A Christmas Tradition...

Poppy Seed filled Kolacky

We were away for Christmas this year, so Ben was not able to compete in the annual Kolacky baking contest.  Not wanting us to be without a Christmas Kolacky, his sister sent us one via second day UPS.  Undoubtedly, Becky would have won this year as this was the best one that we had ever had.  I posted a picture of the Kolacky in a Christmas album on Facebook where a friend saw it and wanted the recipe.  Since I was originally going to email it to her, but as I have been so remiss in posting, I decided to share it here.  As it turns out, I had already posted this last Christmas, so the recipe can be found here.  Ben uses Solo Poppy Seed filling and says that he uses about 3/4 can for each roll (and leftover filling is good eaten right from the spoon :)

While I didn't take a photo this year, another traditional (in the sense that we eat it at all holidays) holiday dish from Ben's family is Escalloped Pineapple.  One of my purposes for this blog was to create a recipe collection for my (and anyone else's) future use, but when I looked for the recipe here I found that this must have recipe was not included.  Out came the book of handwritten recipes and cooking commenced.  This recipe, like the Kolacky, is short on detailed instruction...I've played with it over the years, cutting the amounts of butter and sugar and subbing soft wheat bread for the white, cutting off the crust sometimes, keeping it others.  This year I used the whole amounts given for butter and sugar and used the white bread (with crusts).  It was just perfect.

Escalloped Pineapple

4 cups white bread cubes

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup margarine (I use butter)

1 can crushed pineapple (I use the large can)

Mix ingredients and bake 30 minutes at 35o degrees.

I find that I usually use more than 4 cups of bread cubes; I use stale bread and keeping cubing and mixing in until the mixture is not too soupy.  To get it nice and golden brown with crisp edges (my favorite part), I find that the baking time is usually closer to 40-45 minutes in a 9" x 13" glass baking dish.

Coo coo for co-co-nuts

¡Pastel leche de coco para dia del padre!

Wow, it has been a while.  I won't bore you with the details, just suffice to say that I've been really, really busy, but I never forgot about any of you.  Here's to some more time spent together and I'll try to do better about posting :)

I was kidding Ben earlier this week that he wasn't getting anything for father's Day since Nicole's graduation had fallen on Mother's Day, making us otherwise occupied.  Well, I fibbed, because I just can't resist a reason for a celebration...especially when we are celebrating my dearest other half.  It was a rainy day, meaning no grill (big sigh here), so I got out the next best thing, my cast iron skillet, and seared up some sweet and spicy pork chops for the daddy grub.  Chris has been bugging me for some time to make a coconut cake, and as he is his daddy's little double, I honored that request today.

This cake starts with a white cake mix in a box.  For this, I offer no apologies.  I have never claimed to be a baker of great talent, so why not use the mix when I'm not going to be able to make something better.  This cake is a riff on tres leches, or three milk cake.  Despite the use of Coco Lopez, a sweetened coconut cream, and sweetened shredded coconut, this cake is not overly sweet, nor is the coconut flavor so strong it tastes fake (you know what I mean).  I will be making this one again soon!


Coconut Milk Cake (pastel leche de coco)

1 box white cake mix of choice
1 can Coco Lopez cream of coconut, divided use
unsweetened coconut milk, amount may vary*
1 cup whipping cream
shredded, sweetened coconut

Prepare the cake mix as directed, substituting unsweetened coconut milk for the water.  The cake may be made in any form you like; I used two 9" rounds.  Once the cake(s) have cooled to room temperature, place on a plate and poke all over with a wood skewer, going all the way through the cake.  Thin 1/2 cup of the cream of coconut with 1/2 cup of the coconut milk.  Spread some of the coconut mixture over the top of the cake, letting it soak in and don't worry if it runs down the sides.  Once this is absorbed, spread on some more and repeat until all the coconut mixture is used (this may take a while).  With this amount of liquid the cake will be very moist, but not "wet" like tres leches cake sometimes is.

Whip the cup of cream until stiff peaks form; fold in 1/4 cup of the coconut cream and taste for sweetness.  Add a bit more if desired, but be careful to leave the cream "spreadable."  If doing a layer cake, invert one layer rounded top down onto the serving plate and spread a few spoonfuls of the whipped cream over the newly flat "top."  Sprinkle on a handful of the shredded coconut if desired (I did).  Carefully place the second layer, rounded side up, on top of the first and frost the cake with the remaining coconut whipped cream (I just spread mine on with a butter knife, but please feel free to pipe it on if you like).  Sprinkle some of the shredded coconut over the top and refrigerate for several hours before serving.  I did not toast the coconut first, but I will when I make this cake again.

