Sugarplum Fairy Salad

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A word of clarification, there are neither sugarplums nor fairies in this salad, but come on, look how cute it is! All fluffy and pink. Doesn’t that make you think of sugarplum fairies? It does me. No matter, it is delicious, and will be welcomed by your family. It can be made ahead (hooray for that), and works as well for Thanksgiving (Call it Cranberry Fluff Salad) as it does at Christmas.

Sugarplum Fairy Salad

3 c. miniature marshmallows
2 c. ground cranberries*
¾ c. white sugar
2 c. diced Granny Smith apple
½ c. Melissa’s Christmas Crunch Grapes, halved

½ c. chopped walnuts
¼ t. salt
Pinch of cinnamon
1 8-oz. container Cool Whip (or ½ c. heavy whipping cream, whipped)

Mix marshmallows, cranberries, and sugar together in a large saucepan over low heat.

Cook, stirring constantly until marshmallows melt, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a heat safe bowl (I use Duralex), and let cool on the counter for 10 minutes before covering and putting in the refrigerator for four hours (or overnight).

Stir in apples, grapes, walnuts, salt, and cinnamon, mixing well.

Beat whipping cream in a chilled bowl using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold into the marshmallow mixture. If you have chosen to use Cool Whip, you can just fold it in.

Garnish with a fresh cranberry and pair of lemon leaves.

*I pulsed mine in a food processor.

Dressing for Turkey or Chicken

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 This past Thanksgiving, the dressing was particularly good, if I do say so myself. The guests remarked favorably as well, my daughter-in-law eagerly asking after the recipe. I had to think about that. I told her that, basically, it was very simple. I took one package of Bob Evans spicy pork sausage minus a slice from which I made a sausage biscuit that morning. Then, I diced up the ribs of celery that I had left that weren’t limp, a very large, almost mutant, shallot, more parsley than I thought I would need, a half a bag of Pepperidge Farm stuffing that I found in the freezer, and then for good measure, two small pieces of bread slightly toasted. “That,” my son said, “is a blog post.” It certainly is. I managed to jot it down in a workable form so that I could share it, but trust me when I tell you, this recipe is very flexible.

Dressing for Turkey or Chicken

1 16-oz. pkg. Bob Evan’s Hot Pork Sausage*, with a ½” slice removed for making yourself a sausage biscuit
2 Melissa’s shallots, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ t. salt
¼ t. poultry seasoning
¾ -1 14-oz. pkg. Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing**
6 T. melted butter
1 cup chicken or turkey stock

Cook sausage until done (breaking it up into tiny bits all the while), but not brown; drain. Place sausage into a large bowl. Add shallots, celery, parsley, salt, seasoning, and stuffing mix; toss to coat. Stir in melted butter and stock. Stuff turkey or chicken and bake as directed. This can also be baked, covered with foil, in a casserole dish at 375°F for 25-30 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking, remove foil to allow the top to crisp up and brown. Drizzle with a bit of Turkey Gravy, and serve.

* Use original if you don’t like spicy.

** Not the cubed variety.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

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Year after year I tell myself that I am going to make Thanksgiving simpler, but I have yet to actually do that. This year, I did help myself out a bit by relieving myself of what is probably the most stressful item in my entire Thanksgiving repertoire...the gravy. When that turkey comes out of the oven, and I have to cook down those juices, and stir in seasonings, and make a roux, I totally freak out. Then I end up with gravy that’s clumpy, needs straining, and slowly cools off, all while I look a strainer. You get the picture.

This year, I decided to search for a make-ahead recipe, and this one, with my changes, is a winner. Making it in advance means it can be done so in a relaxed state, tasted, seasoned to perfection, and then frozen until it’s removed from the freezer the night before. On the day of serving, all it takes is a simmer on top of the stove, and it’s ready.

If you are serving turkey for Christmas this year, do give this recipe a try, once you have, you will never make turkey gravy any other way.

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

6 turkey wings
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
¾ c. flour
2 quarts chicken broth, divided
¾ c. chopped carrots
½ c. chopped celery
½ t. dried thyme

Pinch of rubbed sage

Pinch of poultry seasoning
Salt, to taste
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
½ c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400° F. Arrange a single layer of turkey wings in a large roasting pan. Scatter onions over the top of the wings. Roast for 1¼ hours or until wings are browned.

