Food – Francois et Moi

Easy Buttery English Toffee for Holiday Gifting

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 11:00:00 +0000

Deliciously decadent and easy buttery English toffee recipe perfect for Holiday gifting + tricks and tips for a foolproof batch. Nine days to Christmas and the great cookie bake is on! I’m teaming up with a few designer blog friends for a holiday cookie recipe swap, so be sure to check out all the deliciously decadent recipes linked at the bottom of this post! We’ve been making a baking list, and checking it twice. Among our family holiday cookie favorites are Spritz cookies, pepparkakor ginger snaps, wreath cookies, and homemade caramel. Homemade caramel is what we usually make for friends and neighbor gifts, but this year we’re taking our caramelized sugar one step further (or 50F degrees higher) and doing buttery English toffee. What Exactly is English Toffee? What sets English toffee apart from American toffee or buttercrunch? In a word–almonds. English toffee, in addition to chocolate, usually incorporates almonds. In this case, we’re toasting our almonds prior to sprinkling them on top, which really maximizes their flavor. Tips for Toffee Success Candy-making sometimes gets a bad wrap for being hard to make, but if you’ve made caramel with me before (or even if you haven’t ), you’ve got this–I […]

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Tiger Butter Bark

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 11:00:59 +0000

Delicious and creamy tiger butter bark swirls peanut butter and dark chocolate flavors for a confection that’s as pretty as it is addictive. Do you have a favorite holiday cookie? Is it a nostalgic recipe you make with your mom every year? A crave-worthy, sinful sweet? Or maybe it’s the piece de resistance treat for your cookie plate. The recipe I’m sharing this year, Tiger Butter Bark checks all three boxes: Tiger Butter Bark is variation on the bark I loved making way back when I worked at a chocolate shop in high school. It’s one of those confections that are truly hard to eat just one piece, and the bark’s graphic swirl design makes it a beautiful statement in the quintessential cookie plate. It’s the season of making and sharing sweets in reckless abandon, am I right? So I’m teaming up with my fellow design bloggers to virtually swap holiday sweets. Come on into my kitchen and make one of my favorites with me. Then hop over to my fellow designing ladies for their favorite cookie recipes too! Ingredients: 1 lb of White Candy Coating Chips (not white chocolate!) 1/2 c Crunchy Peanut Butter 1/2 c Semi-sweet Chocolate, coarsely […]

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Autumn Picnic Inspiration

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:57:14 +0000

Lordy, lordy, what an incredible fall we’ve had here in Minnesota! I swear we had snow on the ground this time last year, so this weather makes me want to drop everything, get outside and savor every waking moment. What better way to enjoy fall than to spring for a picnic?! Pack a cozy blanket, a thermos of steamy spiked cider, a spiced treat, a birding book (available on Amazon or pretty much any garage sale in America) and go enjoy those blazing fall colors. Wool Camp Blanket | American Made Picnic Basket | Hot Bourbon Apple Cider | Stanley Thermos (Image via Honestly WTF) Mini Pumpkin Pies | Vintage Birding Book Main Photo via The Marion House Book.

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Saison de la Soupe

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 12:45:40 +0000

It’s officially soup season! Cool, crisp blustery weather and blazing fall colors, call for a bowl of piping hot soup (with bread for dunking of course). It just plain warms the soul. Here are 5 of my favorite tried and true recipes. Do you have a favorite soup recipe? Share the link in the comments! 1. Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Parma Ham | 2. Roasted Cauliflower & Leek Soup | 3. Corn and Potato Chowder | 4. Creamy Tomato Soup | 5. Classic French Onion Soup

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Fresh & Crunchy Saltwater Pickles

