Cranberry Lemon Bars

Well, Thanksgiving for us is a thing of the past.  And yes, I know that even though we are ahead of the rest of the US as far as times zones go we are not so far ahead as to actually BE after Thanksgiving which is still a week away.  I may have been in a Mommy-fog since my oldest was born almost 9 years ago, but I can at least count that far.  It's one of our favorite holidays though unless you're on an American military base, not exactly a popular one here in Germany.  We decided that we'd really miss a big, old-fashioned holiday if we didn't throw one ourselves.  But here's the problem- we'll be in Rome on the actual date.

Okay, I realize that being in Rome isn't really a problem.  In fact, I will be incredibly thankful to be able to enjoy a place I've been wanting to explore for forever.  So as I tuck into a platter of spaghetti carbonara on Thanksgiving day (and not, as a friend suggested, on wings at the Hard Rock Cafe just to say we "did" American on a very American holiday) I will be grateful for my good luck and the friends and family who will be traveling along with me to the Eternal City.

I've said before that we usually spend Thanksgiving with our "adopted" family of friends gathered in our military travels and the dinner we had this past weekend was no exception.  Sixteen friends, both old a new, crammed themselves into our home to enjoy the big turkey feast.  And we enjoyed every last bite as well as the company with which it was shared.  Thankfully, I had help preparing the meal because there's no way my tiny oven could have churned out enough food unless I spent a good three days preparing and cooking.  I love my friends, but that's just not happening.  So, except for the pumpkin pie that my oldest dropped when retrieving it from our (American-sized) refrigerator in the basement, we feasted in proper American style.

The best part about the day after Thanksgiving?  No, not the shopping- I loathe Black Friday shopping.  It's the leftovers of course!  Apple pie and cold sweet potatoes for breakfast.  Shepherd's pie made from just about every part of the meal.  Warmed pumpkin dinner rolls swiped with a dollop of the perfect cranberry sauce for a mid-morning snack. Today's offering is yet another way to use up those cranberries in case you made way too much like I did this year.  These lemon bars are a great way to break up all of the heaviness of Thanksgiving leftovers.  Bright with lemon and tart cranberry flavor and much less fussy than all of those apple pies you will have cursed just days before. 

Another great thing about the day after Thanksgiving?  You are officially allowed to listen to Christmas music.  I've got my Pandora fired up as I type this cranking out some Trans Siberian Orchestra.  Here's to a very joyous Thanksgiving and the best leftovers ever!

Cranberry Lemon Bars
Makes 12 triangles from an 8 inch tart pan or 12 squares from an 8 x 8 in square pan.
Adapted very slightly from Food & Wine magazine.  Click here for the printable.

Our mail from the States trickles in slowly here in Germany.  So the November issue of Food & Wine didn't land on my table until the day after I made my Thanksgiving feast.  Which actually worked out just fine because I spied this recipe and knew I had the perfect cranberry sauce sitting in my fridge. I didn't use the cranberry mixture the magazine suggested so I'll give you the link to my recipe below. If you have your own favorite cranberry recipe, go ahead and use it here, just promise me you won't use the stuff from the can, please? The only other changes I made were to halve the recipe because I wasn't feeding a Thanksgiving crowd and this amount is just perfect for my family and to up the amount of lemon zest in the filling.  The bars are so pretty on a dark, dreary fall afternoon and the tart/sweet taste paired with an easy, press-in crust are just right for a tired chef and tired post-Thanksgiving palate.

For the crust:
10 tbs cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs sugar
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

For the lemon filling:
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 cup sugar
6 tbs all purpose flour

For the cranberry swirl:
1/3 cup of spiced cider cranberry sauce or 1/3 cup cranberries cooked with 2 tbs sugar and a pinch of cloves until sauce thickens and berries pop


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust:
In a food processor or mixer blend the butter and sugar until the butter gets slightly fluffy and creamy (about 2 minutes).  Add the flour and a pinch of kosher salt and blend until the flour is incorporated.  Press the dough evenly into an 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or an 8 inch square baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper (let the parchment overhang the edges by an inch or two).  Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes until the dough is firm.  Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden.  Cool completely before filling.

