Thanksgiving

This is a tart rendition of a classic cranberry sauce. Some recipes indicate using a minimum of 6 tablespoons of sugar per 4 cups of cranberries, others indicate as much as a cup of sugar. Sweeten as desired to accomidate invididual tastes. Just remember: you can always add sugar, but you can’t take it out. Ingredients 4 cups whole cranberries 1 cups water 4 tablespoons sugar Pinch of salt ¼ cup orange juice or Grand Marnier (optional) Preparation In a medium saucepan, combine: cranberries water sugar salt Let the sauce boil until it thickens; the water will evaporate and the pectin in the cranberries will be activated as it cooks. Let it boil for at least 10 minutes, and up to 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in juice or liqueur, if using. Serve or then cover sauce and chill.

A very simple Thanksgiving dressing (stuffing). Ingredients 1 large loaf good, crusty bread, preferably sourdough, ciabatta, or multi-grain (about 1¼ pounds) ¼ cup olive oil 8 tablespoons cultured, unsalted butter- divided in two parts 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 large leeks, white and light green parts, chopped ½ cup dry white wine ¼ cup finely chopped fresh sage 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth 5 large eggs ½ cup finely chopped parsley ¼ cup finely chopped chives Preheat Oven Preheat oven to 375°F. Preparation Bread Using your hands, tear bread, crust and all, into 1 ½- to 2-inch pieces. Place chunks on a rimmed baking sheet, and let sit uncovered at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. If you’re short on time, you can toast the chunks in a 300-degree oven instead, tossing occasionally, until lightly crisped, but not browned, on the outside. Leeks Heat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter. Once butter has melted, add the garlic and leeks. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are bright green and totally softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add sage and cook an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Add white wine, and cook until reduced by about three-quarters, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Broth In a medium bowl, whisk together broth and eggs. Into a large bowl, combine until evenly distributed: Bread The leek mixture Parsley Chives Combine Pour about half the egg mixture over the bread and toss a few times. Let sit a minute or two and give another toss. Let sit about 20 minutes. Add more egg mixture until mixture is very wet. Bake Transfer mixture to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish (a 9-by-13 pan also works), making sure not to pack it too tightly. Cover with foil and bake until the stuffing is sizzling at the edges and completely cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. If it’s not yet time to serve, remove stuffing from the oven and set aside. (If you are nearly ready to serve, proceed directly to the next step and continue without pausing.) Finish When ready to serve, remove foil and increase the temperature to 425°F. Dot the top with remaining butter. Bake stuffing until crispy, crunchy and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve.

Source https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018382-southern-cornbread-dressing Notes The cornbread must be diced and dried before using. Be sure to prepare cornbread at least one day in advance. Equipment 8-by-11-inch baking dish Preheat Oven Preheat oven to 450°F. Ingredients One recipe cornbread 3 cups soft white bread, crust removed and torn or cut into 1-inch pieces (do not pack) ½ cup butter (1 stick), plus more for the pan 2 cups chopped sweet onions 1 ½ cups chopped celery (4 or 5 stalks) 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 2 eggs 1 ¼ tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 4 to 5 cups rich chicken, turkey, or vegetable stock Preparation Dry Cornbread After baking and cooling cornbread, dice into ½" cubes. Spread cornbread cubes in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Leave to dry several days, or leave overnight in an oven at about 150°F. Combine Breads Heat oven to 350°F. Combine cornbread and white bread in a large bowl, tossing to mix, and breaking cornbread into smaller pieces. Vegetables Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions, celery and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes. Add vegetables to bread mixture and combine. Final Steps Lightly beat eggs and add to bowl. Sprinkle in herbs Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and toss together. Add 4 cups broth and stir well. Using your hands, work the mixture to get a very lumpy, thick, batter-like consistency. Add another cup of stock if needed. The mixture should be very wet and pourable but without standing liquid. Bake Butter an 8-by-11-inch baking dish. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and bake until dressing puffs slightly and has browned well around the edges, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. If you have drippings from a roasted turkey, spoon some over the top about 30 minutes into the baking time.

I finally decided to try making a pumpkin pie using a real live pumpkin as opposed to canned pumpkin. I picked up a nice sized pie pumpkin at the Dekalb Farmer’s Market, found a recipe, and set out to make the pie. It was simple, easy, and required very little effort. All redundant statements- just to underscore how crazy easy it us to use a fresh pumpkin. I’ll never buy a can of pumpkin puree again! ...