Oh so nice with a cup of coffee (or glass of milk if you're Christopher).  Ben and Chris both were so kind to point out that i was serving white cake on a white plate (and with white cups!)...guess I'll have to rectify that and buy some more dishes :)

*I use coconut milk from the carton, but if you won't have a use for that much coconut milk use canned coconut milk instead.  I also made coconut rice from this carton and will drink what is left...I LOVE coconut milk, something I unfortunately can't say about the kind that comes from a cow :(

1/1/11

And the winner is...

Maddie, Becky, Ben, Kallie, and Sandy

I hope that everyone had a wonderful (and safe) Christmas.  The five of us traveled to Toledo to spend Christmas with Ben's family.  On Christmas Eve my beautiful mother-in-law prepared a lavish (and most delicious) spread for seventeen (yes, I said 17) and then it was off to the Christmas tree for the Walgreens gift exchange.  This has become a fun tradition where we draw names the day before and then go shopping at Walgreens to find the "perfect" gift for a whole $5!!  This adventure has resulted in some very interesting finds, including some unexpectedly nice ones...although, I have a double dare issued to Ben to actually try the beer and nuts he got from cousin Nick this year ;-)

The real event of the evening was the 3rd Annual Kolacky Contest.  Ben enters this contest, not I, as he has told me I'm not "allowed" to because I'm not "blood" (Slovak that is).  Who's to argue?...he makes a fine kolacky and it's one less thing for me to make each year :-)  The kolacky are judged on appearance, how much filling makes it to the end of the roll, taste, and similarity to the original (that would be Chief's, Ben's grandmother).  Cousin Maddie entered for the first time and snapped up the first place prize, proving to everyone that she is the reincarnation of Chief in whose honor the contest was started.  Ben perfected his pastry this year, but cut back on his poppy seed filling...a move that resulted in a slide from last year's second place winning (after his mother's, who can argue?) to third this year :-(  There's always next year...but he's going to have to compete against Christopher who says he's entering next year :-)

I'm giving you the recipe that everyone uses.  This recipe does not include a lot of detail, but is as it was passed down from Chief, so it is up to each baker to interpret it...Ben's family traditionally uses poppy seed filling for the large rolls pictured here, but there are a multitude of fillings available.  Ben's Aunt kallie makes absolutely delicious, melt in your mouth, small kolacky and my favorite of these have an apricot filling.

Kolacky 

1 pkg. yeast (proofed)

2 sticks butter 

2 tbs. sour cream

1 cup half and half

4 egg yolks (beaten)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tbs. sugar

4 cups flour

Mix together, add yeast mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Punch, knead, and divide into 4 equal pieces.  Roll to 1/4" thickness in a rectangle.  Spread filling 1" from edge, roll up, and place on a greased baking sheet.  Allow to rise two hours covered with plastic wrap.  Brush with butter, pierce holes in the top with a toothpick or fork.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Some (belated) Thanksgiving treats...

 We had an overabundance of marshmallows in the house left over from various scouting events this summer and fall, and knowing that they won't keep until spring (not and remain soft anyway), we needed some ways to use them up.  Chris wanted to make a contribution to the Thanksgiving sweets selection, so he used one bag to make some cereal treats, using a corn cereal instead of rice crispies (Hey, ya gotta use what you have).  You can't tell it from this action shot, but the marshmallows Chris microwaved to soften became HUGE...which got us to wondering what would happen if we nukerated the fist sized marshmallows we had in the pantry from Grandma S...we've yet to try that :-)

 All set and ready to cut...

 Chris cutting them up and stacking on a plate...and yes, he does have a cheek full...

 Yum yum, and a nice change from the ubiquitous rice crispies...

 I made pilgrim hats cookies last year for the November Cub Scout pack meeting and had been requested to do it again, so that was good for another two bags.  The first step is to "glue" the marshmallows to the fudge stripe cookies with a bit of chocolate frosting (or vanilla)...

 We also had chocolate bars left from the summer so I used those to make the coating; you could use chocolate chips.  Run a heavy knife over the chocolate and place in a microwavable bowl with a good glug of cream.

 Microwave at 50% power for two minutes and then stir until all the chocolate bits are melted.

