"New Takes" on Traditional Favorites
Are you looking for something a bit different for your Thanksgiving meal this year?
Try one of these “new takes” on your traditional favorites!
We here in the test kitchen are thinking about our holiday cooking and baking. We invite you, if you have a favorite recipe you would like to share with our readers this holiday season, please submit it to:
Attn.: Now We’re Cookin’
Have a great week!
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted
Marshmallow Frosting
Prep Time: 25 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Additional Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 1 hr. 45 min.
Servings: 12
Sweet Potato Cupcakes:
1-1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, room temperature
2 lg. eggs, room temperature
1 C. cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 C. milk, room temperature
Marshmallow Frosting:
1/3 C. white sugar
2 lg. egg whites
3 T. cold water
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
1/2 C. marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F Line 12 muffin cups with cupcake liners.
Beat brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Blend in sweet potatoes and vanilla extract.
Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a bowl. Add 1/2 of the flour to sweet potato mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Blend in milk and remaining flour mixture.
Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pan and bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when touched lightly with a finger and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 min. Cool on rack.
To make frosting: Combine white sugar, egg whites, cold water, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in a heatproof mixing bowl. Set the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and beat with an electric mixer until the mixture is very hot to the touch and stiff peaks have formed, 5 to 7 min. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat 1 min. more. Add marshmallow creme and 1 sp. vanilla extract; beat until combined.
To frost the cupcakes, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip with frosting; pipe mini marshmallow-shaped dots all over the cupcakes. Alternatively, use a knife and frost them generously with lots of swoops and swirls.
Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven’s broiler.
Arrange 3 or 4 cupcakes on a baking sheet and place them in the oven under the broiler. Toast until frosting has started to brown, about 90 seconds (check every 20 seconds and rearrange the baking sheet, if necessary). Repeat with the remaining cupcakes until all are toasted.
Green Beans with Feta and Bacon
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 25 min.
Servings: 6
8 slices bacon
1 (16 oz.) package frozen cut green beans
2 T. water
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly browned but only slightly crisp. Drain grease, leaving a small amount in the skillet for later use. Crumble bacon, reserving 2 T. for garnish, and set aside.
Cook frozen beans with water in a covered, microwavable dish for about 3 min. until thawed, but not fully cooked. Drain liquid, pat dry, and set aside.
Reheat skillet with reserved bacon grease over medium-high heat. Stir in bacon and garlic until garlic is lightly golden. Add green beans and feta cheese; season with onion powder and black pepper. Cook and stir until most of the feta cheese has melted, about 2 min.
Transfer green bean mixture to a serving dish, and garnish with remaining feta cheese and crumbled bacon. Serve hot.
Fancy Crusted Rosemary
Scalloped Potatoes
Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Total Time: 1 hr. 30 min.
Servings: 6
cooking spray
1-1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. minced fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-1/2 lbs. red potatoes
3 T. butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 C. whole milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat an 8-inch baking dish cooking spray.
Mix Parmesan cheese, rosemary, and garlic together in a bowl.
Slice 3 or 4 potatoes using a mandolin on the thinnest setting. Slice remaining potatoes using a slightly thicker setting on the mandolin.
Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with thin potato slices, overlapping them to create a layer that is 2 to 3 slices deep. Stand remaining thin slices along the sides of the baking dish so that half an inch sticks over the rim, overlapping them to create a layer that is 4 slices deep.
Spread 1/3 of the thicker potato slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese mixture on top. Repeat once more. Arrange remaining potato slices in the baking dish. Reserve 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese mixture.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Pour in milk; cook, occasionally stirring, until sauce thickens, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in salt.
Shift potato slices in a few places with a knife to create wells for the sauce to flow through. Pour sauce evenly over potato slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese mixture on top. Brush potato edges sticking out of the baking dish with olive oil.
Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are soft and edges are crusted, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breasts
Prep Time: 45 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Additional Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 2 hrs.
Servings: 10
1 (12 oz.) pkg. herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
2 skinless boneless turkey breasts
1 C. chopped pecans
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. dried, sweetened cranberries
2 T. olive oil
6 lettuce leaves
1/2 C. pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
With a sharp knife, butterfly breasts open to lay flat. Place each breast between two sheets of waxed paper, and flatten with a mallet. Spread the prepared stuffing to within 1/4 inch of the edge of each breast. Sprinkle each one with chopped pecans and dried cranberries, reserving some of the cranberries for garnish. Roll up tightly in a jellyroll style, starting with the long end. Tuck in ends, and tie in sections with string, about 4 sections around the middle and one running the length of the roll to secure the ends.
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully brown rolls on all sides.
Place skillet in oven, uncovered. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is at 170°F when taken with a meat thermometer. Do not let these get overly dry.
Allow rolls to set for 15 min. before removing string, and slicing into 1/2-3/4 inch circles. Leave one roll whole, and slice the other for presentation. Stuffing will be spiraled into meat. Present on your prettiest platter on a bed of curly lettuce, and garnish by sprinkling with the remaining 1/2 C. pecan halves and the reserved dried cranberries.
Heavenly Praline Cake
Prep Time: 40 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr.
Servings: 16
Candied pecans:
1 lg. egg white
4 C. pecan halves
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. packed dark brown sugar
Cake:
1 C. butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 C. packed dark brown sugar
4 lg. eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. sour cream
1 C. chopped pecans, toasted
Icing:
1 C. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, cubed
1/4 C. 2% milk
1 C. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Add pecan halves; stir gently to coat. Combine sugar and brown sugar; add to pecan mixture and stir gently to coat.
Spread into 2 greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in chopped pecans.
Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
For icing, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Serve with candied pecans.
Quote of the Week:
“Sun and shadow, friend and foe, eagle learns which way to go.”
~ Anonymous
