Orange Balsamic Roasted Beets

Okay, I like beets! I know they are not everyone's favorite food, but if you're on the fence, be sure to try this recipe. It's my holiday favorite -- I can't tell you how many Thanksgivings I have said that if there was nothing else at the table, other than my roasted beets, I'd be happy.

You can roast the beets a few days in advance, when you have something else cooking in the oven. Of course you'll need to cook them longer if your oven is set to a lower temperature. I like to combine the balsamic reduction and the beets the day before serving to let the flavors meld. Yum!!

Orange Balsamic Roasted Beets 

4 - 6  medium beets (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1/2 C orange juice

1/4 C balsamic vinegar

1 T sugar

1 T olive oil

1/2 t salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450°

Wash and dry beets. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets. Coat with olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake at 450° for 1 to 2 hours, or until fork tender. Cool beets to room temperature. Peel. (They should peel easily.) Cut each beet in chunks or wedges.

Combine juice, vinegar, and sugar, in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (10 – 20  minutes). Combine beets, vinegar mixture, olive oil, salt, and pepper; toss well. Chill and serve.

Make Ahead: You can roast your beets a few days in advance and put together the dish at least a day or two before serving.

Hoot n' Holler Whiskey Cake

I first made this delicious loaf cake for Josh's graduation party several years ago. It was my most requested recipe that night. (I thought it was a keeper too, but hey, I'm a fan of fruitcake.) The original recipe came from the Atlanta Journal Constitution but I've adapted it a bit and I think it's better than ever! Easy to make (you can double the recipe if you need an extra loaf), moist, and this yummy cake stores and freezes well. Be sure to make it a few days ahead of time for the best flavor.

Hoot n' Holler Whiskey Cake

Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small loaves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

1 stick butter
1C granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/4 C buttermilk or regular milk
1/4 C molasses
1 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg (preferably fresh grated)
1/2 C chopped dried figs
1/2 C raisins
2 1/2 C chopped pecans
1/4 C bourbon whiskey

Line 9x5" loaf pan (or two smaller pans) with parchment (or waxed) paper. Butter inside of paper.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy -- about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add milk and molasses and mix until blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and mix until just blended. Stir in figs, raisins, pecans and bourbon.

Pour into prepared pan and bake large loaf for 1 hour 20 minutes, 2 smaller loaves for 45 - 60 minutes -- 300 degrees. Insert a skewer in the center to test for doneness. (If top is getting dark and cake isn't done, tent lightly with aluminum foil.)

Place on rack to cool before removing from pan. When cool, carefully peel back parchment paper and store tightly wrapped in aluminum foil. You can wrap in cheesecloth or a sturdy paper towel soaked in bourbon for added flavor and moistness. Keeps very well in or out of the refrigerator, and it can also be frozen.

Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar before serving if desired.

Lemony Ricotta Cookies

My taste in cookies has definitely changed. When I was younger I liked buttery cookies the best; in fact the butterier the better. Now I'm finding I prefer a more cake-like cookie. This one definitely fits the bill. If you're only a fan of crispy or chewy cookies this recipe probably isn't right for you. This cookie is tender but not fragile and has a delicate lemon flavor. Be sure to make the simple glaze if you bake this cookie because it really contributes to the cookie's lemony flavor.

Lemony Ricotta Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cookies
1 stick butter, softened
2 C sugar
2 eggs
15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 T lemon juice (can substitute up to 1/2t lemon extract for the lemon juice for more intense flavor)
3 T lemon zest
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 C flour

Glaze
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
3 T lemon juice (can include a drop of lemon extract)
1 - 2T lemon zest
Yellow food coloring -- optional

Cookies
In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Beat in ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add baking powder, salt and flour and mix just until blended. Do not overbeat.

Line baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Drop 2 T dough about 2 inches apart onto lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 13 minutes or until golden around edges. Remove from oven and let cool before removing from cookie sheet. (If possible, use a cool cookie sheet for each subsequent batch of cookies.) Place cookies on waxed paper to cool.

Glaze
Mix together confectioner's sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and yellow food coloring if desired in a small bowl til well combined.

Top each cookie with around 1/4 t glaze and spread to edges. This is easiest on a slightly warm cookie. Let glaze harden for around 2 hours before storing cookies.

Make ahead: Though most recipes recommend not freezing glazed cookies, I have had success flash freezing individual cookies on a cookie sheet and then moving them to a zip lock bag for short term storage. For longer storage, freeze after baking and cooling and before glazing.

Stuffing with a Twist

I love stuffing. Actually I love all the Thanksgiving side dishes and could do without the turkey. I learned how to make stuffing from my Dad when I was a young teen. Even then I liked to cook and I'm so glad that I stood by his side and watched so that when it came my turn, not all that many years later, to serve Thanksgiving dinners, I was ready. Adding rye bread is a bit of a twist on Dad's original recipes but the basics remain. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Stuffing with a Twist

1/2 loaf boule bread (or French bread) and 1/2-1 loaf seeded rye
1/2 -1 lb. sweet sausage, removed from casing
2-3 C celery, chopped
2-3C large onions, chopped
1/2-1 stick butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage or 2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced
1 T poultry seasoning
Optional -- 1/2 t cayenne (or more) if you like your stuffing to have a bit of a kick
2 cups cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines (or Ritz crackers)
Chicken stock to moisten (usually at least a box of chicken stock)
3 eggs, beaten
¼ - ½ stick butter cut into small pats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook sausage in a large skillet and drain off most of the fat. Add butter, celery, onions and seasonings and sauté until soft. Remove from heat and add bread, rice and saltines to pan, stirring to mix. Add stock til moist (not sopping, but good and moist) and mix well. Taste for seasoning. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.

