TeaTime started their menu with a scones course of Brown Sugar and Cream Cheese Scones, followed by Dilled Crawfish Salad Tea Sandwiches, Jambalaya Tarlets, and Muffaletta Palmiers for the savories. Of course, dessert wouldn’t be right without that Mardi Gras signature, a King Cake. And they’ve rounded out the sweets tier with recipes for Toasted Pecan Pralines and Bananas Foster Tartlets.
Not sure which teas to pair with seafood? They recommend organic Mango Sunny Passion from Capital Teas for a light and fruity complement to the savory-sweet blend of flavors created by the crawfish and shrimp.
The complete menu was more than I could include here, but I’m excited to share their Jambalaya Tartlets and Toasted Pecan Pralines with you. I hope you enjoy these special winter holiday treats!
Now, as they say, laissez les bons temps rouler! And be sure to pick up the January/February issue of TeaTime for all of the delicious recipes.
- 1½ (14.1-ounce) packages refrigerated pie dough (3 sheets)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped sweet onion
- ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped chicken thigh meat
- ½ cup chopped Andouille sausage
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- ½ cup chopped seeded tomato
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning*
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 dozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on
- Garnish: minced fresh parsley, 12 fresh parsley leaves
- 1. Preheat oven to 450˚.
- 2. On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie dough. Using a 4.-x-2.-inch tartlet pan as a guide, cut 12 shapes from dough. Lightly spray 12 tartlet pans with cooking spray. Press dough shapes into prepared tartlet pans, trimming excess as necessary. Using the large end of a chopstick, press dough into indentations in sides of tartlet pans.
- 3. Place tartlet pans on a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 4. Prick tartlet dough with a fork to prevent puffing during baking.
- 5. Bake until golden brown, approximately 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
- 6. Remove from tartlet pans, and store in an airtight container until needed. In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, chicken, and sausage. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often. Add chicken broth, rice, tomato, bay leaf, garlic, Creole seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt, and black pepper, stirring to combine. Increase heat, and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan, and cook until rice is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Add shrimp to pan during the last 5 minutes of cooking time. (Shrimp are done when pink and opaque.)
- 7. Spoon warm rice mixture into tart shells, arranging shrimp decoratively on top.
- 8. Garnish each with minced parsley and a parsley leaf, if desired.
- 9. Serve immediately.
- *We used Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning.
- Make Ahead Tip: Jambalaya can be made a day in advance, placed in a covered container, and refrigerated. Warm gently before filling tartlet shells. Tartlet shells can be made early on the day they are to be used.
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup chopped toasted pecans
- 1. Line 20 wells of a 24-well mini muffin pan with foil baking cups.
- 2. In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, butter, and water, stirring to blend. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture registers just below 238˚ on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat, and add pecans, stirring vigorously to cool mixture slightly.
- 3. Working quickly and using a levered 1-tablespoon scoop, divide pecan mixture among prepared wells of mini muffin pan. Let cool completely.
- 4. Store pralines in an airtight container at room temperature.
- 5. Remove from foil baking cups before serving, if desired.