Our Favorite Winter Recipes

If you’ve been following our social media accounts, you’ll notice there’s one thing we love just as much as CleverMade products, food! The Clever Crew is indeed full of foodies and master chefs alike. In the past few months, we’ve shown you recipes for a cozy French onion soup, a refreshing apple cider old fashioned, and decadent fudge brownies with strawberry cream cheese frosting. Here are those recipes and instructions just for you!

French Onion Soup – Click here for Instagram Video

Ingredients:

• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic – minced (always measure with your heart of course)
• Plenty of olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• One 14.5 oz can chicken broth
• One 14.5 oz can beef broth
• One 14.5 oz can water
• 1/3 cup dry vermouth
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme – removed from stems and chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of sugar
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Crusty bread or croutons – sliced for topping soup
• Gruyere & Swiss cheese – measured by heart

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, add butter to a good drizzle of olive oil and let melt. Add thinly sliced onions and sauté on medium low heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic when the onions are close to golden brown. Add flour and cook another minute. Stir in can of chicken broth, can of beef broth, can of water, and vermouth. Chop fresh thyme and add along with a bay leaf. Heat to boiling, add salt and pepper to taste. Cover for 5 minutes. Just before serving, preheat broiler. Remove bay leaf, ladle soup into heavy, oven safe bowls. Top each with slices of toasted, crusty bread or croutons along with plenty of shredded cheese. Broil until cheese is melty and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Apple Cider Old Fashioned - Click here for Instagram Video!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 oz. bourbon or whiskey
• 1 tsp. real maple syrup
• 3 drops bitters
• Sliced orange
• Sliced apple
• Cinnamon stick

Directions:

Grab your favorite glass and add all the ingredients. Give a good mix with a spoon, garnish, and add some ice. That’s it! The perfect drink to kick back and relax with after a long day.

Chewy Fudge Brownies with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting – Click here for Instagram Video!

Brownie Ingredients:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp. room temperature coffee
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients – flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt - with a whisk. In a separate larger bowl, combine wet ingredients – sugar, vegetable oil, coffee, vanilla extract, eggs (do not add chocolate chips yet). Using an electric mixer, beat in one egg at a time. Pour half the dry ingredients mixture into the wet ingredients, combine. Pour the rest of the dry ingredients mixture and combine with electric mixer. Fold in chocolate chips with a spoon. Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish and pour the batter in. Put in 325-degree Fahrenheit oven for 40-50 minutes. Use a toothpick in the center of the brownies to test if they are done. The toothpick will come out fairly clean when done, of course you may get some melty chocolate chips on it!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups sliced freeze dried strawberries
• ½ cup salted butter – softened
• 8 oz cream cheese – softened
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Pour freeze dried strawberries into a blender or food processor and purée until crushed into powder, bigger chunks are okay. Using an electric hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add in crushed strawberries, powdered sugar, and vanilla until everything is completely incorporated.

Let brownies cool, then spread frosting over the top. Add extra pieces of freeze-dried strawberries for decoration. Voilà! Place the cut brownies in your favorite Collapsible LUXE Tote to share with friends, family, or that special someone for Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!