This blog brought to you by Sesame Street

I love when people think outside the recipe box. Recently, my sister was making butternut squash soup and found it a bit lacking. Don't ask how she went from soup to Sesame Street, but she remembered how each episode was brought to you by a letter and decided that in order to fix the soup it should be sponsored by the letter "C" (C for Christmas, perhaps?). So she went to the cupboard and added every spice that began with C: curry, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and chili. Better, but not quite there.

Inspired by her Christmas themed soup, she took things a step further and replaced the milk with eggnog. The results were delicious.

Since I've already posted a similar soup recipe I thought her sweet potato casserole would do. Once again, made by my sister for Christmas, with an eggnog substitution. Once again, delicious.

While I can't guarantee that every letter will produce a winner (the letter Q will pose some troubles, for instance), the alphabetical approach might spark some ideas. Treat your recipes as mere suggestions, and let me know what marvellous creations lurk behind the same-old, same-old.

Sweet Potato Casserole (a la Christmas)
Printable recipe
Serves 10

Filling Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/3 cup half & half (or eggnog)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten slightly
• 1 tsp vanilla

Topping

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F,
2. Butter a casserole dish (9 x 13 pan will do).
   
3. Mix filling ingredients together until well combined.
   
4. Mix topping ingredients until they resemble crumbs.
   
5. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato filling.
   
6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

Best of Both Worlds

I recently complained that I couldn't think of something savory to serve while I had sweets coming out my wazoo. Well, the following recipe is a bit of both. Sweet brown-sugared whisky over mellow Brie, all bundled into a bite-sized tart.

I relate the following story with much affection: The first time I served these, my friends gobbled them up -- even "Bob", a notoriously fussy eater. Since Bob liked these tarts, which are of the "serve immediately" variety, I promised him dibbs when I whipped up a fresh batch. Tart time arrived and I called Bob into the kitchen so he could be first in line. "What's that?" he asked when I dropped a soft white cube into the phyllo shell.

"Brie," I said.

"Can't be. I don't like Brie."

He then watched me make the sauce. As I reached for a bottle of booze, he asked, "What are you adding?"

"Whisky."

"But I don't like whisky..."

By the time I'd finished making the tarts half the main ingredients were on Bob's list of hated items. I assured him that the recipe hadn't been altered between batch one and batch two. He loved batch one. He'd love batch two. But knowing what went into the mix was too much information. Bob declined a second helping.

Oh well, more for me. And you, if you care to make them.

No Way Brie and Whisky Tarts
Printable recipe

Makes 24 tarts

Ingredients

• 10 sheets Phyllo pastry (or 24 pre-baked tart shells)
  
• Butter
• 6 oz Brie
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp whisky

Instructions

1. Pre-bake tart shells or phyllo. If using phyllo, brush a sheet with butter. Layer with a second sheet and brush with butter again. Cut 48 squares of phyllo to fit 2 1/4" tart shell. Criss-cross two squares in 24 tart shells, overlapping them so the filling won't spill out.
2. Cut Brie into 24 chunks. Drop a piece of Brie into each shell.
3. On stove, heat pecans, sugar and whisky over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once mixture bubbles, cook 1 or 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Quickly spoon hot mixture over Brie.
5. Bake in 375F oven for 10 minutes.
6. Serve immediately.
7. Offer to Bob and eat what he refuses.

Camphor and Carols

Instead of spending the past two weeks downing rum-laced eggnog and doing things to land me firmly on Santa's Naughty list, I've been clutching a bottle of Buckley's and croaking like a frog. Although my fingers were unaffected by the laryngitis, my brain wasn't so lucky. Under the circumstances I thought it best not to post.

I've done plenty of field research lately, and believe me - the good people at Buckley's are right. It tastes awful. And it works. I'm not sure if it's the camphor or simply knowing that if I coughed again I'd be subjected to another swig, but it got me through ten days of voiceless frustratiaon and sore ribs.

In celebration of my returning health, I thought I'd post a beverage so far from the Buckley's secret mixture it would make me forget. So grab a cup, clear your throats and get ready to go a-wassailing among the leaves so green. This isn't hot mulled wine, but after one or two you won't care.

Clear Your Throat Caroling Coffee
Printable recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup strong coffee
• 1/2 oz. Franglelico
• 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
• 1/2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
• whipped cream
• cocoa

Instructions

1. Add liqueur to the coffee and stir.
2. Top with whipped cream.
3. Dust with cocoa. Drink.
4. Repeat as needed. Sing as desired.

The Countdown Continues

With only 24 baking days left until Christmas, I'm ahead of schedule for sending my holiday guests into diabetic shock. The Nanaimo Bars are cut into tidy squares, butter tarts are baked to sugary perfection, the ginger cookies have just the right amount of crinkle and even though I have yet to roll my rumballs, they're mixed and sitting patiently in the fridge. I'll admit, I cut a corner or two by dropping my truffles into little foil cups instead of forming them into balls and drowning them in chocolate, but they taste so good no one will complain.

I hope to get the savories made this weekend, but this is where I stumble. What to serve? Some guests gobble my bite-sized spanikopitas, while others won't touch spinach. My mushroom tarts draw raves from some, and yet my own husband refuses to eat "fungus". Between seafood allergies, aversions to certain cheese and varying tolerances towards spices, I'm tempted to set out a dish of raw veggies (no dip) with a sign saying "Diet Zone" and seeing who falls for it.

But I know I couldn't live with myself if I did that. So I'll go buy some shortening, roll up my sleeves and see if I can't whip up enough nibblies to please them all. Sorry Andrew, dear, but I think I'll start with the mushroom tarts.

Sour Cream Mushroom Tarts
Printable recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, finely diced
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp dill (dried) or 1 tbsp fresh dill
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp milk
• 12 raw tart shells
  

Instructions

1. Cook onions in butter until translucent.
2. Add mushrooms and cook 4 minutes, stirring.
3. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, nutmeg, lemon juice, and flour.
4. Cook 2 minutes more.
5. Remove from heat. Add sour cream and dill
6. Fill tart shells.
   
7. Chill 1 hour (or until ready to serve).
8. Bake 15-20 minutes at 350F on the bottom rack as they tend to be a bit soggy otherwise.
9. Remove from sheet immediately.