Place browned wings and onions into a 5-quart stockpot. Place roasting pan over medium heat, and sprinkle flour over all. Whisk continually until a roux forms. Add 1-2 cups broth to roasting pan and continue to whisk, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture into the stockpot. Stir in remaining broth, carrots, celery, and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, for 1½ hours.

Remove wings from the pot to a cutting board; set aside to cool. When the wings are cool, pull off the skin and meat. Discard the skin and save the meat for another use. Strain contents of stockpot through a large strainer into a 3-quart saucepan. Press on the vegetables to extract any remaining liquid; discard vegetables. Bring the contents of the pot to a gentle boil.

Stir in the cream, and season to taste, if necessary. Serve immediately or pour into containers and refrigerate or freeze.

Lisa Fain’s Carrot Soufflé Texas Style

First of all, do not be put off by my pictures that make this wonderful soufflé look as flat as a pancake. I cut the recipe in half, because, hey, it’s just me, and kept debating which pan to use to bake it. It seemed like too much for my 8-inch pan, but not quite enough for my 10-inch pan. So I said to myself, “Pattie, go for the larger pan, you don’t want to use the smaller pan and have this overflow in your oven the week before Thanksgiving.” I had to agree with myself, so that’s what I did.

This recipe is from the wonderful Lisa Fain of Homesick Texan book and blog fame, and author of the book Queso, that I reviewed here. This dish is perfect for the holiday season. It is quick and easy to put together, utilizes ingredients that you probably already have on hand, is inexpensive to make, will please everyone at your gathering, and is light, airy, fluffy, and like sinking your teeth into a spicy carrot cloud. I cannot say enough about this dish. Given the proper spoon, I think I could have easily inhaled this entire pan full, it is that good!

While my Thanksgiving menu is already planned, I think this would pair marvelously with baked ham, so I’ll be serving it at Christmas. Wonderful!

Lisa Fain’s Carrot Soufflé Texas Style

1 pound baby carrots

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs, beaten

Place the carrots in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the carrots and place half in a blender or food processor. Place butter on top of the carrots, and then top with the remaining carrots.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish or cast-iron skillet.

When the butter has melted and the carrots have stopped steaming, add the flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, vanilla, and eggs. Puree all the ingredients until fluffy and smooth; pour into the prepared dish.

Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes or until the casserole is puffed and the top is lightly browned. Serve warm, though it’s also good at room temperature or even cold.

PRINT RECIPE

If you prefer your carrots on the cold side, this Fresh Carrot Dip is phenomenal!

This post is linked to:

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Smells Good Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

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Southern Fruitcake

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something pretty controversial: fruitcake gets a bad rap. Yes, I am a supporter of the holiday fruitcake. I have always liked fruitcake, even when I was a kid, and as such, do not get the bad press over this traditional holiday comestible with its beginnings dating back to Ancient Rome. Now, as with any edible, there are good ones and bad ones. Who hasn't had a soggy pie crust, and yet do you blame pie? I think not!  So here, to change your opinion about this unappreciated dessert, is a recipe dating back, not quite as far as Ancient Rome, but to1980. It is a white fruitcake as opposed to the dark molasses-based cakes that tend, in my opinion, to not be quite as good. It's a recipe that Mr. O-P makes annually, slices of which have become a traditional addition to the holiday cookie tray. No one who enters our garland-bedecked doors has left here a fruitcake virgin, and everyone has gone home with a piece or two to enjoy later because, brace yourself, they liked it!

Southern Fruitcake

(As appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 1980)

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups butter, softened

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

7 large eggs, separated

3 cups plus 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided

2 cups (1 pound) candied cherries

2 cups (1 pound) candied pineapple, cut in chunks

1-1/2 cups golden raisins

1-1/2 cups dark raisins

1/2 cup (4 oz.) candied lemon peel

3 cups pecan halves or pieces

1/4 cup plus, dark rum or brandy

Special equipment:

10" tube pan

Package of cheesecloth

Preheat oven to 250° F.

Line the bottom, side, and tube of a 10" tube pan with parchment paper.  When pan is lined, spray all parchment with PAM, or a similar product.  Set aside.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks alternately with 3 cups flour.

In a very large mixing bowl, mix all fruits and nuts, and toss with remaining 1/2 cup flour, making sure that all pieces are coated.

Stir the butter/sugar batter into the bowl of mixed fruits and nuts.  

As the batter will be quite stiff, thoroughly mixing the fruits and nuts with the dough cannot be done by an electric mixer; so it must be mixed by hand, although it will be difficult and will take a while.  

