Classic Crème Brûleé

Classic Crème Brûleé

 

·        2 cups heavy cream

·        4 egg yolks

·        ¼ cup sugar

·        1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·        8 teaspoons fine granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 300˚ F. Heat a pot of water, keep warm.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and ¼ cup sugar; cook, stirring, until steam just starts to rise. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg yolk and vanilla until blended with the whisk. While keeping the mixer on “stir”, gradually pour in hot cream mixture. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl; divide among four 7-oz ramekins. Line a 3-inch deep baking pan with a clean kitchen towel and place ramekins on towel. Pour hot water into pan until it comes halfway up side of ramekins. Cover loosely with foil. Bake until set; approximately 30-35 minutes (the centers will shake slightly when pan is shifted). Remove from the oven and allow ramekins to cool to room temperature. Chill at least 3 hours or up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Just before serving, sprinkle 2 tsp. of sugar on each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch.

Giblet Gravy

Okay…..this may be more than you want to face. You can always buy turkey gravy in a jar. I always buy some for when this recipe runs out since I live with gravy hogs. It is not bad…..but homemade is far superior! Plus you cannot live in the south and not know how to make gravy!!!!

Giblet Gravy

· Giblets and neck from 1 turkey

· 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

· 1 small onion, roughly chopped

· 1 carrot, roughly chopped

· ½ teaspoon salt, preferably coarse sea salt

· 2 ½ cups water

· Pan drippings from roasted turkey

· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

· ¼ cup turkey or chicken stock or water

· ¼ teaspoon pepper, preferably fresh ground

Combine giblets (except liver….keep it for later….if you add it now it will become bitter), neck, veggies and salt in a medium saucepan; add 2 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 45 minutes. Add the liver and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Pour mixture into a wire-mesh strainer over a bowl; discard the veggies. At this point I usually sit the giblets and neck aside for the dog, but most people actually chop the meat up to add to the gravy later.

Skim fat from pan drippings; discard fat. Add enough strained broth to the drippings to equal 1 ½ cups.

Combine flour and ¼ cup stock (or water) in a medium saucepan; stir until smooth. Add broth mixture to flour mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in chopped meat, if you are using it, and the pepper.

Makes about 2 cups of gravy.

Green Beans with Shallots and Bacon

This is my “recipe” for the green beans…. This is SO MUCH BETTER than green bean casserole!
Vary the ingredient amounts according to how many you will be serving.

Green Beans with Shallots and Bacon

· Green beans, preferably Haricots verts, lightly steamed. You want them to be tender-crisp. You can use fresh or frozen.
· 2 – 8 slices of bacon, preferable apple-smoked, cut into pieces
· 1 – 2 shallots, sliced as thinly as you dare
· Panko
· Sea salt
In a pan large enough for your green beans, cook the bacon until crispy. Leaving the bacon grease in the pan, remove the bacon to drain on a paper towel. Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring often. If I want the shallots to be soft and caramelized, then I will turn down the heat at this point and let them cook slowly. If I want them a little crunchy, I will cook them on a slightly higher heat……it is according to how the mood strikes me. As a general rule, I like them more caramelized. Once the shallot is ready add the green beans and cook over medium heat until beans are just heated through. Return the bacon to the pan and add some Panko and continue cooking, stirring often, until the Panko has soaked up the remaining bacon grease and are golden brown. I sometimes add butter, if there isn’t enough bacon grease to brown the Panko. Sprinkle with sea salt, give them one last toss and serve.

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Sweet Potato Soufflé

· 6 small sweet potatoes (about 3 lbs)

· ¾ cup sugar

· 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

· ½ cup butter, melted

· 3 tablespoons milk

· 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

· ¾ teaspoon lemon extract……DO NOT leave this out!

Bake potatoes until done. Allow to cool slightly; peel and mash.

Combine sweet potato, sugar, and remaining ingredients, stirring mixture until smooth. (I usually use an electric mixer). Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11 x 7 x 1 ½ inch baking dish.

Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Cornbread Dressing

Cornbread Dressing
· 2 cups celery, finely chopped
· 1 small onion, finely chopped
· ½ cup butter, melted
· 5 cups crumbled cornbread
· 2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix
· 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
· 3 ¾ cups chicken stock
· 3 large eggs, lightly beaten.
Cook celery and onion in butter in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until tender. Combine vegetable mixture, cornbread, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. (It is easier to just use your hands to mix it!) Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13-x9-x2-inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325˚ for 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 10 servings.

Skillet Cornbread

Skillet Cornbread
· 3 cups self-rising cornmeal
· 1 cup self-rising flour
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
· ½ cup oil (I use olive oil)
· 3 cups buttermilk
Combine cornmeal, flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Mix well. Pour into large greased cast iron skillet (or baking dish). Bake at 425˚ for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cranberries—Two Ways

First up…a simple sauce

Cranberry Sauce

• 4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup orange juice (or water)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest, plus a little extra for garnish

Combine all the ingredients (except the orange zest you are reserving for garnish) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for approximately ten minutes (or until the skin on the cranberries pop), stir occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Now put it in a covered container and refrigerate for up to a week! That’s right…make it ahead and you’ll have one less thing to do on Thanksgiving morning. Garnish with orange zest before serving. Makes 3 1/2 cups.
Variation: Just before serving..before garnishing, stir in 1/3 cup of chopped nuts…your choice: walnuts, pecans, or almonds.

Since I gave you a variation for the cranberry sauce…I guess this should have been titled “Cranberries—3 Ways”…but I digress. On with the next recipe….which is my favorite…but a bit more time consuming.

Molded Cranberry Salad

Yep…that’s right…you get to pull out that Tupperware mold that hasn’t seen the light of day in AGES!

• 2 (3-oz.)boxes of cherry, raspberry or cranberry gelatin (or a combo of 2)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup pecan or walnut pieces
• 2 large oranges, seeded and quartered (that’s right LEAVE the rind ON the orange)
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 5 or 6 pieces OR 3-4 baby carrots, cut in half
• 1 (8-oz.)can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 3/4 cup sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine gelatin and boiling water, stirring until gelatin dissolves. Add cold water and refrigerate until it is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.
In food processor with knife blade, add: cranberries,nuts, oranges and carrots. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped. In a med. bowl, combine cranberry mixture, pineapple and sugar. Mix well. Fold cranberry mixture into gelatin mixture. Pour into a lightly oiled 6 1/2 cup mold. Cover and chill until set. (I usually make this the day before serving) When ready to serve, unmold onto a serving plate. If you like, you can line the plate first with lettuce or cabbage leaves.
NOTE: Sometimes, despite your BEST effort, a congealed salad wants to fall apart when you try to unmold it. Although, I don’t remember it ever happening with this particular recipe. HOWEVER, if it does…don’t sweat it. Dump it into large serving bowl and stir it to break it up….you know…to make it look like it was SUPPOSED to be a relish instead of molded!

Bon Appetit!

Seasonal Recipes—Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

In the next couple of weeks I will be sharing some family favorite seasonal recipes. The first is a request from my daughter.

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
Yields - 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (not pie mix)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup buttermilk

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Grease or paper-line a standard 12 cup muffin pan.
COMBINE flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and ginger in large bowl. Combine butter, pumpkin, eggs and buttermilk in medium bowl. Add to flour mixture, stir just until moistened. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

 

These muffins freeze well. So double the recipe and throw the extras into the freezer. Then when you have a craving for a muffin and no time to bake, just grab one from the freezer and thaw it in the microwave--- or bake ahead for an easy, mess-free Thanksgiving morning breakfast.

 

Now for a tease of a recipe to come:

Have a wonderful, blessed day!!!