To make the lemon filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and flour. 

Assemble the tart and bake:
Blend the cranberries until smooth.  Add 1/4 cup of the lemon mixture and blend. 

Pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust.  Dollop the cranberry mixture in several places over the lemon filling.  With the tip of a knife or toothpick, swirl the cranberry sauce through the lemon filling.  Bake the bars at 350 for 25-30 minutes until the filling is set.

Cool completely on a rack.  Cut into 12 wedges or squares depending on the pan you used.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Spiced Apple Glühwein

I've been restless lately.  Antsy, if you will.  Germany is a great place to be, but I haven't found my "thing" here yet.  You know that thing that I mean.  It's the one that gets you out of bed in the morning and makes you excited for the day that's to come.  I'm not sure how I want to spend my time- what would be the most valuable way to spend the hours I have free during the day.  Do I want to volunteer on the base?  Take German language courses?  Work on my fitness or simply explore the area and work on my photography?  Not knowing what to do with my time means I usually end up roaming around doing not much of anything.  That's about the least fulfilling way to spend my time and it's been incredibly frustrating.

What I've been up to lately in my journey to find a purpose, my "thing" if you will, is planning several upcoming family getaways.  At the very least it's a nice distraction.  We've done quite a bit of traveling around Germany and it's been wonderful to see the culture and history of the country we're living in.  But my restless spirit is in need of more.  This past weekend was the start of that "more"  for me.  Hours of scouring the internet and pouring through travel books led to a whirlwind trip to Alsace, France. 

We spent the weekend gazing up at the most stunning Cathedrals and searching out castles and sunset views of the Alsatian wine country.  It was incredibly beautiful.  I gazed in the window of every boulangerie and patisserie we passed.  The kugelhopf that Alsace is known for was featured in every shop.  There were half timbered houses lining the streets and canals in an area of the town of Strasbourg called "Petite France".  Here we wandered around and found flea markets and food vendors lining the sidewalks.  I scored the best fromage blanc with cinnamon and plums at a stall right next to live geese and ducks for sale.  Seriously?  I suppose the French take fresh food very seriously.

As we drove home last night through the first snowfall in the Black Forest (can you get more fabulously cliche than that?), I felt renewed.  I have a few souvenirs in my wine cellar and additions to my pottery collection, but the best thing that I brought back was a peace that I think will last until the next big adventure.  In the meantime, I have a Thanksgiving feast for all of our American friends to whip up and a trip to Rome to plan.  I'm so looking forward to a little bit of home as well as the newest city to conquer.  I guess finding my "thing:" can wait just a little longer.

Spiced Apple Glühwein
Serves 4-6 people.  Adapted from a traditional German recipe.
For the printable recipe, click here.

As the winter kicks into gear here in Europe, this is the sort of warm drink that you can find in every Christmas market, crepe shop and corner restaurant.  Whether you call it mulled wine, vin chaud or glühwein the constants are warm wine and wintery spices. What else goes in is up to you.  I like the traditional red wine but sometimes it can be too sweet and heavy.  This white wine version is light and lightly spiced- perfect for sipping with a house full of friends and family on a chilly Thanksgiving afternoon or after a few hours of raking leaves in the yard.  You can let it simmer on the lowest setting on your stove top or pour it in a slow cooker set to low and leave it on the counter for everyone to sample.  When I made my version pictured here I put the whole spices straight into the pot with the juice and wine.  I think I would have liked a bit more of the spice flavor to come through so I am suggesting that you toast the spices until fragrant before stirring them into the wine.  The recipe below reflects this change. 

