Julia Child's Easy and Elegant Cheese Tartlets

Easy and Elegant is always a winning combination. That’s what I love about Julia Child’s recipes – they are unquestionably elegant, but Julia makes them easy enough for an average home cook like me to master.

I love Julia Child. I often pause in my kitchen and repeat the phrase that Christians often use: WWJD? – but when I’m  in my kitchen WWJD means “What Would Julia Do?” Whenever I feel discouraged about my cooking prowess, I snuggle on my couch late at night and watch an episode of The French Chef. I laugh out loud every single time, and am strengthened and renewed. When truly serious discouragement hits me, I bring out the big guns: Saturday Night Live’s French Chef Skit: “You’ll need a knife . . . a very, very, very sharp knife. . .” I dare any cook to watch this and not laugh out loud!  It was during one of those late-night couch sessions that I saw her make cheese tartlets. I took copious notes, and I’m glad I did, because I have not been able to find this recipe written down anywhere. You’ll just have to trust my note taking on this one.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m inviting Julia to my New Year’s Eve celebration this year by making her cheese tartlets. Yes, I know. They are neither low-fat nor low-calorie. But. It’s the Holidays! Let’s Celebrate! I am certain that Julia would agree.

These are a masterpiece. Truly. I dare you to make appetizers that are as simple and yet sophisticated as these. It is impossible. They are the perfect blend of rich, satisfying flavors and melt-in-your-mouth comfort. If you have a favorite pie crust recipe, use that, or check out my miracle Never-Fail Pat-in-the-Pan Pie Crust. The best pie crust I’ve ever eaten!

Bonus: they take only minutes to throw together. Another bonus: they are very forgiving, and can be served warm or at room temperature. Make yourself a resolution right now to add these mini-tarts to your Hostess Bag of Tricks. I promise you won’t be sorry.

Happy Holidays to All Our Fab Frugal Friends!

JULIA CHILD’S CHEESE TARTLETS (SLIGHTLY TWEAKED)

You will need 12 4-inch diameter tartlet pans or one standard size muffin pan for making 12 muffins

Pie dough for 12 tartlets (enough dough for 2 9-inch crusts)
2 ounces any good melting cheese (like cheddar or fontina)
2/3 cup creme fraiche, sour cream or Greek yoghurt (Julia used creme fraiche – make our easy home version)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt**
Dash of cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank’s) and/or Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out pie dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into circles a little bigger than the tops of the tins in a muffin tin pan.  Press pie dough circles into tins, with pie crusts coming most of the way to the tops of the tins.

Place grated cheese in each tin, filling almost to tops of tins. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour a little of this mixture into each muffin tin, filling almost to tops of tins. (NOTE: You can add a sprinkle of dried herbs as a garnish here – totally optional and mostly for a garnish)

Place filled muffin tins on top of a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly browned and set in centers.

** Salt may not be needed if a salty cheese is used. Taste your cheese before deciding how much salt to add.

Other EASY holiday apps by food bloggers:

Hot Ricotta Cheese Dip, In Good Taste
Easy Trio of Holiday Apps, The Hungry Mouse
Crab App, Gluten Free Easily
Baked Wonton Cups, Inspired Taste
Snowman Cheeseball, Eclectic Recipes
Roasted Pepper and Artichoke Crostini, Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Low Glycemic Holiday Appetizers, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Stuffed Dates, Smith Bites
Pesto Torta, The Full Plate Blog

– posted by Donna

Homemade crackers -the color and shape of Fall!

What could be more fun than home made crackers in the fall? Answer: home-made fall LEAF crackers!

There is something so homey and comforting about making crackers. Thin. Crispy. Grainy. And, if you sprinkle warm earth-toned spices on top: Colorful!

Just make a favorite cracker recipe (or try our Rustic Oat Crackers), cut out the dough in leaf shapes, and then when you remove them from the oven, immediately sprinkle them with spices. I used paprika, cumin, ancho chile powder, regular chile powder and turmeric, for the flavors but also for the fall colors. Okay, and for an ultra-easy version, just buy store bought pie crust and cut out the shapes!

Scatter these on a platter for an instant fall festival!

– posted by Donna

Check out these other intriguing crackers:

Seed Topped Rosemary Crackers, Culinary in the Country
Homemade Wheat Crackers, Cooking for Seven
Spelt and Rosemary Crackers, The Nourishing Gourmet
Gluten Free Crackers, Gluten Free Goddess
Cheese Crackers with Almond Flour, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Oatmeal Crackers, Vegeyum
Gluten Free Rosemary Crackers, Elana’s Pantry
Almond Saltine Crackers, Comfy Belly

WHAT?! How can shrimp be featured on a frugal food blog???

