Are you a Thanksgiving Traditionalist or a Thanksgiving Adventurer? I’m somewhere in the middle. I love the traditional Thanksgiving spread with its turkey and cranberry sauce and yams and pumpkin pie. Then again, I also love to try new recipes and some foods are only served on Thanksgiving Day, so if I am going to try them, I have to be willing to take a few risks. Pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving is no big surprise, but the layer of cheesecake in the middle takes this from a traditional pie to a delicious adventure!

The best part of this pie is that you can make it the day before and chill it overnight. That means there is one less thing for you to think about on the Big Day! Hooray!

Continue reading: pumpkin cheesecake pie

When I saw this casserole on How Sweet It Is, I wondered if it tasted as good as it looked. The presentation certainly was gorgeous and the idea of chopping pecans with oatmeal and nuts to make a crumble topping was brilliant. I could not wait until Thanksgiving day to make this recipe.

I halved the recipe and cooked it in a mini-springform pan as a trial run. I ate a scoop for lunch and took the rest to share with friends. They each grabbed a spoon and before long the entire dish had disappeared. I thought the casserole could use a little more sugar, another deemed it just right and another friend said that he’d reduce the sugar a bit. So that settles it. You’ll have your own opinions, so taste the sweet potato mixture before you top it with the crumble. I also thought a little orange zest would add a fun kick to this dish. Someone in our group playfully threatened to stab me with a fork when I mentioned this. If you want to try the orange zest, maybe you should run it by your family before you do. :

Continue reading: prettier (and healthier!) sweet potato casserole

I threw a baby shower for a friend on Saturday. I love making creative and tasty foods, but I am *not* a good theme party hostess because I am terrible at pulling off decorations and games. In fact, I was making up the rules to Saturday’s games as we were playing them. That’s how much of a procrastinator I am when it comes to tackling a project that is not “my thing.” For Saturday’s party, I told the guest of honor that she could depend up me for food and maybe games, but decorations weren’t happening. She is very gracious and was fine with this arrangement. As I was talking with friends about the party, I realized I should at least make *something* that was baby shower themed. Enter these sugar cookies, decorated with a K for their little baby, Kavin.

When I’m not procrastinating, I’m delegating. My friends are in awe of my delegation skills. I’m not sure how one could be in awe of a skill that is essentially passing off one’s work to another person. It’s simply a matter of asking. We had 4 girls from Utah staying at our house this weekend through the www.couchsurfing.org program. As soon as they stepped in the door, I had them roped into decorating these cookies. It’s not that I couldn’t do it. It’s just that they could! And given that they were staying at my house for three days, they weren’t really in a place to decline my request. :)I have made these cookies loads of times in the past. I make them for every major holiday as cookie decorating is a fun way to spend time with family while simultaneously giving your hands something to do. Some sugar cookies puff when baking, meaning your little snowflake can end up resembling a snow cone, but not these! They stay perfectly in place. And as long as your icing is the right consistency, they are so easy to decorate. Or, at least, that’s what my house guests tell me!

I personally don’t eat sugar cookies (what’s the point!? there’s no chocolate!) but I hear from other sugar cookie fans that these not only look delicious, they also taste fabulous. That’s a twofer, folks. Everyone loves a twofer, so make these cookies for your next gathering and watch people ooh and ahh at them and then gobble them up!

By the way, this flan looks complicated, but that’s the best part. Looks are deceiving! It’s super easy to make! And since it’s fall-themed and beautiful, now is the time to make it!

caramelized pumpkin flan

Adapted from a recipe by Chuck Williams

3/4 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup light cream (or half-and-half)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree*
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
pinch salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*If you are using homemade puree, make sure that it is pureed very well! You don’t want stringy bits in your flan! Also, if your pumpkin puree is a bit more wet than canned pumpkin, you may want to remove excess moisture by layering the pumpkin between several sheets of paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 325. Place four 1/2-cup ramekins in a baking pan large enough to hold them without letting them touch.

In a sauce pan over low heat, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoons water and stir until sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, without stirring, until liquid is caramel colored and aromatic, about 4-6 minutes. Note that at this point, Williams’ recipe adds the helpful note, “Do not burn.” Of course, by the time it is burnt, it’s too late and you must start over again. Not that I know this from experience. I highly recommend watching this mixture carefully toward the end of the cooking time because the sugars will continue to caramelize a bit even after you remove the pot from the stove.

Working with one ramekin at a time, carefully pour approximately one fourth of the sugar mixture into each ramekin, tilting it to coat the bottom and sides. The sugar mixture will harden instantly, so work quickly and don’t attempt to coat more than one ramekin at a time. Return each cup to the pan.