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:16:17 +0000

Pickllllles! Oh do I love pickles. Especially the ones you find at Yum! Kitchen any time you order one of their gourmet sandwiches. Have you tried their pickles? They’re bright green, crunchy and salty, and they’re tough to find anywhere else. Thus I decided to make some at home, so that we wouldn’t need to buy a sandwich every time we had a craving for one. After a bit of research, I found that what helps these babies retain their color and crunchiness is that they’re actually soaked in saltwater rather than vinegar. Also known as half sour pickles, saltwater pickles need to be refrigerated, and also have a shorter shelf life than traditional vinegar pickles. But let’s be serious, their shelf life isn’t really an issue–they usually disappear within a few days! Ingredients*: 8 pickling cucumbers (short cukes) 1/8 c + 1 tbsp sea salt 4 c water 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 heaping tsp black peppercorns 1/2 heaping tsp mustard seed 1/2 heaping tsp coriander 6-8 small fresh sprigs of dill two – 1/2 gallon mason jars with lids recloseable bag + rolling pin *Proportions are for two 1/2 gallon jars of pickles. Step 1: Wash and dry your cukes. Place 4 pickles in each jar. Step 2: In a […]

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How to Make: Grapefruit Lavender Bitters

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 12:23:57 +0000

Part two of our homemade bitters extravaganza takes shape in the form of grapefruit lavender bitters. Seriously, what could be better than the combination of these two flavors?! Combining them in the form of a cocktail? Bingo. Grapefruit lavender bitters is essentially 100 proof vodka infused with a melange of zest and herbs to achieve a high flavor potency, and thus only a few drops are needed to add a complex kick of citrus to any cocktail, my most recent fave being the Sparkling Lillet & Grapefruit Cocktail. As with any homemade bitters, the flavor and potency is a matter of taste and preference. Below is where our taste buds lead us, but feel free to experiment to find your perfect ratio. There’s no wrong answers here! Happy weekending. Ingredients: We ordered most of our herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. Great quality and fast service! zest of 3 grapefruits, removed with a peeler 4-1/4 c 100 proof vodka or Everclear (divided into 2-1/4 c & 2 c) 1 tbsp culinary lavender 1/2 tbsp juniper berries 1/2 tbsp gentian root 3/4 tsp black walnut leaf 1/2 c water 1/2 c sugar Materials: 2 mason jars lots of cheescloth for straining strainer 2oz or 4oz dropper bottles a funnel […]

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A Bourbon Manhattan with Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 12:48:07 +0000

Cheers to Friday! I’m excited to share our take on a killer cocktail we had at Heyday in Minneapolis recently. It turns out, this bad boy is more of a bourbon manhattan (rather than an old fashioned as I originally thought) as it incorporates sweet vermouth. Po-tay-toe, po-tah-toe–bottom line is it’s delicious! And we throw in a bit of our freshly brewed cherry bark vanilla bitters for a warm, autumnal (cinnamon, cherry, vanilla) flavor complexity, perfect for the fall and winter months. Learn how to make cherry bark vanilla bitters here! Though I’m sure our recipe is different than the coveted Heyday recipe, it comes close in flavor and overall satisfaction! I hope you enjoy. Let’s raise a glass to the weekend. TGIF! Measurements for One Cocktail: 2 oz (or two shot glassfuls) good bourbon. We use Bulleit. 1 oz (or one shot glassful) of sweet vermouth. 1/2 teaspoon of sugar 1 full dropper (or two half dropperfuls) of cherry bark vanilla bitters (or to taste) fresh orange peel/zest ice Place sugar, bitters and sweet vermouth in a tumbler. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add bourbon, and give it another stir. Add ice. We like the large 2″ cubes from William Sonoma (Larger cubes melt slower and won’t water your […]

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How to Make: Wild Cherry Bark Vanilla Bitters

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:09:19 +0000

We recently discovered a cocktail at Heyday in Minneapolis that knocked our socks off and was the catalyst for our interest in experimenting with home brew bitters. The cocktail was an ‘old fashioned’ type mixed up with wild cherry bark vanilla bitters, a bit of cane sugar and a garnish of orange zest. Oh so delizioso. Check back on Friday, as I’ll be sharing our take on that killer Heyday cocktail! If you’re not super familiar with bitters, they’re considered to be the ‘salt and pepper’ of cocktails, adding complexity and that ‘je ne sais quoi.’ There are a billion different theories on what proportions make the best bitters (a matter of taste and preference, I guess), so after alot of research, we landed on the recipe and procedure below. Cherry bark vanilla bitters calls for super high proof bourbon, rye and a whole bunch of herbs that you’ve probably never heard of! The warmth of the cinnamon, cardamom and star anise make cherry bark bitters the perfect accompaniment to winter cocktails. I can’t wait to hand these out at the Holidays! Ingredients: We purchased most of our herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs. 8 oz dried cherries 3 c 101 proof bourbon (divided in two 1-1/2 […]