 The cookies were placed on cooling racks over waxed paper.  Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies to cover completely; the excess will drip below and leave a nice finish on the cookies.  Leave the cookies for a few hours and the chocolate will firm up again; albeit, not quite as firm as the original chocolate since a bit of cream was added, but it is the cream and the tempering of the chocolate from the stirring that gives it the glossy look.

 Once the cookies were firm I scrapped the chocolate from the waxed paper and microwaved to use it again.

The finished pilgrim hat cookies...I thought I had bought a small tube of yellow icing to pipe on buckles but found that I had instead bought gel (fail! as Christopher would tell me).  The cubbies had just wrapped up their popcorn sale for the year so I popped some scout corn and used the kernels as the buckles, using a bit of frosting as glue again.  The leftover chocolate?  The remelted chocolate was drizzled over graham crackers and dusted with sprinkles.  So easy, but these things were devoured.

A very nice Mother's Day...

Classic Margarita on the rocks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day, I certainly did.  Breakfast was made for me, and while that itself is not uncommon, the face that I did not have to clean up the kitchen afterward was a treat.  My three guys took me out for a late lunch to P.F. Chang's China Bistro; it's a chain, but we love it anyway.  We enjoyed our meals very much, and the spicy Dan Dan Noodles that I ordered shall have to be recreated a home sometime soon (the leftovers made for a fabulous lunch today).  We really didn't have dinner per se, but when the hunger rolled around again we had some buffalo wings (cheated here, these were from the Kroger deli), with a tasty cheese spread I had whipped up earlier in the afternoon.  The lemon zest and scallions made this cheese spread exceptionally good and fresh tasting.

  

Last week we had eaten at Chili's where I had the the World's Freshest Margarita, made with fresh lime juice, not a mix.  This was actually a very good margarita that I wanted to make at home, because I always find the purchased mixes to be too sweet.  Mother's Day was the perfect time to try this out.  I found a recipe that called for 3 parts tequila, 2 parts lime juice, and 1 part triple sec.  I gave this a try and one taste was a bit much, so I added more lime juice (this was in a pitcher, I didn't put this many shots into one drink).  I salted my glass rim, put in the ice, and poured my self the first margarita.  Well, I had too much salt on the rim (see the photo) and had to knock about half into the sink, and, this drink was STILL a butt kicker, so I topped off the glass with some lime flavored sparkling water.  Mission achieved, margarita perfection!

It is beautiful outside...

 Blueberry Pie with Vanilla Scented Fresh Whipped Cream

It has been beautiful the past days, and last night saw our first real thunderstorm of the spring season, complete with our first tornado watch.  All that blowing and noise sent my little corgi girl to the safety of her kennel, but the sound of rain (once the thunder died down) made for excellent sleeping.  Today, a bright and sunny 82, saw me outside removing the dreaded bagworms from one of our well established arborvitae (6 years old and 9 feet tall).  A check of the rest of the landscape did not reveal any more, but everything will be getting a good dousing with insecticide this evening (sorry, but I must fore go the organic route when trees this size are at stake).

The weather was gorgeous on Sunday, so we actually had our Easter dinner out on the deck.  I made the Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham that I had last made at Thanksgiving, scalloped potatoes, and the green beans i made last week that Ben liked so much (now, forever, to be know as hillbilly green beans).  I don't often make dessert, but since it was Easter, I decided to make a pie with the blueberries I had hanging out in the freezer.  A quick internet serch found an easy recipe at About.com, indexed under southern foods (seems very fitting, considering the food it was following).  The pie was easy to make, set up very well, and was pretty to look at topped with some vanilla scented fresh whipped cream.  What was disappointing was the berries I had used.  We did not get the expected little bursts of tartness, instead the berries were, not bad, but a bit boring.  That said, I will use this recipe again, just with berries that had not been frozen too long.

One Hot Update

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas spent with loved ones (and lots of good things to eat :). We had a fabulous time at my in-laws, and the only thing I cooked the entire time was a wine reduction sauce to accompany the beef tenderloin for Christmas dinner. I got a new camera I wanted for taking my food and flower pics- no more using Ben's clunky camera. Looking at the other gifts I received one would think I liked to cook or something (lol)- three cookbooks, a beautiful set of forged steel knives to replace my old stamped ones, a set of pretty serving bowls, and an antique silver tea service. A nice haul for a foodie :)
For breakfast the morning after we arrived home, we had scrambled eggs and sausage with Ben's last kolacky. When my mother-in-law read my blog at Christmas, she informed me that I had used the Americanized (and thus, incorrect, spelling), so I have used the correct spelling here :) I am including a picture of Ben's so you can see how pretty it was- not too shabby for someone who claims he can't (won't) cook.

