Here's my list, in no particular order:
1. Good food and family.
2. A detailed conversation with my Aunt Ellyn regarding blogs (thanks for the encouragement, Aunt El!)
3. Prairie State Winery's Cranberry Wine that I'm sure fueled the conversation about blogging. It was the perfect addition to our meal and now I'm hooked.
4. Being a guest and not the host at either Thanksgiving party. Frankly, I think pulling off a large family Thanksgiving is right up there with walking on water. Kudos to all of you hosts out there!
This Thanksgiving, my culinary contributions were of a more traditional nature, starting with brunch. If you don't do a Thanksgiving brunch with your family, I recommend it. One of my favorite memories from childhood was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade over a breakfast of meat pie, coffee cake, and grapefruit halves. It was the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and citrusy and I can't imagine a Thanksgiving without this special meal. Why not try these recipes for your next holiday?
Holiday Meat Pie
This recipe appears in "Carefree Cooking for Company" published by my Aunt Mimi McNulty in 1981.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground round
1 lb. Jimmy Dean bulk pork sausage (I recommend the Hot sausage- it adds great flavor)
2 packages of Pet Ritz deep dish frozen pie shells
1 cup of water
Directions:
-Saute the sausage meat gently about 15 minutes.
-Put paper towel on paper plates. Drain the excess fat from the sausage by placing it on the paper towels/plates for 10 minutes.
-Put the sausage, the ground round and about 1 cup of water in a pan and simmer slowly over low flame about 1.5 hours.
-Add a little water if needed. The mixture should not get brown or dry. Divide between two pie shells and cover with scored pie crusts. Wrap in foil and freeze overnight.
-When ready to cook, remove the pies from the freezer and let them sit out while the oven warms up.
-Bake one hour at 350 degrees.
Chocolate Almond Crescent Braid
This recipe appears in the Pillsbury "Best of the Bake-Off" cookbook. It is the award-winning recipe of my mom, Susie Dempsey, and it is a must for our holiday celebrations!
Braid:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted, cooled
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted*
1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds, toasted*
Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, combine chocolate, sugar and sour cream; blend until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped almonds. On ungreased cookie sheet, unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Overlap long sides to form 14 x 7-inch rectangle; firmly press perforations and edges to seal. Spread chocolate mixture in 2-inch strip lengthwise down center of dough to within 1/2 inch of ends. Make cuts 2 inches apart on each side of rectangle just to edge of filling. To give braided appearance, fold strips of dough at an angle halfway across filling, alternating from sides. Fold ends under to seal.
Bake at 350°F. for 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
In small bowl, combine powdered sugar, almond extract and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle over warm braid. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons almonds. Cool slightly; cut into 8 slices. Store in refrigerator.
*TIP: To toast almonds, spread on cookie sheet; bake at 375°F. for 3 to 5 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.
1. Good food and family.
2. A detailed conversation with my Aunt Ellyn regarding blogs (thanks for the encouragement, Aunt El!)
3. Prairie State Winery's Cranberry Wine that I'm sure fueled the conversation about blogging. It was the perfect addition to our meal and now I'm hooked.
4. Being a guest and not the host at either Thanksgiving party. Frankly, I think pulling off a large family Thanksgiving is right up there with walking on water. Kudos to all of you hosts out there!
This Thanksgiving, my culinary contributions were of a more traditional nature, starting with brunch. If you don't do a Thanksgiving brunch with your family, I recommend it. One of my favorite memories from childhood was watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade over a breakfast of meat pie, coffee cake, and grapefruit halves. It was the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and citrusy and I can't imagine a Thanksgiving without this special meal. Why not try these recipes for your next holiday?
Holiday Meat Pie
This recipe appears in "Carefree Cooking for Company" published by my Aunt Mimi McNulty in 1981.
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground round
1 lb. Jimmy Dean bulk pork sausage (I recommend the Hot sausage- it adds great flavor)
2 packages of Pet Ritz deep dish frozen pie shells
1 cup of water
Directions:
-Saute the sausage meat gently about 15 minutes.
-Put paper towel on paper plates. Drain the excess fat from the sausage by placing it on the paper towels/plates for 10 minutes.
-Put the sausage, the ground round and about 1 cup of water in a pan and simmer slowly over low flame about 1.5 hours.
-Add a little water if needed. The mixture should not get brown or dry. Divide between two pie shells and cover with scored pie crusts. Wrap in foil and freeze overnight.
-When ready to cook, remove the pies from the freezer and let them sit out while the oven warms up.
-Bake one hour at 350 degrees.
Chocolate Almond Crescent Braid
This recipe appears in the Pillsbury "Best of the Bake-Off" cookbook. It is the award-winning recipe of my mom, Susie Dempsey, and it is a must for our holiday celebrations!
Braid:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted, cooled
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted*
1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 to 4 teaspoons milk
2 tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds, toasted*
Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, combine chocolate, sugar and sour cream; blend until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped almonds. On ungreased cookie sheet, unroll dough into 2 long rectangles. Overlap long sides to form 14 x 7-inch rectangle; firmly press perforations and edges to seal. Spread chocolate mixture in 2-inch strip lengthwise down center of dough to within 1/2 inch of ends. Make cuts 2 inches apart on each side of rectangle just to edge of filling. To give braided appearance, fold strips of dough at an angle halfway across filling, alternating from sides. Fold ends under to seal.
Bake at 350°F. for 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.
In small bowl, combine powdered sugar, almond extract and enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle over warm braid. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons almonds. Cool slightly; cut into 8 slices. Store in refrigerator.
*TIP: To toast almonds, spread on cookie sheet; bake at 375°F. for 3 to 5 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.
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