Notes Parsnips wider than 1 inch may have tough, fibrous cores that are best trimmed and discarded. Using warm water helps the sugar to dissolve more readily. Any combination of carrots and parsnips with a combined weight of 3 pounds can be used in this recipe. Ingredients 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick pieces 1 ½ pounds parsnips, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces ¾ cup apple cider 1 tablespoons maple syrup Salt and pepper ½ teaspoon minced fresh rosemary Preparation Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook carrots and parsnips, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Whisk apple cider, maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Add water mixture to skillet and cook covered, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender and liquid has evaporated, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

This is Mom’s famous pie. Special Equipment 9" Deep Dish Pie Plate One recipe Pâte Brisée Preheat Oven Preheat oven to 375°F Ingredients 1 19 oz can Cherry Pie Filling 1 14 oz can Whole Cranberry Sauce ¼ cup Sugar 3 tablespoons Quick Cook Tapioca 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon 2 tablespoons Butter Preparation Combine all ingredients, except butter, let stand 15 minutes. Pour in in a crust lined 9" deep dish pie plate. Cut butter into small pieces and scatter over mixture. Place a top layer of crust over mixture and seal. Sprinkle sugar over top of pie. Cut holes to allow air escape and expansion. Bake Bake about 1 hour

I’ve heavily modified the source recipe to drop the raisins and swap the sourdough for cornbread. Source Inspired by http://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/8529-sourdough-dressing-with-kale-and-mushrooms Notes To make ahead: Dressing can be made up till baking (noted below) and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Increase covered baking time by 5 minutes. Special Equipment 13 by 9-inch baking dish Preheat Oven Preheat oven to 400°F Ingredients 680 grams (1.5 lbs) 1.5x recipe of Corn Bread 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper 340 grams (12 ounces) shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick 230 grams (8 ounces) kale, stemmed and chopped coarse 1 onion, chopped 5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage 230 grams (8 ounces) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed 2 ½ cups chicken broth 3 large eggs, lightly beaten Preparation Prep Foil, Oven Racks, and Pans Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Grease a 15 by 11-inch sheet of aluminum foil with ½ tablespoon butter. Combine Cornbread Toss together in a large bowl then spread evenly on rimmed baking sheet: Cornbread ¼ cup oil ½ teaspoon salt Combine Vegetables In the now empty bowl, combine and then spread on second rimmed baking sheet: Mushrooms Kale Onion Garlic Sage Remaining ¼ cup oil ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Break sausage into ½-inch pieces and distribute evenly over vegetables. Bake Bread & Vegetables Bake bread mixture on upper rack and vegetable mixture on lower rack until bread is golden brown but still tender inside and vegetables and sausage are golden, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Combine Dressing Combine toasted bread and vegetable mixture in large bowl. Stir broth and eggs into bread-vegetable mixture until liquid is absorbed. If making ahead, stop here, cover bowl and refrigerate up to 24 hours. ...

Special Equipment 9" Pie Plate One-half recipe Pâte Brisée Stand Mixer Preheat Oven Preheat oven to 350°F Ingredients 200 grams (1 cup) dark brown sugar 2/3 cup cane syrup 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract 2 tablespoons Bourbon Whiskey 55 grams (4 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, melted 3 eggs, slightly beaten ¼ teaspoon Salt ¼ cup heavy cream 1 cup Pecans, chopped ½ cup Chocolate Chips Preparation Prepare crust; place in 9" pie pan; refrigerate while preparing pie filling. Sugar Syrup In a large saucepan, heat until boiling, stirring constantly Brown sugar Cane syrup Vanilla Bourbon Butter Remove from heat and let cool until tepid. Eggs Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk Eggs Salt Cream Combine Remove the chilled pastry crust from the refrigerator; evenly distribute the pecans and chocolate chips over the bottom of the crust. Into the cooled sugar syrup, beat in the egg mixture. Pour the filling evenly over the nuts. Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the filling is just set (a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie will come out clean). If you find the edges of the pie crust are over browning during baking, cover with foil Cool Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool Serve warm or at room temperature with whipping cream.