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream until small bubbles appear around the edges. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, orange zest, spices, and salt. Mix well. Blend in the eggs. Slowly add the hot cream, stirring constantly. If you add the hot cream all at once, you could cook your eggs. Scrambled egg flan is not preferred. Stir in the vanilla extract and divide the pumpkin mixture into the four ramekins.

Pour hot water into the pan to reach half way up the sides of the cups. Cover the pan with foil. Bake just until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Carefully remove the cups and let them rest on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

At serving time, run a knife around the inside edge of each dish and invert the flan onto a small individual plate, allowing the caramel to drizzle over the top of the flan. Serve.

There are two types of Thanksgiving eaters: those who rebel if you try to serve anything other than the traditional feast (turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, candied yams, and pumpkin pie, to name a few favorites) and those who are not wedded to the traditional holiday fare. This year I’m being forced to be a third kind of person: the one who wants the traditional Thanksgiving feast but who must bend to my brother’s request for Chinese food. Huh? Seriously? Yes. Our feast will include all the traditional favorites plus this stir fry and pot stickers. Strange? Yes. But if it means family harmony, then that’s what we’ll do.

While I want to have the traditional foods every year, I am not married to them being prepared in the same way. For instance, this year we’ll be brining our turkey like usual but our sweet potatoes will be savory with hints of sage and our stuffing will be cooked in a crockpot instead of stuffed in the turkey. I like to think I’m living on the wild side.

If you also enjoy fresh approaches to your standard Thanksgiving side dishes, then you’ll want to try this cranberry sauce recipe. The ginger adds some zing and the pears add color and texture. If you are a Thanksgiving purist who wants to only be a little adventurous, follow the recipe as written below but omit the ginger and add a sprinkling of cloves. And if you are a purist who has decided to make your own cranberry sauce this year, follow the recipe below omitting the ginger and the pear.

cranberry sauce (with pears and fresh ginger)

www.cooksillustrated.com

3/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp table salt

1 (12-ounce) bag cranberries, picked through

2 medium firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

The easiest way to peel your ginger is with the edge of a spoon. (Thanks, Dave, for this helpful hint!)

The easiest way to grate ginger is with a microplane. If you don’t own one of these, buy one (or two!) today. Really, they may change your culinary life.

Bring water, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Stir in cranberries and pears; return to boil.

Reduce heat to medium; simmer until saucy, slightly thickened, and about two-thirds of the berries have popped open, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl, cool to room temperature, and serve. This cranberry sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

Several years ago, my brother-in-law was in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving turkey and it was the best turkey any of us had ever eaten. We asked him for the secret behind his turkey and he pointed us to the below recipe. It’s a bit involved, but it’s oh, so worth it. If you make it, it will produce the most tender, tastiest turkey you’ve ever had. Your family will be asking YOU what your secret is.

You will need a LARGE pot for this brine recipe. In the past, I’ve divided the recipe among two smaller pots and then just combined the mixture at the last minute.

Note that the turkey is supposed to brine for three days. Here is a good timeline for you:

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, OR THURSDAY  THE WEEK BEFORE THANKSGIVING:

If you buy a frozen turkey, buy it a week or so in advance and let it thaw in the fridge. We need this bird thawed by Monday!

SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING:

If you plan on buying a fresh turkey, buy it today.

Early in the day, make the brine recipe below and let cool on the counter. Refrigerate overnight.

MONDAY:

Line a cooler or large box with a garbage bag. Place your turkey in the bag and cover with brine. Tie the top of the bag and refrigerate until Thursday.

THURSDAY (THANKSGIVING DAY):

Remove turkey from brine two hours before beginning cooking. Cook according to your favorite turkey recipe.

alice waters turkey brine*

¾ C plus 2 tb kosher salt
¾ C sugar
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 large onion, peeled diced
¼ C diced celery
1 leek, white light parts only, cleaned diced
2 bay leaves
1 tb peppercorns
1 tb coriander seeds
¼ t red pepper flakes
¼ t fennel seeds
2 star anise
2 or 3 sprig of thyme
1 12-14 lb free range naturally fed turkey
4 tb olive oil or butter
Fresh rosemary branches, optional

In a 16-quart or larger stockpot, bring 2 gallons of water to boil. Add salt, sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Turn off heat and add everything else besides the turkey and olive oil.

Remove giblets from turkey, reserve for another use. Add turkey to the cooled brine solution. Refrigerate the turkey for 72 hours, then remove from the brine and allow to come to room temperature. Baste the turkey with the olive oil and place the rosemary sprigs inside the cavity. Cook following your favorite turkey roasting recipe.

*If you live in the East Bay Area and do not already have some of these ingredients on hand, consider buying them at a bulk foods store such as Harvest House so that you can buy exactly what you need.

If you have been paying $10 at the store for a tin of peppermint bark, please stop reading this now. I would hate for you to see how easy it is to make this tasty treat and then be furious at yourself for being ripped off by retailers everywhere. That’s just a lousy way to start a holiday.

