Joyeux Thanksgiving from the French Friday with Dorie gang.
CROQUANTS, VERY POPULAR IN FRANCE, DELICIOUS WITH TEA OR ESPRESSO
Yes, Thanksgiving is a North American celebration but what’s unique about families and friends gathering to enjoy traditional foods and the company of others? The first Thanksgiving meal probably occurred in 1621 between the colonists and the Wampanoag, the Plymouth colony Indian tribe. Sans dishwashers, Cuisinarts, Convection ovens and TV Football, I might add. It became a national American holiday in 1941 and is arguably our favorite holiday. If the scales be damned, Thanksgiving could even become a two-fer. In Canada it is celebrated in October, coinciding with the Fall harvest. (I just received greetings from my Canadian friends and will return the favor, if not the meal, in October.)
To celebrate this holiday of largesse this week, we created a potluck of recipes at FFWD. Cook’s Choice. See what others picked at http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/
Such a simple-to-bake, simply delicious French cookie, a platter of Croquants
For Le Jour de Merci Donnant, I decided to bake Croquants, a popular French cookie. Easy to make. Sublime to eat. A crunchy combination, really, of sugar (white) and nuts (I used the traditional salted hazelnuts/almonds combo.). I first tasted a Croquant at Berthillon, Paris’s most famous glacier, when it was served with my Chocolate Noir ice cream. Discovering that Dorie could help me duplicate this tasty treat is a real bonus! At Christmas I’m even going to add tiny slices of dried cherries to make them look more festive for my holiday cookie platter. This cookie begs for variations, I think.
The bonus here? Google this recipe – it’s on the Internet. http://www.chow.com/recipes/28335-croquants
A Midwestern Tradition – Chex Mix – There Are Not Words to Describe How Addictive This Is.
Since, after all, Thanksgiving is a North American holiday and reeks of tradition, I also made gallons, yes, gallons, of Chex Mix yesterday. I know! I know! There is nothing nutritious nor healthy about Chex Mix. That pound of butter I used in the Mix shouts heart-unfriendly. It’s during these times that I bless Julia Childs. She loved butter. Then there’s Paula Deen. You gotta love Paula.
I cannot remember a holiday season in my Manchester, Iowa, home without Chex Mix. God Bless my Mom, a lady who never let butter-anxiety get in the way of delicious baked goods. My defense to this treat is that I only make it at Thanksgiving and, most importantly, my son-in-law and I bonded over my Chex Mix. Now is not the time to test loyalties.
Chex Mix and the Holidays – my Iowa family’s tradition for more than 60 years.
Hopefully, you, like me, have much to be thankful for this year. This is a day devoted to just that – giving thanks for family, friends, and loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving.
Oh yum, I do love homemade chex mix. The stuff they sell in the bags doesn’t even come close, probably not enough butter 🙂
Those cookies look tasty as well, thanks for sharing a new recipe. And Happy Thanksgiving!
Lovely french cookies and Happy thanksgiving to you and family 🙂 I will definitely try this cookies out . Looking at yours , I am sold ! 🙂 Have a nice day!
Your cookies look delicious!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
These look like perfect tea cookies and perfect for making during the holidays. So cute that you made the chex mix! I haven’t had that in years and it brings back quite a few memories.
Those cookies look interesting – anything with hazelnuts in it is a winner in my book!
Hope you had a great holiday.
Great choice! I think the addition of Cherries for Christmas will be lovely!
Mmmmmm…what fabulous cookies! I think dried cherries would be an excellent addition~
I haven’t made Chex Mix in years…it’s so addicting, I usually eat the whole batch myself!
PS…I grew up in Iowa! Where is your family from?
I grew up in Manchester and lived in Ames, where I taught and got my Masters, and Des Moines, where I worked. I also lived in Cherokee and Ottumwa. Amy of those cities near where you lived?
I have yet to explore too much into the dessert chapter. Thanks for making the croquants. Now I’ll have to check out the recipe tonight!
Oh, and when US friends ask me why we celebrate Thanksgiving in October in Canada, I always say harvest ends earlier up north. 😀
Julia had it right when it comes to butter – if you are afraid of butter, try cream! Love the cookies and will be trying these soon.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I didn’t read the cookies recipe yet and I’m not familiar with croquants, but they sound and look delicious. Happy thanksgiving.
oh
my
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goodness!!!
aggghhh!!! I NEED to see if I have gardettos in the pantry!!! … it would be the closest thing to chex mix that I would have stocked…. 🙂 Does Dorie have the croquant recipe in her book?? I dont remember seeing it, now I need to cook it!!
Yes, Croquants are on Page 410. What are Gardettos? I am going to Google it.!
That’s a lot of Chex mix, it looks great! I’m glad I’m not the only one who isn’t afraid of butter. I bought more boxes of butter than I should admit to when I did my Thanksgiving shopping….Your cookies also look great, I’m excited to try them!
I hadn’t noticed the croquants so I’m glad to read about them. They look delicious. I love Chex Mix too! Homemade, not that stuff they sell in the bag. Yum! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
I’m grateful to you for showing me a croquant. My brain couldn’t process what kind of cookie it would be from the recipe.
Chex Mix is awesome. Eat up!