1 bottle of dry white wine such as a Pinot Gris, Sauvingon Blanc, or Viognier
1 cup of unsweetened apple juice (preferably fresh pressed and unfiltered if you can get it)
3 tbs raw or turbinado sugar
1 orange sliced into thin rounds
8 slices of dried apple
3 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cardamom pods
1 star anise
8 cloves
thinly sliced apple for serving

In a medium pot stir together the wine, apple juice, sugar, orange slices and dried apple.  In a separate small, dry pan toast the spices over medium low heat for just a minute or two.  You'll know they are ready when the spices become very fragrant.  Stir the spices into the rest of the ingredients.  Heat the glühwein over low heat for at least 15 minutes before serving.  Serve each cup with a slice of apple (and a cinnamon stick if you wish).

Spiced Cider Cranberry Sauce

This cranberry sauce leaves me feeling a bit selfish, as it's for me and me alone.  I seem to be the only one who loves a sauce made from fresh whole berries beautifully plated on my Thanksgiving table.  That little pot of jewel colored cranberries just makes my mouth want to dance with pleasure.  The thing is, I've decided that its OK to be a little selfish every once in a while.  Because truly, as a wife, mother and aspiring jam entrepreneur I spend a whole lot of time thinking of others and what will make them happy.  And luckily for me, I really do enjoy the way that I spend my days and the company of the friends and family I choose to spend those days with.  For that I am truly thankful.

Speaking of thanks...

I am extraordinarily thankful that my New Jersey family was spared the worst of Hurricane Sandy and that after the inconvenience of about a week's loss of power, everyone is safe and warm in their own beds.

I am thankful that for the third holiday season in a row, I have my hard working military husband home with me.  It is a blessing that so many families will do without this year.

I am thankful for the beauty that surrounds me every day.

I am thankful that my sons still love to hug their Momma and I will continue to hug them long past the point at which it becomes embarrassing to them.

I am thankful that the few abilities that I have can often bring a smile to others faces.  It's a joy and a pleasure to have others enjoy my cooking and my writing.

Spiced Cider Cranberry Sauce
Makes about 2 cups.
For the printable, click here.

I have been making this cranberry sauce for years, tweaking it here and there until it reached the point where I could call it "perfect".  I have long since lost the original magazine clipping that was the inspiration for this sauce, so I apologize to whomever was the first to print this, but as I have tinkered with it quite a bit, I have no trouble at all calling it my own.  It would be my pleasure if you would do the same for yourself with this recipe.

1 12 oz. package of fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup fresh apple cider or fresh, unfiltered apple juice (look for it in the refrigerated section of your market)
2 tbs fresh squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 medium orange
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger (to your taste)
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Place the ingredients together in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce the heat so that you have a steady simmer.  Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries have all popped, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the stove and cool.  Serve chilled with your favorite turkey and the company of family and best friends.

French Apple Tartlets with a Brown Butter Crust

In less than a week we begin our annual pilgrimage across three states to the home of friends Andy and Kelley, part of our fabulous Navy family, for Thanksgiving.  It's a bit of a drive, but well worth the time, long hours in a confined space with three boys, and shouts of "Are we there yet?" from the backseat to continue our nearly 10 year tradition.  This will be perhaps the last Thanksgiving we can spend together for a quite a while as next year the Navy's wishes are for us to move to some potentially-far-off destination.  So I plan to make the absolute most of every minute we have with our dear friends.

One thing I will NOT be doing is scrambling for recipes.  I'm ready with an arsenal of old and new recipes to grace our plates this year.  Part of our tradition is to divide up the cooking responsibilities based on what Kelley and I are best at and what we (collectively) absolutely cannot live without.  Over the years what's on our Thanksgiving table has changed a bit depending on the mood of the chefs, but a few items are non-negotiable- my mom's roasted sweet potatoes, Kelley's dad's stuffing, and my adaptation of Martha Stewart's chocolate pumpkin tart.  My main duty is pies, which I am particularly excited about because there aren't a whole lot of opportunities to make pies the rest of the rest of the year and I actually enjoy pie making.  I've already had a request to bring back the pear tart with almond custard from last year, so that's made it to the dessert menu, and this year I'm thinking about just one more.  It's a beautiful and deceptively simply little slice of heaven.  The french apple tart.

