2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting

Nothing kicks off the holiday season like a peppermint mocha from Starbucks, a cozy winter hat, and tickets to The 2011 National Christmas Tree Lighting!

As Kate and I journeyed into President’s Park, we expected to watch the show from the standing room section. To our surprise, a gentleman offered us upgraded tickets and escorted us to press section, where we seated five rows away from The President and The First Family!

Carson Daly hosted an amazing show with performances from Marsha Ambrosius, Rodney Atkins, Big Time Rush, Ellie Goulding, and One Republic (our favorite!)

As Christmas music filled the air, we realized the holiday season was finally here! Wishing everyone a wonderful and blessed holiday season!

Haute Papier's 5th Birthday Party!

We were so excited to celebrate Haute Papier's 5th birthday with our friends, families and fabulous clients a couple of weeks ago.  We did a bunch of DIY craft projects in the process of getting ready that we'll be sharing over the next couple of Make-It Mondays and decorated our new warehouse space at the same time!  Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and everyone of you who have supported us through your encouragement, purchases and promotion through the years - we look forward to many, many more! xoxo - Sarah & Erin

Thank you UPS!

Have we ever mentioned we have AWESOME UPS drivers?  I mean they are seriously the best!  And good thing because Haute Papier certainly relies on UPS as a partner for all of our shipping.  BUT ... tis the season for A LOT of online shopping for the lovely ladies of Haute Papier.  And ... tis the season for that oh so special holiday cheer.  And just as I was about to grumble to UPS Mike about my constant dilemma on where to ship my personal packages - to the shop where I have to lug boxes back on the metro or to the house where I will most likely to miss UPS - he suggested I look into UPS My Choice.  With this service anyone can get delivery alerts, sign-off on a delivery electronically (!!) and even reroute a package without getting the shipper involved!  AWESOME!!  Just a suggestion for all of us online shoppers here at Haute Papier and all of our wonderful customers who we'll be shipping to this holiday season!

Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze

I wrote about this recipe years ago when it first came out in Food & Wine Magazine and have made it every Thanksgiving since!  It's the perfect non-traditional end to one of the most celebrated meals of the year and beautiful to boot!  I love the look of the cranberry glaze on top of the speckled creamy filling and the little golden orange dollops of deliciousness by the way of sweet potato and white chocolate on top! Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze 2 teaspoons plain powdered gelatin Reserved browned butter solids from Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust (below) 1 cup whole milk 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Kosher salt 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1/4 cup sour cream Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust (recipe below) 3 1/2 ounces white chocolate, chopped 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes 1 cup cranberry sauce, pureed and strained

Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust 2 sticks unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 4 cups diced crusts and end pieces from 1 loaf of packaged white bread (10 ounces crusts)

Instructions for the crust:

  • Preheat the oven to 325°. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the butter is golden brown, about 8 minutes; strain into a glass measuring cup. Reserve the browned butter solids for the Brown Butter Custard Pie.
  • Pour half of the melted butter into a bowl. Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon and bread, and toss. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Let cool.
  • Rewarm the remaining butter; pour into a food processor. Add the croutons and pulse to fine crumbs; spoon the crumbs into a 10-inch pie plate. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. Press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the pie plate; refrigerate the crust until chilled, 15 minutes.

Instructions for the pie:

  • In a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water and let stand until softened, 3 minutes. Microwave at high power for 10 seconds, until melted. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, microwave the reserved brown butter solids with the milk, sugar, 1/8 teaspoon of the cinnamon and a pinch of salt until warm. Whisk in the gelatin and refrigerate until set.
  • In a bowl, whisk 3/4 cup of the heavy cream and sour cream to soft peaks. Whisk the custard to loosen it, then fold into the whipped cream. Pour the custard into the Cinnamon Toast Crumb Crust; refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate and butter. Add the mashed sweet potatoes, the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt; whisk until smooth. Transfer the sweet potato ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip and refrigerate until chilled slightly, 15 minutes. Pipe 1-inch mounds around the edge of the pie. Refrigerate until the ganache is set, 10 minutes.
  • Pour the cranberry puree over the pie and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes. Cut the pie into wedges and serve.
The pie can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Image from foodandwine.com