reroll truffles in additional cocoa powder before serving, if necessary

Store in an airtight container.

Use a spoon to scoop ganache then roll it into balls in your hands.

Roll around in cocoa powder.

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Filed under Candy, Dessert

December 2, 2011 · 2:43 pm

Boiled Stone Crabs

Kent and I are fortunate enough to have friends who are shrimpers by trade.  Once in a while they bring us stone crab, which is considered a great luxury.  The crab is relieved of only one claw, then returned to the water.  We received an ice chest full a few days ago, and got on the phone to call the relatives over to eat.  It was dark outside and the mosquitoes were bad, so we ate at the kitchen table.  Can you imagine grandchildren and adults all armed with hammers whacking away to get to the delicious crab?  My house sounded and looked like a construction site.  With a lot of elbow grease and the vacuum cleaner, my kitchen was back in shape.  Kent took the shells and crushed them to add to the compost pile.    by Pat Savoie

Method

Add enough water to a large pot to cover the amount of seafood you will be preparing. Add 1 cup of Zatarain’s Crab Boil per dozen crabs. Bring water and seasoning to a rolling boil and add crabs. When water comes back to a boil, cook 5 minutes and turn off the heat. Soak 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.  Dip the meat into a mixture of melted butter and lemon juice.

(Stone crabs have an extremely hard shell.  Use mallets or hammers to crack open.)

Even the baby can get in on the fun!


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Filed under Seafood

November 29, 2011 · 8:20 am

Green Bean Casserole with homemade sauce

Someone always manages to bring the same old string bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup for our holiday gatherings.  This year I thought I would beat them to the punch with this version.  There were praises all around for this delicious dish.

By:  Pat Savoie via Southern Living Magazine

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Ingredients

1 1/2  lb            fresh green beans, trimmed
2          Tbsp      butter
1/4      cup       all-purpose flour
1 1/2   cup       milk
1/2      cup       buttermilk
1           Tbsp     Ranch dressing mix
2            tsp       fresh chopped thyme
1/4       tsp       salt
1/4       tsp       pepper
1           tsp        butter
8           oz         sliced fresh mushrooms
Vegetable cooking spray
2                          plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/2        cup       panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1             cup       French fried onions

Method

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 4 to 6 minutes;  Drain;  Plunge into ice water;  Drain;  Pat dry
Melt 2 Tbsp butter, whisk in flour, cook whisking constantly 1 minute;  Gradually whisk in milk, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth and bubbly.  Remove from heat.
Whisk in buttermilk and next 4 ingredients.

Melt 1 tsp butter and saute mushrooms 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned.
Combine mushrooms and green bean mixture;  Spoon into greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes, panko, and french fried onions.
Bake 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

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Filed under Holidays, Side Dish, Vegetarian

November 23, 2011 · 11:04 am

Apple Cinnamon Glue Ornaments

Growing up, my mother always found a Christmas project for the kids to make.  Usually it was an ornament for the tree: felt Santas with sequins, ribbon pinecones, stained glass figures.  I love seeing all those handmade ornaments that still hang on her tree. My favorites are the salt-dough angels from the 1970s and the painted wooden ornaments my parents made when they were first married.  Here is a recipe for dough ornaments that smell fantastic and are sure to delight the kids in your family.  At our Gingerbread House Party we plan to have kids decorate these ornaments with glitter glue and take them home as their party favor.  Go ahead and make some ornaments today and memories for tomorrow. 

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cinnamon, plus more for dusting (Buy about 3 2.37 oz bottles.)
1 cup plain applesauce
1/4 cup white school glue

You will also need:
Rolling pin
Parchment paper
Placemat or other smooth surface to roll dough on
Cookie cutters
Straw
Patience

Method

1.  Combine all three ingredients in a mixer or by hand.  Mix until the dough forms a ball and is no longer crumbling.  If needed, add a teaspoon of water.

2.  Turn out dough onto cinnamon dusted surface. Dust the top with cinnamon and roll out with a rolling pin. You may need to turn the dough over and dust the other side once more to ensure it does not stick to the surface. Do not roll dough too thin or it will curl during the drying process.  Tip: Look at the cookie cutter you plan to use for an idea of how thick to roll the dough.  Some cutters are thinner than others.

3.  Place cut out ornaments onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Use a straw to create holes for the ornament to hand from ribbon.  This recipe made 15 medium sized gingerbread men and four small stars. This filled two cookie sheets.

4. Recombine the dough scraps either back in the mixer or by hand.  Use smaller cookie cutters as the dough amount lessens rather than rolling the dough thinner.  We like small stars and hearts.

5.  Place ornaments on the parchment lined sheets in a 200 degree oven.  Cook for about 2 hours turning them over every 20 minutes.  It is important to turn them over to reduce the amount of curling.  We have tried the traditional method of leaving them out on a cooling rack for two days, turning occasionally, but this method did not work as well as the oven method.

6.  Remove from oven and leave out over the next 24 hours to ensure they are completely dry.  Decorate with glitter glue or sharpies.  Write the child’s name and year on the back.  Hang them on the tree using ribbons or string.  You can also use them as gift tags.

7. After Christmas store in a ziplock to help keep them smelling great.  You can also refresh the smell with cinnamon spray if desired.

We first made these ornaments for a playgroup three years ago.  Those ornaments are still looking and smelling good.

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Filed under Cooking Crafts, Holidays, How To

November 21, 2011 · 1:01 pm

Dark Chocolate Pecan Toffee

During the holidays the Savoies love to sample their sweets. Mom likes to set out platters of cookies and candies that are both old faithfuls and new inventions. Here’s a candy that features our favorite nut, pecans. I think it will be a welcome addition to this year’s dessert buffet. 

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet, inspired by Southern Living

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans – can use more if desired
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1/3 cup water
8 oz dark chocolate chips or candy bars broken into small pieces*

Method

  • Line a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil; lightly grease foil. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup pecans to within 1 inch of edges.
  • Bring sugar, butter, and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 12 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 310° (hard crack stage). Pour over pecans; sprinkle with chocolate. Let stand 30 seconds then spread to cover.
  • Quickly sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup pecans and press larger pieces in gently. Chill 30 minutes. Break up toffee using a mallet or rolling pin if needed. Store in an airtight container.

*You can also use semisweet chocolate chips or a combination of the two.

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Filed under Candy, Holidays

November 17, 2011 · 7:59 am

Eggs in a Basket

When I was a girl, I loved my Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys and Girls.  One of my favorite recipes was for Eggs in a Frame.  Here, you cut out the center of a piece of bread, butter it and place in a skillet, then crack an egg in the hole. My friend Lucia recently told me of a new version of this old recipe–Eggs in a Basket.  

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet, inspired by Lucia and her son Matthew

Ingredients

Eggs
Bread
Butter
Salt and Pepper

Method

1.Preheat oven to 350. Butter cups in a muffin tin – one muffin cup per egg you wish to cook. I like to start from the middle section of the pan for even cooking.

2. For baskets: Prepare one slice of bread per egg by removing crusts and then rolling them flat with a rolling pin. Have children roll it flat. Gently press each piece into a buttered muffin tin cup.  You will need to assist with the folds by pressing them flat without tearing the bread.

3. Have children crack an egg into a small bowl and then pour an egg into each bread basket.  I have them crack it into a bowl first to keep things neat and prevent shells from entering the baskets. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top if desired.

4. Cook in the oven for around 15 minutes.  Experiment with the time until you find the yolk to be the consistency you like best. Serve with yogurt and fruit salad.

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Filed under Breakfast, Vegetarian