Monthly Cooking Thread - November 2018

[Liz]

WHITE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CREAM PIE

pumpkin pudding layer: 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 4 tablespoons cornstarch 2 cups whole milk 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/4 teaspoon salt pinch of vanilla powder (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract) 1 tablespoon butter

pie crust: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks 1 egg, divided 3-4 tablespoons ice water

white chocolate cheesecake layer: 6 oz. white chocolate chips (I used Lindt CLASSIC RECIPE) 2 tablespoons heavy cream 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

whipped cream topping: 1 cup heavy cream, cold 1/4 cup powdered sugar pinch of vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

DIRECTIONS: To a medium saucepan, add dark brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup milk. Whisk together to dissolve cornstarch and brown sugar. Then, add the rest of the milk and cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook for another minute, while still continuing to whisk. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and butter. When everything is well-combined and smooth, pour pudding into a heat-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap (press plastic wrap directly against pudding layer) and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. To the bowl of a food processor, add flour, granulated sugar and salt, and process to combine. Add cubes of butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add only the yolk of the egg (reserve the white for later) and 2 tablespoons of ice water and process until mixture starts to come together and form a soft dough. Add more water, one tablespoon at a time, if necessary.

Remove dough from the food processor and roll out on a lightly floured surface, into a circle about 10 inches wide. The dough will be too fragile to lift and place into your pie plate, so tear off large pieces at a time, and press them into the pie plate. Do this until you have a nice even layer of dough pressed onto the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.

Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush the bottom and sides of the crust with reserved egg white, then return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Then, let crust cool completely on a wire rack while you prepare the white chocolate cheesecake layer.

In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat cream cheese until creamy and lump-free. In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips with heavy cream until completely smooth and uniform. Gradually pour white chocolate mixture into cream cheese, beating continuously until fluffy and well-combined. Set aside.

To assemble the pie, spread the white chocolate cheesecake layer over the bottom of the cooled pie crust. Next, spoon the chilled pumpkin pudding over the white chocolate layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Cover and refrigerate pie for 4 hours, best if overnight.

To make the whipped cream topping, beat together heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over the pudding layer and garnish with white chocolate curls if desired. Refrigerate for an additional hour before serving.

[cherry]

oh we manage to get some family together and we've invited friends as well....

but there's no going "home" again as the saying goes...

[Bellflower]

Preview your post while you are composing it. That way if it flips out you can usually retrieve at least most of it by hitting the back button.

[Bellflower]

Sounds really good. I'm Saving the recipe.😋

[Liz]

A LAST MINUTE TREAT: Thin apple rings dipped in cinnamon/nutmeg batter, then fried. Best served hot.
Down South they use sweet-tart apples such as Granny Smith, Jonathan, McIntosh, Rome and Gala.

Fried Apple Fritter Rings

PREP Heat inch of canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat (or preheat a deep fryer to 375 deg).

BATTER Whisk well cup self rising flour, 1/2 tb sugar, tsp cinnamon, Pinch ea k/salt, fresh grated nutmeg. Add cup of buttermilk or whole milk, beaten egg.

ASSEMBLY Working in batches, batter single slices •4 to 5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/4 inch thick, let the excess drip off and place into the oil. Don't overcrowd pan. Brown a minute or so, turn and brown the other side. Transfer to a rack to drain and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar, cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.

SERVE piping hot immediately.

Chef's Tip: To minimize browning on apples while you are cutting them, hold them in a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part lemon juice. Drain well and pat dry. If you prefer more puff to your fritter, just use less buttermilk or milk to form a thicker wet batter. If substituting all purpose flour - add 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and increase salt slightly to 1/8 teaspoon.

[MomwithHope]

Those sound easy and delicious.

[Liz]

Fried....what could go wrong?

[Liz]

I love this apple pie w/ luscious caramel topping. Place shallow pan under pie to catch drips.