Wanting a cocktail one night before leaving for the holiday, I turned to the habanero scotch I had steeping in the basement. I had found some mango syrup at Kroger, and figuring that a month was adequate time for the infusion process, I set out to make myself the long awaited cocktail (see the November 17 posting). I poured some of the scotch into my shaker with a splash of the syrup, gave it a good shake, and poured it over some ice. It looked good, it smelled good, so I took a little taste- and promptly found my mouth on set ablaze! Either one month was too long, or six habaneros were too many (or both), but this was liquid fire. I added some water to the glass which made the heat palatable, but left me with a watery tasting drink. Into the sink it went.
Home after Christmas, I picked up a bottle of inexpensive scotch to see if this cocktail dream could be revived (I sure wasn't going to try with the Glenfiddich in the liquor cabinet!). Trying again with one shot of the newly purchased scotch, 1/2 shot of the liquid fire, and a splash of the mango syrup. This time all was good, I had the spicy and slightly sweet cocktail that I have craved for a year. Pouring the infused scotch into a pretty bottle, Ben joked that I should put a label saying "Danger" on it- I'll have to see about that one.

Christmas Gingerbread

Some of Christopher's cookies from today.

Since Nicole was little (and she is now 21!), we have baked and decorated gingerbread cookies at Christmas time. They taste good, the kids have fun decorating them, and all the family likes receiving gift packages of these cookies. I said to Christopher today that I guessed I would stop baking then when he was too old to decorate, and he told me that he would never be too old (cute what they will say when they are ten). This whole process will take several days to complete- 2 days to make and bake, plus however many days the kids take (they seem to work in spurts), but this is one tradition well worth the effort :) These cookies are not too sweet and have a nice spiciness.

Gingerbread Cookies

2 eggs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup molasses
3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

In a larges mixing bowl (or stand mixer), beat the eggs slightly. Add the sugar, butter, oil, and molasses, and beat until creamy. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat until well combines. Flatten the dough into a disk, place on a dinner plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. At this point I repeat the recipe for a second batch- it would be too difficult to work the dough to double the recipe.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Only work with 1/4 of the dough at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes, placing on a nonstick cookie sheet. Rework the dough as needed. Bake one sheet at a time for 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool and decorate with royal icing if desired. Quantity will depend on size of cookies, but you should get about 30 4"x6" gingerbread people (our favorite shape).

Royal Icing

3 large egg whites
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbs. lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer), beat the ingredients at a low speed until combined. Turn the speed to high and beat until glossy peaks form. Color with food coloring if desired. The icing will keep for a few days in the refrigerator tightly covered. Once dry on the cookies there is no need to refrigerate. Royal icing also makes a great glue for building "gingerbread:" houses from graham crackers.

These recipes are adapted from Julie Russo's Great Good Food

A Reader's Request

Well, I have my first reader's request. Kristy wants the recipe for the zucchini bread I used to make the Pumpkin Butter Cream Trifle at Thanksgiving, and considering that it was her bowl that I used to make the darn thing, I better give it to her :) I am also including a recipe for pumpkin bread- both recipes are adapted from ones found in Pfaltzgraff Collector's Cookbook. This is one of my very first cookbooks and it is frightening to think how many years I have had it. Both of these breads freeze very well, so I will usually make two batches.

Zucchini Bread

3 large eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil (can sub 1/2 applesauce for lower fat, still very good)
1 tbs. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose lour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups finely grated zucchini, packed and heaping

Optional ingredients: the more of these you add the more desert like this becomes
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla; blend well. Mix in dry ingredients, Stir in zucchini and any optional ingredients. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until a knife comes out clean. Alternately, pour into 6 mini loaf pans and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Cool in pan a few minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack until completely cool to the touch.

Pumpkin Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil (again, you can sub 1/2 applesauce)
4 eggs
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
3 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
Optional ingredients:
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts

Combine sugar, oil, applesauce if using, and pumpkin, mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix completely. Stir in dates and nuts if using. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans (or mini loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 80 minutes. Turn out of the pans and cool completely.