I have been dying to make one of these tarts since the day my mom gifted me with my copy of Baking With Julia and I saw the gorgeous and mouth watering closeup of the tart filled with apple compote and topped with a blossom of paper thin apple slices.  To.  Die.  For.  Oh, and did I mention the crust?  I took the pie in a direction of my own and went with a simple, press-in-the-pan, brown butter cookie crust.  I'd hate to say that I improved on a classic french tart (gosh, that would be awfully presumptive!), but I certainly like to think that my version is pretty darn awesome.  And the dinner guests I served these to nodded in agreement with their mouth full in between sighs of pleasure.

So this year, the dessert table at our Thanksgiving feast will be graced with a larger version of these pretty little tarts.  But for every day entertaining, I like the small personal version.  So pretty on a dainty dessert plate with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Either way, I plan on enjoying a slice over good conversation, laughs and love with the dearest of friends.  And I will be ever thankful that we found our way into each others' lives.

French Apple Tartlets with a Brown Butter Crust
Makes 6 4 inch tartlets or 1 9 inch tart.  Recipe adapted from Baking with Julia (recipe by Leslie Mackie) and Baking Bites.  
For the printable, click here.

The few simple steps to making this tart are easy to accomplish and come together to form a very beautiful and delicious dessert.  If you don't have tartlet pans, you can make this tart in one 9 inch tart pan (with a removable bottom) just as easily.  Choose what apples you like, but I suggest a softer apple for making the compote- perhaps a fuji- and a sturdier one for the top layer.  Granny Smith would work well there.  The crust is made on the stovetop very much like pate a choux (cream puff) dough and is very forgiving.  Don't be afraid to try it!

For the crust:
6 tbs butter
1 tbs light flavored oil (such as canola)
3 tbs water
1 tbs sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbs all purpose flour

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, water and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture simmers and the butter begins to take on a light brown color and a nutty aroma, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the flour all at once, and with a wooden spoon stir vigorously until the flour is well incorporated.  Remove the pot from the heat and let the dough cool until you can comfortably handle it.

Divide the dough into 6 equal sized balls.  Press each one into a 4 inch tartlet pan (with a removable bottom), covering the bottom and sides evenly.  Prick each tartlet shell several times with a fork.  Space the tartlet pans evenly on a baking sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until the crust is evenly browned and set in the center.  If using a 9 inch pan, simply press the dough into the pan, prick the bottom of the crust and bake for 13-15 minutes.  Remove the tart crusts from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.

For the compote and to finish the tartlets:
7 medium apples
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tbs
1 tbs all purpose flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup fresh, fluffy breadcrumbs (I used a slice of good sandwich bread, shredded by hand)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs butter, melted

Peel and coarsely chop 5 of the apples.  Place these apples, along with the 3/4 cup sugar, flour, cinnamon, breadcrumbs and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.  Over medium low heat, cook the mixture, stirring often.  The compote is ready when the apples are softened, have given up their juices and the mixture resembles a loose apple sauce, 15-20 minutes.  You don't want the apples to go completely to mush, some texture is good here.  With a heavy spoon or potato masher, lightly mash the apple compote.  Let the compote cool.

Peel and slice the remaining apples very thinly (between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick).

When the compote is cool, spoon it evenly into the 6 prepared and pre-baked tart shells.  Lay the sliced apples over the compote in a fan design.  Brush the top of the apples with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsp sugar.  Bake, on a baking sheet, for about 20 minutes.  The edges of the apples will brown and should be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.  If the apples are not cooked at that point, cover the baking sheet loosely with aluminum foil and cook for up to 5 minutes more.

Remove the tartlets from the oven.  They are served best slightly warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or drizzle of caramel sauce.  Refrigerate any uneaten tart (as if that would be possible).