Pour stuffing into a greased pan, top with pats of butter, and bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes

Make Ahead Tips:

• Up to a month ahead: Cube bread and dry slowly in 200 degree oven. Must be thoroughly dry before cooling and saving in zip lock storage bag.
• Stuffing can be fully prepared a day or two ahead of time and then baked when you need it. Allow extra time for baking.
  

Pumpkin Muffins

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and no other food says fall to me like pumpkin bread or muffins. Mom introduced me to pumpkin bread (she likes hers with lots of dates!) many moons ago , when I was just a budding cook, but my recipe has changed over the years. This is the most recent incarnation. It's less dense than the original, and has more of a cake-like texture that I prefer. I'll be making lots of these over the next couple of days and will freeze them so that I have plenty for the upcoming holidays. And don't forget to top with turbinado sugar before baking; it gives the muffins a nice little crunch.

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 normal or 4 large muffins

1/2C oil or melted butter
1C sugar
1/2C brown sugar
2 eggs
1C canned pumpkin
1/2C buttermilk (yogurt or sour cream are good substitutes)
1/2t vanilla
2C flour
1-1 1/2t cinnamon
1/2t allspice
1/4t ginger
1/2t nutmeg
2t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt
1C raisins or dates (I soak raisins for a few minutes in boiling water to plump; then drain)
1C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin cups, buttering and flouring, or using baking spray.

Cream oil and sugars. Beat til fluffy. Add pumpkin, buttermilk, vanilla, and then one egg at a time, beating after each addition.

Combine dry ingredients and beat in, mixing just til combined. Do not overmix. Stir in raisins and walnuts.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle generously with coarse turbinado sugar.

Bake 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn down to 350 degrees and bake 11 minutes for regular muffins and 15 minutes for extra large.

To Freeze: Freeze muffins individually on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, place in a labeled zip lock bag to store up to 3 or 4 months.

Puffed Oven Pancake with Apples

I have been making this puffed pancake ever since my kids were little, but today I branched out a bit and used some of the apples we picked up in North Carolina to create a sweet base for my custardy pancake. And it was good -- I even won over my mom, who has declined this dish until today. In fact, when she smelled the apples cooking she asked what I was making and was definitely disappointed when I said "puffed pancake." That is, until she sat down with my good friend Barb and I to try it out. As Barb said, today she was a member of the clean plate club!

Puffed Oven Pancake with Apples

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Apple Mixture:
5 tart apples, peeled, cored and cut in thin slices
3 T butter
Pinch salt
1/2 t cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1/4 C brown sugar

Saute apples in oven-safe pan (I use a cast iron pan) with butter and spices. When softened, add brown sugar and cook until syrupy (thick and not a lot of liquid). Put pan with apples in hot oven while preparing batter.

Pancake Batter:
3 T butter, melted
6 eggs
1 1/2 C milk
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
Optional: Dash cinnamon, dash nutmeg, 1/2 t vanilla extract

Combine eggs and milk in large mixing bowl and mix well. Add flour and salt gradually, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg and/or vanilla if desired. Whisk until fairly smooth but don't overbeat.

To Make Apple Puffed Pancake:
Drizzle melted butter over apple mixture in hot pan and then add batter.

Carefully move back into oven and bake for 10 minutes at 450. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 10 more minutes until puffed and browned around edges.

Like a souffle, this will puff way up and then go back down once it's removed from oven.

If needed, you can test for "doneness" by inserting a knife which should come out almost clean.

Cut into pie-like slices and serve with butter and real maple syrup.

Variations: You can make this puffed pancake without any fruit at all, just pouring batter in the buttered hot pan and baking, or try other fruits. I love it all on it's own!

Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

I love a good oatmeal cookie but, it can be challenging to make a cookie with just the right degree of chewiness my family likes. That's one of the things that makes this recipe perfect. It's also EASY, QUICK, and contains ingredients you might already have in your pantry -- perfect for last minute get togethers. All in all, a great bar cookie!

Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
3/4 C light brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 C flour
2 C old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
1 C butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Line 9x9" brownie pan with aluminum foil, letting foil hang over edges. Butter pan and set aside.

Cream melted butter and sugars together in mixing bowl. Add one egg and mix well.

Add cinnamon, salt and flour and mix just until combined.

Fold in rolled oats and butterscotch chips until well combined.

Spoon mixture into lined brownie pan and press down with spoon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22 to 27 minutes, until just beginning to brown at edges and pull away from the pan. Don't overcook.

Cool completely in pan. Once cool, using foil overhang, lift out of pan and cut into bars.

Store in airtight container for up to 4 days, though, in my opinion, these bars are their yummiest a few hours after baking.

Make Ahead: You can prepare these bars ahead of time, cut into pieces, and freeze in one sheet, or flash freeze individually and then pop into a ziploc style storage bag for at least 3 months!