A fantastic pie which is fairly easy to make; albeit somewhat time-consuming. My changes to the recipe yield a tarter and naturally flavored pie. The crumble topping can be swapped for a traditional crust. If so desired, make full batch of Pâte Brisée and include the spices from the crumble with the apple maceration. Source http://joythebaker.com/2014/11/apple-cranberry-crumble-pie/ Change Log This recipe has been modified from the original source: Dropped the source crust recipe in favor of my own. Filling: Reduced each of the sugars by 50%. Filling: Added bourbon to the rendered liquid. Crumble: Reduced sugar by 25%. Oven temp: Reduced to 375°F (less risk of burn). Cook time: Increased to 1 hour. Special Equipment Pie dish Rolling pin Small saucepan Mesh strainer Apple peeler/corer Prerequisite Recipes Pâte Brisée Preheat Oven Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat over to 375°F. Ingredients Filling About 900 to 1000 grams (about 2 pounds) apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch thick. Granny Smith and/or Honey Crisp. 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 25 grams (1/8 cup) light brown sugar, packed 25 grams (1/8 cup) granulated sugar ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, preferably fresh grated ¼ teaspoon salt 30 grams (2 Tablespoons) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons Bourbon 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 heaping cup fresh cranberries Crumble 65 grams (½ cup) all-purpose flour 75 grams (1/3 cup) packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon salt 55 grams (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes ¼ cup coarsely chopped salted pistachios Preparation Crust Prepare the Pâte Brisée. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a 13-inch round. Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in a deep 9-inch round pie dish. Place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the filling. Filling Apples In a large bowl, combine and toss to mix: Apples Lemon juice Brown sugar Granulated sugar Cinnamon Nutmeg Salt (if omitting the crumble topping, add the cinnamon, nutmed, ginger, and cloves from the crumble ingredients) Place the apples in a fine mesh strainer set over the large bowl. Allow the apples to macerate at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours. The mixture will release at least ½ cup of liquid. Transfer the apples and cranberries to a bowl and toss them with the cornstarch until all traces of the cornstarch have disappeared. Syrup In a small saucepan, combine: Apple liquid Butter Bourbon Boil to reduce the liquid to about 1/3 cup, or until syrupy and lightly caramelized. Combine Pour the syrup over the apples, tossing gently (Do not be concerned if the liquid hardens on contact with the apples and cranberries; it will dissolve during baking.) Transfer the apple and cranberry mixture to the pie shell. Crumble In a medium bowl, whisk together: Flour Sugar Oats Spices Salt Add the butter and toss the mixture together with your hands. Break the butter up into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small pebbles and oat flakes. Toss in the pistachios. Sprinkle the crumble over the apple and cranberry mixture. The apples should be completely covered with crumble mixture to prevent burning. Bake Pie Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until the edges bubble and the apples are cooked through. Allow to cool for at least an hour before serving.

This recipe is modified from the source to cut out extra fat and boost flavor. Source https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017797-pumpkin-bread-with-brown-butter-and-bourbon Change Log Swapped unsweetened applesauce for oil Swapped extra bourbon for water Swapped dark brown sugar for light Increased cinnamon and ginger slightly Chose 4 cardamon pods instead of measured amount Special Equipment 2 9" loaf pans Parchment Paper Pre-heat Oven Pre-heat over to 350°F Move rack to center position Ingredients 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter ¼ cup bourbon (plus extra; see notes below) 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 ¾ cups pumpkin purée (Roast Pumpkin) 4 eggs ½ cup unsweetened applesauce 256 grams all-purpose flour 120 grams whole wheat flour 350 grams dark brown sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda 5 grams fine sea salt 10 grams ground cinnamon 2 grams ground ginger 4 cardamom pods; seeds ground Preparation Prep Pans Grease the insides of two 8-inch loaf pans with butter Line with parchment paper; butter the paper Dust with flour Brown Butter In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the frothy white milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and turn a fragrant, nutty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch it carefully. Brown butter is almost ready when the frantic sound of bubbling begins to die down. Wets In a glass liquid measuring cup, combine bourbon and vanilla. Add additional bourbon until you reach the 2/3 cup mark. In a large bowl, whisk together bourbon mixture, pumpkin purée, eggs and applesauce. With a spatula, scrape all the brown butter from the skillet into the pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Drys In another large bowl, whisk together: all-purpose flour whole wheat flour brown sugar baking soda salt cinnamon ginger cardamom Combine Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Bake Divide batter between the two greased loaf pans. Use a scale to ensure equal amounts are in both pans. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow bread to cool completely before removing from pan.