Food & Wine Chickie Insider

Quebec White Cookie

When we were small kids, my sister and me attended a birthday party where our friend’s mom made these cookies.  For years, we talked about them and how great they were and a few years ago, our childhood friend got her mom to share her recipe with us.

These types of cookies are popular in Quebec, where I grew up, to eat along tea or coffee.  They are not overly sweet and keep well in a cookie jar in a dry place.

Cookie batter ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup melted vegetable shortening (microwave 1 minute)
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ cup milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla

Quebec White Cookie Batter

Cookie instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and Crisco with an electric mixer to incorporate.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.
4. Incorporate flour mixture to egg mixture.  Combine well.
5. Add milk and vanilla to batter.
6. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet about ¼ inch in interval.
7. Bake 15 minutes.

Glaze ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ whole milk
• 1/3 cup corn starch
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Glaze instructions:

1. Bring all glaze ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan until thickened, approximately 3 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
2. Thicken glaze further with powdered sugar if needed to reach a thick spreadable icing.
3. Glaze cookies while they are still hot.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Notes: For the glaze, you may dissolve corn starch into the milk until smooth before adding to the saucepan to help prevent lumps in glaze.

Maple Taffee on Snow 2

As my family began getting ready for the food frenzy my visit to Quebec would bring on, one thing that my oldest niece, Maude, wanted to be sure my sister would fix for us is Tire sur la Neige, or Maple Taffee on Snow.  This treat is one most popular at sugar shacks during maple syrup season, but great anytime there’s snow outside.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 3 cups maple syrup
• Freshly gathered snow packed tightly into a wide, low container

Directions:

1. 

   Maple Taffee on Snow

   Pour the maple syrup into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until it reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer, approximately 4-5 minutes.

2. Using a ladle,  drizzle some of the hot syrup onto the snow, making certain not to cover the entire surface (you can re-pour additional syrup after the first round of taffee is gone).
3. Let the taffee set for a minute then pick up by rolling on a fork or wooden chopstick.

Notes:  Don’t have snow where you live?  Finely-crushed ice from a blender would work!

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Treats

These treats come straight from my childhood as my Grandma made them for the holidays as far back as I can remember.  She’d make a double batch and freeze the finished treats so we’d have them well into the new year.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup grated paraffin wax
• 8 ounces milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 cups puffed rice cereal

Directions:

1. Melt paraffin and chocolate in a glass or metal bowl placed over a pot of simmering water over medium-low heat.  Don’t allow the bowl to touch the simmering water.
2. Add peanut butter to the melted chocolate and blend well until fully incorporated.
3. Stir the powdered sugar into the mixture.  Remove from heat and add the puffed rice cereal, making certain that the cereal is fully coated with the chocolate mixture.
4. Drop spoonful of the mixture on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and cool.  Refrigerate cooled treats.

Makes approximately 24 treats.

Notes: Paraffin wax can be found at most grocery stores in the canning section where Mason Jars are found.  Only use consumable wax such as Gulf Paraffin Wax.  Grate the paraffin using a box grater or microplane.

I’m Canadian and one of the candy bars I loved as a kid was the Cherry Blossom.  This treat features a thick chocolate, peanut butter and coconut shell with a tasty cherry syrup and maraschino cherry center.  The Cherry Blossom is a treat I always look forward to having when I go visit my folks in Quebec, and my mother shared the recipe we’d made when I was a kid.

Cherry Blossom

For the chocolate treat:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup grated paraffin wax
• 1 cup confectioner sugar
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup grated coconut
• 12 whole, red maraschino cherries

Chocolate treat directions:

Combine all the chocolate treat ingredients in a microwaveable dish and microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring after each minute, until the mixture is nearly completely melted, 2-4 minutes.  Stir mixture thoroughly to ensure any un-melted bits are completely melted.

Cherry syrup:

• 1/2 cup cherry liquid from a red maraschino cherry jar
• 1 cup confectioner sugar

Cherry syrup directions:

In a small bowl, combine the liquid and the confectioner sugar, stirring until a thick syrup is created.

Assembly directions:

1. Wash and dry a Styrofoam egg container, cut off the lid with scissors then oil each egg compartment well.
2. Take melted chocolate mixture and cover each egg compartment with a thick coating using a spoon.  Work fast as the mixture will harden quickly.  If the mixture gets too hard, microwave it for 30 seconds.
3. Add a cherry and about 1 tablespoon of cherry syrup to each egg compartment, then use additional chocolate to create a ‘lid’ for each treat.  Ensure the chocolate ‘lids’ seal in the syrup completely to avoid leaks.  Cover the egg container with cling wrap.
4. Refrigerate overnight or at least 12 hours.  Unmold each treat carefully, then wrap each treat with aluminum foil.  Keep refrigerated.

Yields 12 treats.

Notes: You could use a cardboard egg container, but you’d need to line it with cling wrap that you’d then oil thoroughly.  Paraffin wax can be found at most grocery stores in the canning section where Mason Jars are found.  Only use consumable wax such as Gulf Paraffin Wax.  Instead of using oil on the egg container, you could also use cooking spray.

This spreadable meat dish is similar to pâté but with more texture.  Cretons are a very typical eastern Canada dish served at breakfast time on toasted bread.  Cretons are sometimes also served on a cheese platter.