Pumpkin Cranberrry Bread {A Tuesdays with Dorie Post}

Initially I was skeptical about this first choice for October's Tuesdays with Dorie recipies.  So much so, in fact, that I almost didn't even bother trying it.  I mean, really, how many pumpkin bread recipes do we need?  The blogosphere is chock full of them and if you took a quick look at Pinterest, you'd find pumpkin bread all over the place.  Admittedly, I hadn't actually looked at the recipe yet.  But boy am I glad I did, because if I hadn't, I would have missed out on one beauty of a bread.  A yeast bread, not a quick bread as I had assumed.  As an added bonus, it's colorful and jam-packed with fall spices and little nuggets of bright flavors.   Now that I can get excited about.

The only problem that I had with this tasty little bread was the waiting time.  I just don't have the patience to wait for an overnight rise when I am as excited as I was to try this bread out.  I don't mind one, even two, rising times, but an overnight wait?  Well, I just couldn't do it.  The bread would just have to settle for a couple hours in the fridge while I picked the kids up from school and ran a few errands, but that was all it was going to get.  Thankfully, I think neither the flavor nor texture of the bread suffered.  One bite into the soft warm bread slathered with butter and I knew I hadn't sacrificed anything in the name of my impatience.  Pure heaven.

The best part- see those bright red gobs of goodness?  Those are fresh cranberries (well, actually frozen ones left over from last winter's scone making), not dried.  Without them, this bread would be nice, but nothing special.  It's the unexpected tartness contasting with the sweet pumpkin and warm spices that take the bread from the realm of the ordinary, to the extraordinary.  So as soon as those bags of cranberries start showing up in your market, scoop up several.  You'll want to have extra on hand to make this bread over and over through the fall and winter.  I promise, it's that good.

Oh, and just to be on the side of full disclosure, I didn't actually use pumpkin, but butternut squash leftover from a pound cake experiment.  Made no difference whatsoever, in my opinion.  And in place of the walnuts, I added toasted pumpkin seeds.  It just seemed appropriate.  I think you'd agree.

.

As usual, I implore you to go find the full recipe over at our hostesses' blog, This Bountiful Backyard.  Rebecca didn't seem to enjoy the fresh cranberries as much as I did, but I won't hold that against her and neither should you.  She did a beautiful job hosting and taking care of the fantastic recipe.  Maybe some of the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers agreed with me.  I'm about to go find out!

Pear and Almond Tart- My New Thanksgiving Favorite

It was a crazy week last week.  Driving from California to Washington and back again.  Finding time to squeeze in as many visits with friends as possible.  Making and devouring Thanksgiving dinner.  Way too much wine and mornings that began way too early.  But we had a blast and it was so worth it.  I just wish it could have lasted longer.

I was in charge of desserts for Thanksgiving dinner (yay!  my favorite part!).  Hoping that I wouldn't cause a dessert mutiny, I decided to take a non-traditional spin on the usual Thanksgiving pies.  So I baked up a pumpkin tart with a clove-spiced chocolate crust, an apple pie wrapped up in beautiful layers of phyllo dough (so pretty I had to shoot a couple of pics of it too), and a French pear and almond tart.  And thanks to all of the adventurous eaters at our Thanksgiving table, they were all a smashing success!

Pear and Almond Tart
The wonderful result of taking the best from smitten kitchen's pear and almond tart recipe and Rose Levy Berenbaum's pear tart with almond cream from The Pie and Pastry Bible.

I bought my pears at the last minute and they were crazy unripe, so I decided to soften them up for the tart by poaching them.  The resulting pears were so flavorful, they could have been eaten on their own (and I had extra, so I did!).  I can imagine them for a special dinner with a drizzle of creme anglaise or vanilla ice cream as well as in this tart, so I'm including the recipe for them too.

For the Poached Pears:
1 bottle of Reisling
5 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
2 cinnamon sticks
4 bartlett pears, peeled, halved and cored

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat so that the liquid is at a simmer.  Cook for 30-45 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the pears.  You want the tip of a sharp knife to easily enter the flesh of the pear.  Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and let cool.  You can use the pears right away for dessert or refrigerate for later use.

