French silk pie

 From Handle the Heat. Only sub is GF oreos.    

Ingredients 

For the crust

• 20 Oreo (230 grams) cookies (regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

• 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar

For the topping

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish if desired

Instructions

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the filling:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature (around 75°F), stirring occasionally.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.

Make the topping:

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.

french silk pie

 This French silk pie from Handle the Heat was an overall hit at Thanksgiving. It was a little dark for Kory, but the rest of us loved it. 

Ingredients

For the crust

• 20 gluten free Oreo (230 grams) cookies (regular-stuffed, keep filling intact)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

• 1 1/3 cups (266 grams) granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 8 ounces (227 grams) bittersweet baking chocolate, melted
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 tablespoons (142 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream, cold
• 4 teaspoons powdered sugar

For the topping

• 1 cup heavy cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate shavings or cocoa powder, for garnish if desired

Instructions 

Make the crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch deep pie dish with cooking spray.
2. Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and set. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the filling:

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and eggs. Set over medium-low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to just warm, stirring occasionally.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add in the cooled chocolate mixture then beat on high speed for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
3. In a clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan, smoothing evenly. The pie will be tall with filling. Chill for 6 hours. At this point, the pie can be stored for up to 2 days ahead of time.

Make the topping:

1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form. Top pie with whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings or dust with cocoa powder.

cranberry sauce

 Kory and the kids always loved their canned cranberry sauce, but I made this Tyler Florence recipe for myself. I added some maple syrup at the end for a little extra sweetness. 

Ingredients

• Two 8-ounce packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
2. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. 
3. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

roast turkey breast with garlic herb butter

 Maybe the best thanksgiving turkey we've ever had! Recipe from Recipe Tin Eats. 

Ingredients

•  5-6 lb single turkey breast , skin on, bone in (Note 1), NOT BRINED
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• Small bunch of fresh herbs - 4 rosemary sprigs , 8 sprigs sage, 10 thyme sprigs
• 12 garlic cloves , smashed with side of knife 

    BUTTER:

•  5 oz (10 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 tsp table salt or 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 large garlic cloves , minced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped sage , fresh
• 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary , fresh
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves , fresh
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves , fresh

Instructions

1.  Take turkey out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking 
2. Preheat oven to 390F (all oven types). Put rack in the lower middle position.
3. Place garlic and bunch of herbs in the middle of a baking dish. 
4. Butter: Mix Butter ingredients together.
5. Loosen skin: Use an upside teaspoon to help loosen the skin from the turkey flesh (easiest to go under the paper thin layer under the surface skin). 
6. Smear butter under skin: Use about 2/3 of the butter, and smear it under the skin on the top half of the breast. Best to smear using hands under the skin (not on surface), to ensure it spreads as evenly as possible.
7. Turn turkey upside down. Reserve about 2 tbsp butter for the surface, smear the rest on the underside.
8. Place turkey in pan on the herbs, skin side up. Now smear skin with remaining butter - you don't want much on the skin because the herb bits burn. 
9. STOP HERE for make ahead option - the turkey can be left like this for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge 45 minutes before serving then proceed.
10. ROASTING: Sprinkle top and sides of breast with salt and pepper all over. Place turkey in oven, turn DOWN to 350F.
11. Roast for 1 hr 30 minutes, basting all over every 30 minutes.
12. COOK TIME / INTERNAL TEMPERATURE: The turkey is cooked when the meat thermometer inserted at the thickest part is 165F. I check in several places. Allow 15 minutes per /1 lb of turkey. My 5.5 lb bone in turkey took 1 hr 40 minutes.
13. COVER turkey with foil when it becomes golden to your taste, at any point during the cook time (I never had to cover)
14. Rest - Remove turkey from pan and place on serving plate. Cover loosely with foil and rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

GRAVY: Strain the pan juices into a large saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer then add 1/4 cup of plain flour. Whisk into a slurry and cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken/turkey broth, whisking as you go. When it heats up, it will thicken, if it's too thick, add broth. Lastly, season with salt & pepper to taste. 

sweet potato biscuits

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we ordered a box of root veggies from Driftless Direct. To our great benefit, they accidentally sent us a second box for free. We now have so many beautiful veggies, but I have to find creative ways to use them in recipes the kids will happily eat repeatedly. The perfect answer for several sweet potatoes were these yummy biscuits from Once Upon a Chef. The kids happily ate these two days in a row with lunch-- Kory and I enjoyed them too!