Pre-Christmas Happenings

This has been a very busy few weeks with Cub Scouts. We wrapped up our Thanksgiving and Christmas giving efforts (the Pack "adopted" 2 families for Bird day, and 3 for Christmas), and the boys and their families did a fantastic job collecting food and gifts for their families :) We ended 2009 with a Pack Meeting at the Miami University Art Museum, which was a fantastic facility for us, and all the boys toured the exhibits after the meeting. Now it is time for a well deserved break and a chance to cook, write, and hopefully get a few Christmas gifts wrapped.

Christopher had his 10th birthday party on Saturday, December 5th, and what a Lego extravaganza that was! He had a fantastic time, and his friends did as well, judging by the noise and activity level. :) Pretty cool was the Lego cake that my friend Kristy made for him. Chris described to her exactly what he wanted and she gave him the perfect birthday cake!! It tasted good too- I had a piece with a glass of milk, and I don't normally eat birthday cake OR drink milk. Check out Kristy's page on Facebook when you get a chance, she has pictures of lots of cakes she has done.

http://www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=67897963868&ref=ts

That same evening I had an ornament stealing and cookie exchange to go to at Kristy's mom's house. Not being a big one for making cookies (except for the yearly Christmas gingerbread, of course), I made Fruit and Nut Fudge, making 10 dozen pieces for the exchange (and another 9 dozen yesterday for Christmas giving). Because this was the same day as Christopher's party, I needed a super quick and easy dish to take and share so I made Liptauer Cheese- I didn't bring much home, so I'm guessing that it went over well. I did learn a lesson from this evening - be careful what you wish for. I unwrapped a pretty blue ornament, and while it was very pretty, it would not look good on my tree, so I was hoping for someone to steal it, thus giving me the chance to choose another one. Well, it did get stolen, and I did get to pick again, but the second ornament was FUCHSIA, with bright blue and yellow swirls!! Needless to say, no one stole that ornament and it is now hanging on the BACK of my tree.

Fruit & Nut Fudge

1 cup chocolate chips
2 tbs. brandy
1 cup walnut pieces
2 heaping tbs. slivered almonds
2 heaping tbs. raisins
2 heaping tbs, dried cranberries
powdered sugar, for dredging

In a food processor, pulse the fruit and nuts until fairly small, but still retaining some texture. Put the chocolate chips and brandy into a medium microwave safe bowl, and nuke at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate until the chips are completely melted and the brandy is incorporated. Dump in the fruit and nuts, stir to combine. Using your fingers and hands, take small pieces and after squeezing it to bring it together, roll into small balls. How large you make them is up to you, but I usually get between 20 and 24 pieces. Work quickly while the chocolate is pliable, and place the pieces on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. If you are going to make more than one batch, start all over again, no need to wash the bowl, just make sure that you have scrapped most of it out on the last piece or two. A bag of chocolate chips will make two batches, and I made six that first night, one after another. After the pieces have cooled and hardened for an hour or two, roll in powdered sugar and package as desired. There is no need to refrigerate the finished product, but it will not harm it if you do so.

Liptauer Cheese

1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 small onion, peeled and quartered
1 heaping tsp. capers
1 heaping tsp. anchovy paste (or 2-3 fillets)
1 heaping tsp. Dijon mustard
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Place the onion quarters in a food processor and pulse to mince it. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth and well combined, scraping down the sides of the processor as needed. Pile into a pretty bowl and serve with assorted crackers. This is an assertively flavored cheese spread and is at its best if made at least a few hours before serving and the flavors allowed to meld in the fridge.

Last weekend was our 7th annual neighborhood Christmas party, this the same evening as our Cub Scout event at the Art Museum, leaving me again in the need for a quick, easy dish to take. At the cookie exchange someone had brought meatballs cooked in a mixture of grape jelly and chili sauce, and this seemed also to be a pretty popular dish. I decided to make my own twist on this, putting everything in the crookpot on low before we left for the afternoon. Just before leaving for the party that evening, I piled the meatballs in a pretty Christmas bowl with frilly toothpicks for serving. I made 2 and 1/2 pounds and when we went to leave that evening there were about five pieces left in the bowl, so I call those a hit as well.

No Recipe Meatballs

2 to 2 and 1/2 bag frozen, prepared meatballs
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce (I used leftover homemade cranberry sauce that I had put in the freezer after Thanksgiving)
1 bottle of spicy cocktail sauce

Turn your crockpot on high, and stir the cranberry and cocktail sauces until melted together. Pour in the meatballs, stirring to cover all with the sauce. Turn the heat to low and cook for 4 hours or so.