Caramel Glazed Apple Pie

METHOD Fill 9" pie crust w/ 8 c sliced peeled apples. Pour over combined 1/3 c DK Karo, 3 tb ea melted butter, sugar,
1-1/2 tb Cornstarch, tea Cinnamon, 1/4 tea salt. Top w/ 2nd crust, seal/flute tucked-in edges. Brown 375 deg 45-55 min
(apples are tender).

Dollop w/ Glaze; carefully spread over crust. Bake topping bubbly 10 min.

GLAZE 1/4 c br/sugar, 1/4 c chp pecans option, 3 tb dk Karo, 2 tb melted butter, tb Cornstarch.

[MomwithHope]

Temptation!! I try and stay away from it. But it’s apples right! :)

[kalee]

We have peanut soup, turkey with oyster stuffing, and orange rolls for every year for Thanksgiving. Sides and desserts vary from year to year.
This I am going to mash potatoes with parsnips then bake them with grated cheese on top. A few years ago we had bacon wrapped green bean bundles, we liked those, so I may do that again. I am looking at a couple different recipes for cranberries.

[pugmama]

This menu looks fabulous as well. May do this for Christmas. I love Melissa Clark’s recipes.
NYT is charging again to access their recipe base.
Hope this will open:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692-nyt-cooking/12701445-melissa-clarks-thanksgiving-menu?action=click&module=Collection%20Page%20Collection%20Card&region=Collection%20Page%20Recirculation&pgType=collection&rank=1

[pugmama]

Came across this as I was researching recipes.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/dining/mario-batali-sexual-harassment.html

[Liz]

Just innocent rosy red apples......fried.

[Bellflower]

Wow, sounds fantastic! Would you want to share your recipe for orange rolls? They found really tasty for Thanksgiving. My family tradition was lefsa, but will have to buy it if I want it this year, but it wouldn’t be half so good.

[Liz]

Those orange rolls sound really special.
I do this orange bread-----made with a whole unpeeled orange----
You get all that wonderful Vitamin C in the fruit AND the rind.

ORANGE BREAD
PREP ORANGE PUREE Quarter a washed thin-skinned orange; deseed (do not peel). Proc/puree. Add oj if needed to measure a cup.

BATTER Beat 2 eggs foamy. Add 1/2 c veg oil; beat a min. Add orange puree; stir/combine.
Add dry ing alternately w/ 12 oz can evap/milk, tea vanilla (begin/end w/ Dry Ing below).
Set in oiled 2-8x5" loaf pans. Let rest 20 min. Sprinkle each loaf w/ tbl sugar.

Bake 400 deg 20 min. Open oven; score tops lengthwise w/ sharp knife.
Reset oven/bake 300 deg 40 min (tester in center comes clean). Let rest in pan 20 min; turn out.

NOTE: Can bake in 5 mini bread pans 400 deg 20 min; then reduce to 300 deg; score tops lengthwise; bake 20 min.

DRY ING 4 c flour, cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbl b/powder

[kalee]

That bread sounds delicious! I will try it!

My orange rolls are similar to cinnamon rolls but with orange juice with a bit of grated peel in the filling. Then I ice them with powdered sugar and orange juice.

[kalee]

I don’t really have a recipe for it. I just make a yeast roll dough like for cinnamon rolls but reduce the cinnamon in the filling, use white sugar instead of brown and add a little OJ and grated orange rind. Roll the dough into a rectangle, spread with butter, then sprinkle on the filling, roll up the dough and then cut the rolls into slices. They will look like spirals. Let rise, then bake. After they are baked, ice with powdered sugar mixed with OJ.

[Liz]

Ree makes these divine cinnamon rolls using orange marmalade before adding the cinnamon-sugar filling.

Out of the oven, she glazes them with an orange icing. Yum.

[kalee]

Those look like mine. :)

[kalee]

I have been searching for stuffing, because the oyster, spinach, bread mixture was cooked inside the bird. When that didn’t work I changed the search to dressing.
I was always told stuffing is inside the bird, dressing is in a pan on its own. :)
I prefer it in the bird, it’s too dry outside.