The process is complete only when all of the pieces of fruit and nuts are well mixed into the batter.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Fold the egg whites into the batter/fruit mixture a little at a time until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon batter into tube pan lined with parchment paper.  Lightly press down on the batter with a spoon or spatula to eliminate any air pockets.

Bake for 2-1/2 to 3 hours until a tester or long tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove pan from oven and place on a rack.  Pour 1/4 cup of rum slowly over cake.  Let cake cool.

When cool, remove the cake from the pan, peel off the paper, and wrap the cake in a few layers of rum- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth.  Store in an air-right container in a cool place to age one or two months, adding additional rum or brandy as needed to keep cloth moist.*

Note: Batter can be baked in paper-lined muffin tins, but reduce baking time to 1-1/2 hours.  It can also be baked in two paper-lined load pans for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

*Although the cake does indeed improve with age, it can be eaten at any time.

This post is linked to:

Metamorphosis Monday  
Melt In Your Mouth 
Amaze Me Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

What’s It Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Food on Friday

Foodie Friday

Ritz Cracker Thin Mint Clones

"Remember, a balanced meal is a cookie in each hand!" - Anonymous

Just before Christmas a friend asked me if I had a good recipe for cookies that tasted like the popular Girl Scout cookie, Thin Mints. My only experience, up until now, was a recipe that Sandra Lee of the Food Network had provided some years ago which was coating vanilla wafers with mint-flavored chocolate.  So, one year I tried this, and put the cookies out on the tray.  My oldest son grabbed one, bit into it and said, "What is this, a Vanilla Wafer covered with chocolate?"  Umm, yes, it was, and it was obvious that it was.

This year, however, my daughter-in-law (different son) told me about a very simple recipe to make an amazing clone of the beloved cookies.  I tried it and am hooked. These are wonderful and the recipe couldn't be simpler.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Clone

1 12-oz. bag chocolate chips

3-4 drops peppermint oil

A sleeve of Ritz Crackers

Melt the chocolate over simmering water in the top of a double boiler.  Add peppermint oil to taste.  Dip crackers, coating well with chocolate, and place onto waxed paper to set.

I made these after midnight the evening before our Boxing Day dinner.  I used 60% cacao Ghirardelli chocolate chips and whatever happened to be left in the bottle of mint extract (my guess is probably 1/4 teaspoon). After letting them set, I decided to give them a more festive look by melting about 1/2 cup of green mint Ghirardelli chips and drizzling this over the top.

Delicious!

I'll never buy a Thin Mint again (but don't worry, Girl Scouts, there are plenty of your other offerings that I will buy!)

It's Cookie Week! Cookie #1 Vanilla-Chocolate Wafers

Fire up your ovens, people, it's holiday cookie week.  We're into the home stretch here with Christmas less than a week away, so time is of the essence.  All week, beginning today, I'll be giving you cookie recipes that are both delicious to eat and uncomplicated to make, so if you haven't started your holiday baking, get ready!

Every December I go through a ritual that I like to refer to as "The Great Magazine Purge."  I page through stacks and stacks of magazines accumulated throughout the year, ripping out items of interest with reckless abandon.  Sometimes I wonder if I'm really saving myself any trouble at all as I often end up with as big a pile of gleaned information as I'd have had if I'd just kept the magazine in tact.

As you can imagine this yielded LOTS of cookie recipes, so I figured what better time to try them out than now.  One item ripped from the pages of a Martha Stewart Living magazine was this recipe.  It looked good, fast, and easy, so seemed the perfect way to start the week.

The magazine page in question.

Lined up on parchment and ready for the oven.

As easy as they are delicious, this recipe is a keeper.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for another holiday cookie recipe.

Vanilla and Chocolate Wafers

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1/4 teaspoon salt

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Mix in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 1 minute.

Remove half of the dough; set aside. Add cocoa powder to remaining dough; mix on low speed until well combined. Turn out chocolate dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll into a 10-inch log, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with reserved vanilla dough. Wrap each log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes.

Press handle of a long wooden spoon into side of chocolate log, making an indentation along its length. Roll handle into and then away from log, creating an apostrophe shape. Repeat with vanilla log. Fit logs together; press lightly to seal. Gently roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut log into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If dough becomes too soft to slice cleanly, return to freezer until firm.

Bake until firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

From Martha Stewart Living, January 2006