The answer: Buy medium sized shrimp, and make your presentation so that each guest only eats ONE shrimp. Whether you’re making this for a special birthday dinner, or as a super bowl recipe, or the in-laws are coming over, or any other festive event – I promise your guests will think you are the next Martha Stewart – they are incredibly easy and they look so pretty on a party platter!

I saw something similar served once at a fancy wedding reception, and wanted to try my own version. The trick is to set the shrimp on top of a little shot glass and fill the glass with a little drink to “chase” the shrimp. I like V-8 juice mixed with a little cocktail sauce. I used some votive candle holders that I had left over from my daughters’ weddings a few years ago, and they worked perfectly. The bonus: this is one of those dishes that will make you seem like a fabulous chef who has slaved for hours, but in reality this is one of the easiest appetizers I have ever made! Only six ingredients and about 20 minutes to make!

ONE-BITE SHRIMP COCKTAILS with Zesty Vegetable Juice Shot

NOTE: You will need 12 small shot glasses or other small glasses to serve this dish the same way it looks in the photo. If you don’t have any of these sized glasses, just serve the top part on a platter without the vegetable juice shot!

12 peeled, uncooked medium sized shrimp
4 corn tortillas
Canola oil for frying
2/3 cup purchased cocktail sauce, divided
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley
1 cup V-8 vegetable juice

Cook the shrimp any way you like. (I brushed the shrimp with a little oil and grilled them on a very hot grill pan.)

Cutting tortilla circles

Heat oil in a small skillet to medium high heat. Cut tortillas with a round cookie cutter that is slightly bigger than the circle of the top of your shot glasses. Cook tortilla circles in oil for about 20 seconds on each side, until lightly crispy but not hard. Press cooked circles with paper towels to remove excess oil. Let cool.

Frying tortilla circles

Mix together 1/3 cup of cocktail sauce and the V-8 juice. Pour a little liquid into each glass so that there is about 1/2 inch in each.

Spread cocktail sauce on tortilla circles

Spread on top of each tortilla circle in the following order: 1/2 tablespoon of remaining cocktail sauce; a little parsley; one shrimp.

Topping the tortilla circles

Place topped tortilla circle on top of each filled glass and serve so that guests will pick up and eat tortilla and shrimp and then drink the liquid in the glass.

Other food bloggers’ unique shrimp cocktails:
Real Deal Shrimp Cocktail, Simply Recipes
Ina’s Roasted Shrimp Cocktail, Yum Sugar
Shrimp Cocktail with Low Sugar Cocktail Sauce, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Asian Shrimp Cocktail, No Recipes
Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp Cocktail, Use Real Butter

– posted by Donna

Festive Jack-o-Lantern Cheese Ball Halloween Recipe

I promise this jack-o-lantern cheese ball recipe will make you the hit of any Halloween celebration!

I was looking for something savory and orange to roll the cheese ball in and finally the light bulb went on: crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos! They are the perfect color for a jack-o-lantern and add a little zip, too. I know they’re not the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth, but really the color is perfect and you’re only using a little bit of crumbs.

Use your favorite cheese ball recipe, or mine below. Don’t forget the jumbo olives cut into triangle eyes and a toothy smile!

JACK-O-LANTERN CHEESE BALL

8 ounces regular or light cream cheese, softened
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (or other favorite cheese), grated
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 green onions, thinly sliced, tops included
1 cup finely crushed Nacho Cheese Doritos chips
4 jumbo sized black olives
1 small dill pickle

Mix together the cream cheese, cheddar, Worcestershire sauce and green onions. Form into a ball and then flatten slightly on top to form a pumpkin shape. Make and indentation on the top where the stem will be placed. Freeze for at least one hour.

Place Dorito crumbs on a plate and roll cheese ball in crumbs. Place on a serving plate.

Cut olive into two triangles for eyes and a jack-o-lantern style mouth.  Stick the eyes and mouth onto cheese ball with toothpicks. Cut pickle in half and place on top, forming a stem.

Serve chilled with crackers, toasted baguette slices or pita crisps.

There are tons of cute Halloween ides out there by other food bloggers, too:
Witches and Wizards Treats, Farenheit 350
Three Homemade Candy Recipes,The Hungry Mouse
Halloween Dinner Menu, Yum Sugar
Halloween Recipe Treats, My Wooden Spoon
Pumpkin Pie Bites, Bakerella
Mummy Pizzas, Kara’s Kitchen
Fun Halloween Recipes, Picky Palate
Slime Ricky Punch, Yum Sugar

– posted by Donna