I reduced the poaching liquid by removing the vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks and then boiling it down until it reached a third of the original volume.  The syrup that I got made a lovely glaze for the pear tart.  You could also pour it over ice cream and serve it with some sliced poached pears.

For the Tart Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
9 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 egg yolks

In a food processor, pulse together the flour and sugar.  Add in the butter and pulse until the butter is in small, pea-sized pieces.  Add the egg yolks and blend just until the dough comes together in a loose ball.  If it appears too dry to be a workable dough, you can add a bit of very cold water (1-3 tsp) very slowly, stopping just when the dough has begun to clump up.  Be careful not to overwork the dough or it will become tough.  Pour the dough into a zip-top bag and press into a disk (or you could do the same with plastic wrap).  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or freeze for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it reaches a diameter of approximately 11 inches, lifting and rotating the dough occasionally to avoid sticking.  Carefully roll the dough over your rolling pin and into a 9 inch diameter tart pan.  Press the dough lightly into the corners of the pan and up over the sides.  Remove any excess overhang.  Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork several times.  Return the dough in the pan to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Carefully but firmly, lay a piece of aluminum foil over the crust and press it into the corners.  This will hold down the dough so it doesn't puff as it bakes.  Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil.  Return the crust to the oven and bake for up to 10 minutes longer or until the crust is a light golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Make the Almond Cream and Assemble the Tart:
1 heaping cup of sliced or slivered blanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs all-purpose flour
7 tbs butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 poached pear halves

Turn the temperature of the oven down to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, place the almonds, flour and sugar and pulse until the almonds are ground very finely.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.  Place the butter in the food processor and blend until creamy.  Beat about 1/3 of the nut mixture into the butter.   Add 1 egg and another 1/3 of the nut mixture to the processor and beat until incorporated. Repeat with the second egg and the remaining nut mixture.  Beat in the vanilla.

Spread the almond cream over the bottom of the cooled crust.  Using a sharp thin knife, slice the pears into thin slices by cutting along the length of the pear all but about a 1/2 inch at the top.  Press gently on the top of the pear half to fan the slices out slightly (see photo above).  Carefully slide a spatula under the pear and place it on the tart with the pointed ends facing the center of the tart.  Repeat with the other three halves, placing each next to the other on the tart so that the slices resemble the spokes on a wheel.

Bake the tart for 30 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up and turns golden brown.  Remove from the oven and brush with the syrup made from the poaching liquid or warmed apricot preserves.

Served sliced and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The World's Best Sweet Potatoes-Mom's Orange Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving has become a family affair of a different sort for my clan.  We live clear on the other side of the country from our loved ones and have for the past ten years.  Traveling "home" for the short holiday weekend is pretty near impossible and all that time on an airplane with two little ones in tow doesn't seem like a whole lot of fun either.  So we save the trip back to New Jersey for Christmas when we can really spend enough time there to make the hassle of standing in the security lines at LAX worthwhile.  And we reserve Thanksgiving for spending with the family we've been gifted by my husband's service in the Navy.  Over the years our family of friends has developed our own traditions and memories that have become very special to us.

This year we will make a longer trek than we usually do- from Southern California to Northwest Washington.  But the travel time will be well worth it.  And I know that when we get there I will be thankful for the time spent with my family and for the friends that welcome us with open arms.

This recipe has become part of our Thanksgiving tradition.  My friend Kelley said she might consider turning me away from her door if I didn't have it with me.  Of course she's kidding.  But over time we have found a menu that works for us, and as I said in my post about my new cranberry sauce recipe, there are a few things that we all want on the table every year.  My mom's sweet potatoes, my mother in law's wild rice casserole, Kelley's dad's stuffing, and her chocolate sauce.  No negotiations.  And I'm happy to oblige.  These sweet potatoes have been on my family table for as long as I can remember and, honestly, if there was nothing but these potatoes and dessert I'd be a happy girl.  I love them so much I eat them cold for breakfast the next morning.  They're the best (but of course, I might be a bit biased!).