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Culinary Lavender Sea Salt

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 03:16:23 +0000

Lavender is my fave. I love the aroma and flavor, and try to sneak it into just about everything, both in the kitchen and DIY projects whenever possible. So I’m surprised (and a bit disappointed in myself!) that it never dawned on me to make lavender sea salt. I’m not talking about lavender bath salts (which are also lovely); I’m talking the edible kind that adds that je ne sais quoi when sprinkled on anything from homemade pot de creme to crackers to rimmed grapefruit margarita glasses. Fellow blogger, Nina Graham of Frippery and Curiosities, opened my eyes to it when she mentioned that my homemade herb cracker recipe was a great way to put her lavender sea salt to good use. Of course, I heard the words lavender and sea salt and knew I needed to get my hands on some! I used Cypriot Pyramid Sea Salt which is naturally occurring sea salt from Cyprus that forms in the shape of tiny pyramids (!!) and is conveniently available at Trader Joe’s right now (also available online). It’s a bit on the pricier side, so I filled out the recipe with coarse sea salt which is available in bulk at almost every grocery store. I went with a more specialty salt because not only did I make some for myself, but I also packed up a […]

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Truffle, Egg & Kale Pizza

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 14:09:27 +0000

I recently indulged in a similar version of this pizza at a neighborhood restaurant in Minneapolis, and it’s safe to say it stuck with me. I couldn’t get it out of my head! So I decided to try and re-create it home. I’m guessing you’re probably thinking: “Um, Erin? Excuse me, but these ingredients don’t go together, much less on a pizza.” Hear me out though and give this one a try. It’s su. per. delish, and who can’t use a few more leafy greens in their diet?! The sauteed kale (which crisps up in the oven) and the blend of salty cheeses create a savory base for this quirky ‘za.’ Halfway through the baking process it’s topped with an egg and then thrown back in to cook just until set, but still slightly runny. And lastly it’s finished with a drizzle of truffle oil as it exits the oven. Anthony Bourdain may not be a fan of truffle oil, but I am all about it, and if you like it too, you’ll flip over this pizza! Ingredients: 2 handfuls of coarsly chopped kale (leafy parts only, thick stems removed) 2 tsp olive oil, divided pinch of sea salt 12″ thin pizza crust. I used Trader […]

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Weekend Blueberry Granola

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 12:39:54 +0000

Classic granola takes a ride on the wild side teaming up with dried wild blueberries in this easier-than-you-think homemade granola. The ingredients are simple, but the melange of flavors is complex: savory toasted almonds, sweet honey and blueberries and hints of cinnamon and vanilla. I like to make it the night before so we can just roll out of bed on Saturday morning and build up parfaits in a snap. Ingredients: 3 c Old-fashioned oats 1 c Raw almonds 4 tbsp Brown sugar 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon Generous pinch of salt 1/3 c Honey 2 tbsp Unrefined virgin coconut oil (Whole Foods) 1/2 tsp Vanilla 3/4 c Dried wild blueberries (Trader Joe’s) Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine in a bowl, oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Combine in a saucepan over low heat, coconut oil, honey and vanilla until smooth. Pour honey mixture over oat mixture and use your hands to evenly cover oats. Turn out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, tossing the granola every 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove pan from oven, place on a cooling rack and stir in dried blueberries. The granola will take on a crunchy […]

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Hello Friday, Old Friend

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 13:23:14 +0000

Happy Friday! We’re headed to our friends’ Briony and Andy’s cabin this weekend for their semi-annual cabin party. Do you remember their Winter Party? This weekend will be a little different in that there’s also a bike race nearby that we’ll all be participating in on Saturday morning. 33 miles on bike, and we’re going for it! What are you up to this weekend? Canelle et Vanille, are you familiar with her? She has the most bea-u-ti-ful photography, styling and tempting recipes. Check out her post on all the ways she incorporates stone fruit at it’s summertime peak and a gluten-free Nectarine and Pistachio Tart Recipe worth whipping up this weekend! Photos via Canelle et Vanille.

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