Thanksgiving continued (finally)...

My, my, my, it seems that it never ends. Today was supposed to be my day to write, but cub scout business has kept me busy for the day (again), and here it is, almost three in the afternoon. I really can't complain though, I am making a contribution to a very worthwhile organization and there is certainly nothing wrong with that. Before I get back to the Thanksgiving coverage, I want to take a moment and share with you something my friend Sandy and I did Sunday afternoon. These are pilgrim hat cookies that we put together, 95 of them, using fudge stripe cookies, marshmallows, and melted chocolate. We gave these out at our November cub scout pack meeting on Monday night. I think they turned out pretty cute and were a definite hit with the boys and their sibs. I am still, however, trying to figure out how I ended up with chocolate from my wrists to elbows!

Ben and I never did have a piece of that pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving (we were too stuffed from all the other yummy food), but when we finally did try it, we agreed with the other reports that it was the best pie yet. I did manage a taste of the trifle on the day and it was really good as well. This was the firs time I had made a trifle and it could not have been any easier- and the presentation in the glass bowl was pretty wow as well (thanks Kristy for the loan of the bowl :).

"White" Pumpkin Pie
adapted from Williams Sonoma

1 unbaked deep dish pie crust, homemade or not
1 & 1/4 cups sugar
1 heaping tbs. of cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 & 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (fresh if you have it)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree, not canned
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the pumpkin, eggs and cream, stir to combine well. Pour into the unbaked pie crust and bake until the center is set, about 60 to 65 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with foil if they start to get too brown during baking. Remove from oven and let cool at least two hours before serving. Serve with fresh whipped cream. (The walnut in the middle of the pie was used to hide my knife mark from testing the pie- a trick to remember)

Fresh Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour the ingredients into your stand mixer, turn on to high and walk away to do something else (gotta love being able to do that :), or beat with a hand mixer until the cream is stiff, a couple of minutes. I don't understand Cool Whip when this is so easy, and so much tastier.

Pumpkin Butter Cream Trifle

1 loaf of prepared quick bread, such as pumpkin or zucchini
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint jar of pumpkin butter
1 cup of walnut pieces, more for garnish

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff; with a spatula, very gently fold in a little more than 1/2 of the jar of pumpkin butter. refrigerate until needed. Cut the quick bread into 1 inch cubes- I used a loaf of zucchini bread that I had baked this summer and stowed in the freezer (featured in a Facebook posting). In a small saucepan, heat the brandy and maple syrup to a simmer, stirring to combine well. Drizzle the brandy syrup mixture over the cubed quick bread, tossing to allow equal absorption. I prepared the cream and bread the night before and assembled on Thanksgiving morning- do it however beat fits your schedule. Layer 1/2 of the cubes in the bottom of a trifle or other clear glass bowl, spreading for an even layer. Sprinkle over 1/2 of the walnuts, then spread evenly wit 1/2 of the pumpkin butter cream. Repeat. Spoon the remains of the jar of pumpkin butter into a ziplock baggie; cut a small corner off the bag and dot the surface of the cream with the butter, or pipe it on in a pretty fashion if your hand is steadier than mine. Dot with additional walnut pieces and refrigerate until serving time.

Well, my little guy will be stepping off the bus any moment, so I think I am going to bring this to a close. Considering that Thanksgiving was almost a week ago now, I think I will put it to bed now. BUT, if there are any items on the menu that you want a recipe for, just let me know and I'll get those up. I'm going to end this with a picture of Christopher's pickled crabapples- they were certainly tart, I think a touch more sugar next time, but I am looking forward to trying a vinaigrette with the spicy vinegar from the jars.

Thanksgiving (or, Did I really just spend two days cooking?)

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone, with good company and good food aplenty, although it continues to amaze me that I can spend two days preparing for this meal to see it disappear in a mere hour. Then, between parents and grandfathers and daughters in from school, all taking food home, we have not enough leftovers to get tired of (and alas, no Bubble and Squeak this year). But I can't complain, I love to host this meal and my family loves to eat it (and they are very generous with the praise which makes any cook feel grand).