Mom's Orange Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serves 6-8
These are my mom's exact directions, only slightly edited.  Thanks Mom!

4 medium-large sweet potatoes ( I like to mix different types of sweets, such as the orange fleshed and yellow fleshed ones)
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbs. honey
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
zest of 1 orange

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Peel potatoes and rinse.  Cut the potatoes into thick slices lengthwise and then into sticks about 1 inch thick (they should look like fat french fries).

On the stove top, melt the butter in a large roasting pan and add the potatoes.  Saute them over med heat, stirring frequently until the potatoes begin to brown.  Sprinkle with the brown sugar, honey, orange juice and peel.  Toss the potatoes well.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover and continue baking 20 to 30 minutes more, until potatoes are tender (not all potatoes are created equal, so sometimes it doesn't take this long).  Check frequently for the depth of tenderness you want in your potatoes.  Baste often with pan juices- you may sometimes need to add more brown sugar and butter if the pan gets dry.  You want the sweet potatoes to have lots of juices to cook in!

Serve alongside your favorite turkey and fixings.  

Happy Thanksgiving Friends!

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with Persimmons

I live in a house divided.  My husband and I have fought over one issue every Thanksgiving since I can remember.  And we probably will until our very last.  What could possibly cause two happily married people to argue so vehemently?  Wait for it........Cranberry sauce!  I know we're not alone here, folks.  The debate between how cranberry sauce is served has been cause for family feuds all over America ever since Ocean Spray put it in a can.  It amazes me how passionate someone can be over a jiggly gelled "sauce" that retains the shape of the container it came from (although the lines from the can are convenient for portioning).  Nevertheless, my husband is one of them.  And no matter how many wonderful variations of a whole berry sauce I make (year after year after year), he just won't budge from his stance.  It's the can or nothing for him.  Sigh.

I have a recipe for a whole berry cranberry sauce that I've been making for a few years now that I really like.  It's made with spiced apple cider and a bit of orange juice and zest.  It's simple and delicious.  However, anybody who knows me will tell you that I'm not the type of person who will make exactly the same Thanksgiving dinner year after year just for the sake of tradition.  A few things will never be taken off the menu (my mom's sweet potatoes and apple pie, my mother-in-law's wild rice casserole) for fear of the mutiny that may result.  But the rest I don't mind playing with.  In fact I look forward to it every year.  So this year I'm taking on cranberry sauce.

This particular one pays homage to my new California homestead.  It's a bit exotic with the addition of star anise and persimmons.  I kind of like that.  The humble cranberry is getting all jazzed up for it's big night out.  In one bite you can everything you could ask for in a mouthful- tart berries, sweet persimmons, a lingering spice from the star anise, and the crunch of the almost raw persimmons that marries perfectly with the jam-like cranberries.  Plus, it's so darn pretty.  I may have found my new sauce (at least for the couple of years I'll be living here in California).  Of course, I'll be the only one eating it.  But that just means more for me!!

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce with Persimmons
Slightly adapted from Gourmet magazine via the Epicurious website

I like this sauce just the way it is, but I think just a bit of orange zest would send it over the top.  Next time I make it, you can be sure I'll be trying it with the zest.

12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries (1 bag)
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tbs water
1/2 cup sugar (to start, you can add up to 1/4 cup more at the end to suit your taste)
1/2 of a piece of star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 ripe but firm Fuyu persimmons, peeled and chopped into a 1/4 inch dice

In a medium saucepan combine all the ingredients except the persimmons.  Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until the cranberries begin to pop, stirring occasionally.  Add the persimmons to the saucepan and, stirring, cook for another 2 minutes.  The cranberries should have burst open and the sauce will be nice and thick.  Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick. 

Taste the cranberry sauce for sweetness.  If the sauce is too tart, add sugar in one tablespoon increments until it suits your taste.  I stuck with the original 1/2 cup, but after eating it later in the day I think I should have added another tablespoon of sugar.  Refrigerate until it is time to set the Thanksgiving table!