Cretons

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground veal
• 2 onions finely minced
• 2 tbsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 envelope flavorless gelatin

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients (except gelatin) in a heavy saucepan.  Mix well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for one hour, stirring often.  Turn off heat.
2. Mash down the mixture with a hand potato masher to a coarse consistency.
3. Incorporate the gelatin to the mixture.
4. Cool completely, then stir the mixture.  Put mixture in small containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer.

Not many dishes exemplify true Canadian goodness like the Maple Syrup Pie.  Served around the holidays, or for special occasions, this simply-made pie is both beautiful and delicious.  My Grand-Mother probably would not approve of this microwaveable version, but those of us who have a limited amount of time to bake will be thankful.   The pie dough leaves are optional but create an Autumnal flair.

Maply Syrup Pie

Pie Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1  9-inch Press-In Shortbread Pie Crust, baked

Decorative Leaves Ingredients (Optional):

• 1 store-bought, refrigerated rolled pie crust
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp whole milk
• 1 tbsp sugar

Pie Directions:

1. Place all pie ingredients, except for the crust, in a large, microwaveable bowl.  Whisk well to incorporate all the ingredients.  Note that there will initially be lumps due to the butter.
2. Microwave on high for 9 minutes, whisking every 2 minutes to smooth out the mixture.
3. Pour mixture into the baked pie crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Leaves Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Roll out the pie crust, cut 5-6 leaves using a cookie cutter.  Place the leaves on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Whisk the egg with the milk.  Using a pastry brush, brush the leaves with the egg mixture, then sprinkle a bit of sugar on the surface of each leaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

If using leaves, place on the surface of the finished pie.

Serves 8-10.

Notes:  Pie can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 4 days.  If doubled or tripled, the pies can easily be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.

Brown Sugar Pie

This is a very traditional pie served in eastern Canada around the holidays called ‘tarte au sucre’.  Believe it or not, vanilla ice cream is served with the pie to ‘cut through the sweetness’!  Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup condensed milk
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp. butter, softened
• 1 tbs. flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. maple extract
• 2 – 8″ pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Bring the milks, brown sugar and butter to a simmer over medium heat.  When small bubbles form at the surface, cook for 2 minutes.
   

   Brown Sugar Pie Step 2

3. Stir maple extract, flour and 2 tbs. of hot mixture together in a small bowl to form a paste.  Add to hot mixture.  Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
   

   Brown Sugar Pie Step 3

4. Pour the sugar mixture into an un-baked pie crust and cover with a second crust.
   

   Brown Sugar Pie Step 4

5. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
   

   Brown Sugar Pie Step 5

Divine Squares

These scrumptious squares were the rave at our home growing up after a family friend shared the recipe.  These might be the best treat you’ll ever make.

Crust Ingredients:

• ½ cup flour
• ¾ cup Rice Krispies
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Blend above ingredients and press into the bottom of a 8”x8” pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Caramely-Goey Layer Ingredients:

• 1-14 ounce can of condensed milk
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar

Bring above ingredients to a boil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Boil 5 minutes, stirring once in a while.  Pour the mixture over the baked crust.

Toping Ingredients:

• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chip
• 1 ¼ cups Rice Krispies

Melt the chocolate and incorporate the Rice Krispies.  Sprinkle over the caramel mixture.

Refrigerate at least 12 hours.

Makes 9 large squares.

Lasagna Final Product

This simple lasagna recipe uses my grand-mother’s untraditional meat sauce.  The unbaked lasagna can be made and refrigerated the day before serving or can be frozen for up to a month (thaw overnight before baking per step 10).

Ingredients:

• 12 lasagna noodles from a 9-ounce package, no-boil lasagna (used Barilla)
• 1 32-ounce container, large curd cottage cheese
• 5 cups, Bolognese Sauce a la Laetitia
• 1 8-ounce package of 5-Italian cheeses (from dairy aisle)
• 4 tbs, grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. Butter a 13×9x3 lasagna pan.  Ladle 2 cups Bolognese Sauce a la Laetitia on bottom of pan.
3. Layer 4 uncooked noodles over the sauce.
   

   Lasagna Step 3

4. Empty cottage cheese container over the noodles in the pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle 2 tbs grated parmesan cheese.
5. Layer 4 uncooked noodles over the cheeses.
   

   Lasagna Step 5

6. Ladle 2 cups Bolognese Sauce a la Laetitia over the last noodle layer.
7. Layer 4 uncooked noodles over the sauce.
   

   Lasagna Step 7

8. Ladle 1 cup Bolognese Sauce a la Laetitia over the last noodle layer.
9. Spread the package of 5-Italian cheeses, then remaining 2 tbs grated parmesan over the sauce.
   

   Lasagna Step 9

10. Bake covered with foil for 50 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

6 Servings.

Grand-Mother’s non-traditional meat sauce.  Perfect over spaghetti and used in a lasagna. I suggest this recipe be doubled as it freezes very well.

• ¾ lb ground pork
• ¾ lb ground beef
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 ounces celery, diced
• 1-20 ounce can tomato juice
• 1-28 ounce can Italian-style tomatoes, chopped
• 2 small cans of tomato paste
• ½ tbs. red pepper flakes
• 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• ½ tbs. chili powder
• 1 bay leaf
• salt & pepper
• ¼ tsp. cloves
• 1 tbs. sugar

Sauté onion and celery in oil for 5 minutes in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and sauté another minute.  Add meats and sauté until completely cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add spices and sugar and cook 1 minute.  Add tomato juice, paste, and Italian-style tomatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.  Reseason with salt and pepper as needed.

6 Servings.