There are lots of things I love about peppermint bark. First, you can easily wrap it up and give it to someone as a holiday gift. Tied with a cute bow, this is a fun way to say, “I’m glad you’re my friend!” Secondly, it’s made of chocolate. Okay, maybe that should have been the first reason I love it. Third, you can cut the pieces the size you like, which means I can take little nibbles all day long and then have a big piece for dessert after dinner.

If you have some extra candy canes on your tree, don’t throw them away! Print this post and use those as your top peppermint layer! And if you want to make this at a time of year when candy canes aren’t for sale, just use some of the pinwheel mints that you can find year round in the store.

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and tinkered with it slightly to fit my personal tastes.

peppermint bark

8 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
8 oz white chocolate
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (or just use really small bits leftover from crushing the peppermint pieces), divided
3-6 candy canes, to taste

First, measure out the dark chocolate and the oil into a microwave safe bowl and microwave at one minute intervals, stirring between each minute, until chocolate is smooth. Line an 8×8 dish with waxed paper and pour the chocolate onto the paper. Spread evenly. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Remove pan from fridge and use a sharp knife to score the surface of the chocolate.

Measure out your white chocolate and microwave until melted. Once melted, mix in the  peppermint extract and pour on top of the dark chocolate.

Crush the peppermint candies and spread them on top of the white chocolate. Press them into the white chocolate so that the chocolate hardens around them.

Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Then, chill the bark until the white chocolate has just hardened, about 20-30 more minutes. Use a butter knife to break the peppermint bark into pieces. If the pieces will not break, grip the bark using a piece of waxed paper and bend the bark to break it into serving-sized pieces.

Refrigerate for longer term storage. Remove bark from the fridge 30 minutes before serving for best results.

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If your bark separates into layers when you cut it, next time try the following:

1) score the dark chocolate more deeply

2) try different brands of chocolate (I have excellent success with Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips and Trader Joe’s white chocolate chips)

3) Don’t let the mixture stay in the fridge too long before trying to break it into pieces. As mentioned above, break the bar into pieces just after the white chocolate has begun to harden. If you wait much longer, the white chocolate becomes more brittle.

cranberry pear pie

filling

1 single crust pie pastry
3 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup plus 1 tbs granulated sugar (divided)
2 large ripe pears, unpeeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
finely grated zest of one orange
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom

nut crumb topping

1 cup walnut or pecan halves
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Prepare the pastry and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour. Roll into a 13-inch circle, place in a 9.5″ pie dish, center, and tuck the pastry into the pan without stretching it. Place in freezer for about 15 minutes.

Combine the cranberries and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times, until the cranberries are well chopped.

Transfer to a large bowl and mix in the pears, lemon juice, and orange zest. Mix well and set aside for 20 minutes to juice. Preheat oven to 400.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar with the cornstarch, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Add to the fruit and mix well. Turn the filling into the chilled pie shell. Smooth the top.

Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the crumb topping. Put the nuts, sugars, flour, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times to mix.

Scatter the butter over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles medium-fine crumbs.

Transfer to a large bowl, then rub the crumbs between your fingers to make large, buttery crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375. Carefully dump the topping in the center of the pie, spreading the crumbs evenly over the surface with your hands. Tamp them down lightly.

Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces front. Just in case, slide a large aluminum foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills. Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly around the edge, 30-35 minutes. If necessary, cover with loosely tented aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes to keep the crumbs from browning too much.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool for 1 hour before serving.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

For the most part, I followed the recipe just as directed, but when I make it again (and believe me, I’ll be making this again soon!) I think I’ll try cutting the sugar by 1/4 to 1/2. Try it as directed first and then decide if you agree! Also, 1 cup of oil is pretty steep, so I opted to remove some of that. I didn’t miss it at all.

By the way, this makes 2 large loaves.

Oh the things you can do with these treats. They would make a pretty little Christmas gift if they were packaged in cellophane and wrapped with a ribbon. Or you could serve them at your annual holiday party as a unique snack. Or you could put them in a spinach salad with dried cranberries, goat cheese, and a poppy seed dressing. Or you could just eat them by the handful as I plan on doing.

By the way, if you want to double or triple this batch, just make sure you switch your trays around each time you stir the nuts. Alternatively, cook on convection and lower the temperature to 200.

spiced walnuts

1 egg white
1 tbsp water
2 cups walnut halves and pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice

Preheat oven to 225. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or with aluminum foil.

Combine the egg white and the water and whisk until foamy. Add the walnuts and stir to coat.

In a bag or covered container, mix together the sugar and spices.

Add the walnuts and shake to combine.

Spread the walnuts out in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool, and store in an airtight container. Or just eat them all at once!