Sweet Potato Biscuits 

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (from one medium sweet potato)
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup whole milk, as needed
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes and 1/3 cup milk. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; process for a few seconds to mix. Add the chunks of cold butter, then pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size chunks of butter within. (If you don't have a food processor, this can be done by hand with a pastry cutter or your hands.)
4. Transfer the flour mixture to a medium bowl, then add the sweet potato mixture and fold gently to combine. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons milk a little at a time until the dough is just moistened and holds together (you may not need all of it).
5. Sprinkle a small handful of flour on a work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead lightly 2 or 3 times with the palm of your hand until the mixture comes together. Pat the dough into a 3/4-inch round. Using a 2-1/2 inch-round biscuit cutter or glass, cut the dough into biscuits. Gently press the scraps into another round and cut out more biscuits. Place the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden on the bottom and firm to the touch, 12-14 minutes. Serve warm with honey butter.

honey mustard brussells sprout slaw

I love this salad from Cookie and Kate as lunch with grilled chicken and we used it as a Thanksgiving side as well. I usually buy a bag of cruciferous crunch from TJ's instead of shredding my own sprouts.

Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw

• Author: Cookie and Kate
 
• Prep Time: 20 mins
 
• Total Time: 20 mins
 
• Yield: 4
 
• Category: Salad

★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews

This delicious slaw recipe features crisp, shredded Brussels sprouts tossed with tangy honey mustard dressing, toasted almonds and dried cherries (or cranberries). This is a great gluten-free salad or side dish, perfect for potlucks or holiday meals.

INGREDIENTS

Coleslaw

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• ⅓ cup slivered almonds, toasted (hickory smoked almonds would be great if you can find them)
• ⅓ cup tart dried cherries or cranberries, chopped
• ⅓ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Honey mustard dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Shred the sprouts: First, cut off the tough ends of the sprouts and any browning outer leaves. Then shred them in a food processor using the slicing blade, pressing the sprouts against the blade with the provided plastic pusher. If you don’t have a food processor, slice them as thinly as possible using a sharp chef’s knife, then give them a few extra chops for good measure.
2. If you are using raw almonds, toast them over medium heat for three to four minutes, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant and turning golden on the edges.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and garlic until emulsified. In a medium serving bowl, toss the shredded sprouts with the almonds, chopped dried fruit, Parmesan and dressing. Serve.

wild rice salad with pecans and cranberries

I made this salad (yet another cranberry-containing salad...) for a friend's dinner party that ended up being cancelled.  I had absolutely no problem polishing off the whole bowl for lunch over the past few days.  I did let Kory have a little bit and he also liked it, so it's a keeper!  The recipe is based on one I found at foodess.com.

To toast pecans, cook in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry brown/wild rice mix
• 4 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine wild rice, water, 1 tbsp olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 50 minutes, or until tender. Drain in a fine meshed sieve, and run under cold water to cool completely. Let stand in sieve for 5 minutes to fully drain.
2. In a medium bowl, combine wild rice, green onion, pecans and cranberries.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, combine oil, soy sauce, vinegar and parsley. Pour over salad and stir well to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.
4. May be made up 24 hours in advance and refrigerated until serving.

pumpkin pie

This is the recipe that I'm sure 90% of the pumpkin pies are made with, but we always have good luck with it!

sweet potato dinner rolls

The Thanksgiving baking has begun!  I saw this recipe on The Kitchn blog and thought they looked perfect for a make-ahead roll for Thanksgiving.  Cael thought they were fun to make (our whole family loves sweet potatoes) and they were easy enough for him to help with the whole process.  They were delicious fresh-- crispy and browned, but soft and moist on the inside.  Now I just have to hope that they reheat well after being frozen!

Pumpkin Cake

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes.  When I was working in college, a co-worker made this for Halloween and brought it in.  I probably ate half the pan myself that day and have been hooked ever since.  LOVE IT!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Spiced Maple Sauce

Another of my Thanksgiving recipes that works all winter long.  Sweet with a hint of spice (I halve the cayenne for the kiddos).

Cranberry Fruit Conserve

I made this one for Thanksgiving this year too.  Kory and I both thought it was great, but he insisted on still having the canned, jellied cranberry sauce as well.  It makes quite a bit, so next year I may halve the recipe. 

Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Sausage

My favorite stuffing! I sub breakfast sausage for Italian and brandy for bourbon. I also double the amount of broth to 4 cups. Beware, it makes way more than the 4-6 servings stated on the recipe.