Cranberry Sauce

A Thanksgiving staple, and so simple to make, why would anyone buy the canned stuff?!

1 C sugar

1 C water

2 C cranberries, fresh or frozen, rinsed and picked through to remove stems and yucky berries

Boil sugar and water over medium heat for 10 minutes,(watch that it doesn’t burn).  Add cranberries immediately.  Cook, stirring, until berries pop.  Pour into serving dish to cool. 

Mother’s Cornbread Dressing

This is a staple at every Thanksgiving meal in our home.  I grew up eating this at my Grandmother’s house, and try to make it exactly as she did every year.  It’s called dressing and not stuffing, because instead of stuffing it into the Turkey it's baked separately.  I really had to think about this recipe because I learned to make it by watching my Grandmother and then my Mother every year.  They never measured anything, and neither do I.  Making it from memory is easier than writing it down.  Therefore, all measurements are approximate. 

I am going to experiment with lightly toasting the breads before mixing everything together.  This will change texture and outcome, and if it works out I'll post the results as an option for this dish.

 

1 recipe of cornbread, made ahead, slightly stale

½ loaf wheat bread, leave uncovered overnight, slightly stale

½ dozen white rolls, ditto

1 large onion, chopped

1 sweet apple, chopped

4 eggs

3 C milk

Broth from Turkey

Salt and Pepper

1 Tbsp. Sage

Tear breads up into small pieces and toss together in large roasting pan with the apple and onion.  Add beaten eggs and milk, mix well.  Add broth, one cup at a time, until the mixture is the consistency of a heavy (really heavy) cake batter.  Add the salt, pepper and sage, mix in well.  Bake covered at 350 for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until it starts to brown around the edges.  Serve with a turkey dinner that includes gravy to pour over dressing.  

Eat until ready to explode, go vegetate in front of the game.  Go back for seconds.

Cooking Light's Ultimate Roasted Turkey

After many years of turkey-baking this is the recipe I settled on, mostly, to be quite honest, because of the silky-smooth gravy.  Moist and juicy turkey can result from most recipes but there is something delightful about this one, with the apple cider and- yes- the corn syrup.  I may try the trick of baking it upside-down for the first hour, but turning it is iffy, at best!

Brûléed Mashed Sweet Potatoes

My kids, oddly enough, never went for the marshmallow-topped sweet potato confection that has graced Thanksgiving tables across our land from sea-to-shining-sea since introduced to the Pilgrims by Squanto when he saved them from starvation.  That's the story, right?  I may be getting my culinary history confused here.  The point is, as far as my family is concerned marshmallows should only be eaten melty and warm, between graham crackers with gooey chocolate.

But I digress- this is supposed to be about sweet potatoes.

This recipe came from some magazine, some number of years ago, and is delicious, and totally marshmallow-free....  

Pie Crust

While I'm posting holiday pie recipes I ought to get this up too.  I don't remember where the recipe came from, but I've used this for as long as I've been baking pies.  So simple, there's almost no justification for purchasing pre-made pastry.

Makes 2 9” pie crusts.

2 C flour

1 tsp. salt

¼ C ice water

¾ C shortening

Mix together flour and salt.  Take out 1/3 of the flour and mix with the water to make a paste.  Cut shortening into the dry flour.  Add the paste and mix well.

The dryer the pastry, the harder it is to roll out, yet the flakier it will be.

Southern Pecan Pie

 

I found this recipe in a Southern Living cookbook the first year we were married, when I was cooking Thanksgiving and Christmas all on my own, way away in Germany.  We've made it every year since.  It is, without fail, the best pecan pie I have ever tasted.  Arranging the pecans in an orderly circular pattern is not required, but we like to top our favorite pie with a touch of O.C.D. flair.

Lemon-Glazed Persimmon Bars

Found on Pinterest during my frantic search to find ways to use the generous harvest of persimmons from my uncle's farm last year, these became a REASON to get persimmons, not merely a means of responsibly consuming them.  I love lemon bars in general, but these are AMAZING.  

Use the jelly-like pulp of ripe Hachiya persimmons.  These are the variety that are shaped like an acorn and are ripe once they feel about like a ready-to-burst water balloon. 

And just try not to eat the entire pan of these the first day all by yourself....


Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
1¾ cup flour, plus more for pan
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 cup pureed persimmon pulp
2 tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped dates (or raisins)
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

*Optional: fresh lemon zest, added to batter and/or glaze

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10" x 15" x 1" jelly roll pan; set aside. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves in a bowl; set aside. Whisk together persimmon pulp, 1½ tsp. lemon juice, and baking soda in another bowl; set aside. Whisk together sugar, dates, oil, and egg in a large bowl; add dry ingredients and persimmon mixture, and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, and smooth top with a rubber spatula; bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make a glaze by whisking together remaining lemon juice and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth. Let cookie sheet cool for 5 minutes and then pour glaze over warm cookie sheet, spreading it evenly over the top with a rubber spatula. Let cool to harden glaze, and then cut into finger-sized bars.

(Originally found on Yummly.)