Most of my family are strict traditionalists when it comes to this meal, but I have been able to change things a little as time goes by- they will eat my mashed potatoes even though I leave on the skins and throw in a whole head of garlic, the gravy is made with white wine, but no (nasty) giblets, and the green beans are sauteed, not boiled into submission. I have done away with that quivering can shaped cranberry sauce of my childhood in favor of a fresh whole berry sauce, this year making a spicy version with jalapenos and crushed red pepper that my grandfather loved (it needed to be spicier still in my opinion). Our Thanksgiving dinners have always been alcohol free events (at least in my family), but this year I had a blackberry wine from the nearby Hanover Winery that I really wanted to serve, and I'll be damned if grandpa didn't have a glass. I about fell off my chair for I have never seem him drink an alcoholic beverage, ever. The pumpkin pie was made with the white pumpkin I put up in the freezer last month, and it was the best one I have made to date (just ask my dad, he'll tell you so 8 or 20 times :).

I was able to get a lot of the work done the day before- the stuffing, baked asparagus, and escalloped pineapple prepared for the oven, the pies made, the trifle ingredients prepared for layering on Thanksgiving morn, the cranberry sauces made, the salad and dressing made, the green beans prepped, and even the potatoes scrubbed. The dining room table was set with the silver, crystal, soft cloth napkins and lots of candles and greenery. The real work is in the juggling done on Thanksgiving day in trying to have all these dishes cooked and hot at the appropriate time. Ben and I have been talking for a while of replacing our electric range with a gas one, placing the electric in the basement for our future kitchenette (that is actually going to be a second full kitchen). The decision was finalized Thanksgiving morning when I couldn't get both the turkey and the ham in the oven at once without a last minute change of roasting ware. I'll have that gas range (and thus the use of two ranges) after Christmas. In all the hustle to get everything done the photography was sporadic, but I did manage to get a few good ones.

The Menu

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Whole Grain Bread Stuffing
Baked Asparagus (I tweaked this old family recipe)
Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Pan Gravy with White Wine
Escallopped Pineapple (a recipe from Ben's family)
Garlic Sauteed Green Beans
Triple Green Salad with Sweet and Sour dressing
Dinner Rolls (I cheated and bought these)
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce, two ways
Pickled Crabapples (the ones Chris had me make last month)

"White" Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Butter Cream Trifle
Pecan Tartlets (cheated with these as well)
Fresh Whipped Cream

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
I usually don't roast a whole turkey because any more Chris is the only one who like the dark meat, so I just find the largest turkey breast I can , a 10lb. whopper this year. A breast this large takes a few days to thaw in the fridge, just a a small turkey would, so be sure to allow ample time. Quarter a small peeled onion and place it into the cavity. Place the breast meaty side up in the roasting pan, you may have to wedge the bottom bone at the opening in the bars of the rack to get it to stand straight (I did, see the photo). Pat the breast dry with paper towels and then rub liberally with olive oil. Sprinkle all exposed skin very generously with herbs and seasonings of choice- I used kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder, rubbed sage, thyme, and oregano. Don't worry if extra falls into the roasting pan, it will further flavor the dripping that you will use later to make the gravy. Pour a cup of water or stock into the bottom of the pan; roast in a 325 degree oven approximately 20 minutes a pound, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 170 degrees. There is no need to baste during the roasting, nor a need to cover it with foil at any time- the skin will be left crisp and tasty for those who like it. Remove to a platter and cover tightly in foil until serving time. Reserve the pan and drippings. This method also works well with roasting chickens- you may want to add lemon and garlic cloves to the cavity for chicken.

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Again, not a recipe so much as just a way of doing things. We have ham as well on Thanksgiving because my dad won't eat turkey (gasp!), and the last few years I have been buying spiral cut hams. They do cost a little more, but they are so much easier to serve that I find them well worth it. Place the ham cut side down in a roasting pan and cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast at 325 degrees (with the turkey) for 10 to 12 minutes per pound. When there is approximately 30 minutes cooking time left, remove the foil and move the ham into serving position. Brush with one half the bourbon sugar mix, making sure some gets in between the slices, roast for 15 minutes, remove and repeat. The glaze consists of about 1/2 packed cup brown sugar (light or dark), a couple tablespoons spicy brown mustard, and a couple tablespoons of bourbon; stir well to combine. Remove to a serving platter and cover with foil until serving time. Reserve the drippings for another use like yummy ham gravy or adding to the stock for bean soup; the same goes for that meaty ham bone you are left with at the end.

To be continued...