Thanksgiving Wrap Up

The Highlights:

Cider-Glazed Turkey from Food and Wine magazine: This was an amazing turkey. I especially loved the butter soaked cheesecloth that was draped over the turkey prior to cooking and remained there until we pulled it out of the oven. Peeling the cheesecloth off the bird and revealing a perfectly cooked, brown, crispy, gorgeous turkey was just about the most exciting thing ever. No, really. We 'oohed' and 'awed' very loudly. Gorgeous and delicious, this recipe is a keeper.

slightly overcooked but delicious stuffing muffins

Lemony Mushroom and Pine Nut Stuffing Muffins from Food and Wine magazine (say that 5 times fast!): Brioche, cream, lemon juice, toasted pine nuts, a multitude of mushrooms and a splash of stock make this an amazing stuffing recipe. The muffin idea is a cute one, but not super practical. I made two batches of this; one was cooked too long (45 minutes- too long!) but the muffins stayed together when removed from the pan, the other was cooked just long enough (35 minutes- perfect!) but they fell apart very easily. I would make this again in a heartbeat, but I think I'd go more traditional. The novelty of the 'muffin' wore off quick.

Brie and Pear baked in Phyllo Dough: This was a recipe of a friends of a friends, or a family member of a friend of a friends, I'm not sure but it was amazing. So simple, and a soon to be staple- I can just see it. It's quite simple, if I'm remembering it correctly, cut up a pear or two, saute in a few tablespoons of brown sugar and butter. Put a bit of brie (triangle, circle, whatever) in the center of the phyllo dough sheets, pour the pear/sugar/gorgeousness on top and fold the dough over it. Bake until brown and melty inside. This was heavenly.We gobbled it up with crackers in what seemed like seconds.

Candied Mandarin Oranges and Cranberries from Bon Appetit: Hm. I loved the idea of this recipe, but in reality it wasn't so great. The issue I had was with the oranges- I couldn't get them to carmelize in the oven. Seriously. They had been under the broiler for 10 minutes and nothing, could have been user error. Also, the center of the oranges were tough and hard to eat. I would just use pieces of oranges instead of the whole thing next time, even if it is not as gorgeous. The cranberries cooked in the orange syrup were my favorite part- I saved them and served them the next day with some cheese and crackers. I had planned to photograph this entire recipe, and I did, but since it was hardly what I think of as a success, I won't be sharing it. I wish I had taken the time to photograph the stuffing! Darn.


Pecan, Bourbon, and Butterscotch Bread Pudding from Bon Appetit: Wow. That's all I can say here. Wow. This was such a winner. I'm making this again, and soon. I have to share the whole process, it's just too easy and delicious not to. You prepare the bread pudding the night before, which makes it super easy the day of. The butterscotch sauce is so easy and a perfect addition to the bread pudding. The poppy seeds add a touch of interest to the look- you know bread pudding can be kind of.. odd looking. The flavors in this were so fabulous- the vanilla bean especially. Try it!

pecan tarts!

There were many other amazing food offerings- pecan tarts, brussel sprouts and bacon, cake pops, spice cake, potato gratin and cheesy mashed potatoes- but these were the ones that especially stood out to me. I want to remember these for next year! Anything you especially enjoyed about your turkey day? Share!  :)

Enjoy
-m