Leftover Turkey Soup

I love this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I actually made it back in November to use up our Thanksgiving turkey. It would be great use of leftover Christmas turkey as well. If you want to make this and don't have leftover turkey, you could use leftover chicken or meat from a rotisserie chicken. 

Leftover Turkey Soup

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary or 1 teaspoon fresh, chopped
6 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth/stock
½ to ¾ cup brown rice or brown rice blend 
2 teaspoons salt, like kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 cup half and half
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 cups cooked, chopped leftover turkey (or chicken)

1.  In a 6-quart saucepan or pot, heat the butter and oil until hot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, thyme and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are slightly tender, 3-4 minutes.

2.  Add the broth, rice, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the rice is tender. The exact time will depend on variety of rice and package directions. For a brown and wild rice blend, the time will be about 30 minutes.

3.  Whisk together or blend the half and half and flour until smooth and there are no lumps. Stir the flour mixture into the soup, whisking quickly, and simmer gently until slightly thickened, 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the cooked turkey and heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve.

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Classic Pecan Pie

I have good recipes for Maple Pecan Pie and Pecan Bars on here, but I've never done a classic Pecan Pie. I finally did for this year's Thanksgiving, and really loved it. I'm not sure why I've never made one before! I was able to find a good-quality frozen pie crust that tasted just like homemade (to me) so that saved me some work this year. (I made 4 desserts the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.) 

Classic Pecan Pie 

adapted from Cooking Classy

1 single-crust pie crust, unbaked*

2 cups (214g) Fisher Pecan Halves, divided
1 cup (220g) packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup (73g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
3/4 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1.  For the filling: Chop 1 cup of the pecans then sprinkle evenly into pie crust. Sprinkle 1 cup whole pecans over chopped layer. Set aside. (I could only find chopped pecans and threw them all in there together.) In a mixing bowl whisk together brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix in butter, corn syrup, eggs and vanilla extract (there should be no streaks of egg).

2.  Pour mixture evenly over pecan layer in crust. Transfer pie to a baking sheet. Bake in lower portion of the oven, covering edges or tenting entire top of pie with foil as needed. Bake until pie is set, about 45 - 55 minutes (it should appear set when you nudge the baking sheet, a very light jiggle is fine). Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*I used a frozen pie crust and did not do any pre-baking. If you are using homemade, you will want to blind bake it first for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, using pie weights.

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Pumpkin Rosemary Dinner Rolls

These pumpkin rolls are so good. They're wonderful with a savory soup, or for Thanksgiving dinner. The first time I made these, last November, our family ate half the batch, and I froze the rest for Thanksgiving. They thawed and warmed up beautifully and went very well with all of the Thanksgiving flavors. The leftovers are also very good toasted and made into a breakfast sandwich (with a fried egg and slice of sharp cheddar). 

Pumpkin Rosemary Dinner Rolls   

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Yield: 20 rolls

1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade, warmed for 20 seconds in the microwave
¾ cup warm water
⅓ cup melted butter or oil
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary 
1 tablespoon instant yeast 
2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2-6 cups all-purpose flour 

1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the pumpkin, water, melted butter or oil, sugar, eggs, rosemary, yeast, and salt. Mix to combine.

2.  Add 2 cups of the flour and mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed, continue to add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. The exact amount of flour needed will depend on the texture and feel of the dough. It should be soft and slightly tacky to the touch but should form a ball and clear the sides of the bowl. Add additional flour as needed. (I live in a humid climate, so I had to keep adding more until the dough was not too sticky.) Knead the dough in the mixer for 5-6 minutes.

3.  Let the dough rise until doubled, 1-2 hours. (You can place the dough in a greased bowl and cover or leave the dough in the mixer to let rise there.) This dough needs a little more time to rise, as it is heavier because of the pumpkin. 

4.  Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the parchment paper with cooking spray.
Gently deflate the dough. Cut off pieces of dough and roll into balls. (I make 20 rolls- so I divide dough in half, then each half into 10 balls.) Place the rolls about 1/2-inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1-2 hours. (Again, these rolls are slow to rise.)

5.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the center position (or just slightly higher than center). Bake the rolls for 18-22 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and butter the tops while still warm.

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Blueberry Crumble Pie

I really loved this pie. We had it for Thanksgiving this year. Usually, I make this old recipe for blueberry pie, but I wasn't 100% happy with the topping the last time. I decided to look for a new recipe that included oats in the topping, because that sounded good. Kind of like a fruit crisp inside a pie crust. 

I used two bags (12 oz. each) of frozen blueberries for this. The original recipe's author says not to do this, but it's November in Italy. I can only get frozen blueberries this time of year, so I just decided to go with it. They were perfect! The author does state that although she prefers fresh, but if you use frozen, you might have to bake it a bit longer. I did this- about 10 extra minutes. I made sure to cover it with foil, so it didn't brown too much. 

I really enjoyed how firm the filling was in this recipe. I'm attributing that to the use of both flour and cornstarch in the recipe. It didn't fall apart upon serving! Score. 

Blueberry Crumble Pie  

adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 

1 unbaked single-pie piecrust 

5 and 1/2 cups (about 780g) fresh blueberries* (2, 12 oz bags of frozen, unthawed bags are perfect)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used Penzey's Pie Spice)
6 Tablespoons (85g) salted butter, very cold and cubed

2/3 cup (57g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats

1.  Make the filling: In a large bowl, mix blueberries, granulated sugar, flour, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest together until thoroughly combined. Place filling in the fridge until needed in step 2. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). (Do not thaw frozen blueberries first; just use straight from freezer.) 

2.  Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out a disk of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the cold filling into the crust. Flute or crimp the pie crust edges. Place pie in the refrigerator until needed in the next step.

3. Make the crumble: Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the brown sugar mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. Stir in the oats and sprinkle over pie.

4. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, you may want to cover the pie with foil to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. **If using frozen blueberries, you may want to add 10 minutes to the baking time so it can bake and later thicken up thoroughly.**

5. Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (Can also bake the night before and refrigerate. I did this for Thanksgiving.) 

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Turkey Korma (With Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey)

Yum, I loved this delicious and unexpected way to use up the last of our Thanksgiving turkey! I was excited to find this recipe; thinking it wouldn't be as good as a more labor-intensive Korma, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. It was really good! The sauce is thickened perfectly with almond flour, and using mostly broth for a base makes the dish lighter. I did add some coconut sugar (1-2 teaspoons) because I really love a slight sweetness to my Korma. (My onions were a little crunchy- I'll cook them longer next time. Keep that in mind when making this.) 

I served this with roasted curry broccoli- a bag of frozen baby broccoli florets, roasted in olive oil, salt, and Penzey's curry powder. (At 400 F for about 30 minutes.) Everything was so delicious. (Note: you can also use leftover, cooked chicken for this recipe. I want to try it with a rotisserie chicken next.) 

Turkey Korma  

adapted from An Edible Mosaic

2 tablespoons clarified butter ghee, coconut oil, or sunflower oil
1 large onion, chopped 
4 large cloves garlic *
1 tablespoon fresh-grated ginger *(I used 3-4 Tablespoons of ginger/garlic paste in place of garlic and ginger here)
½ cup almond flour
1 tablespoon garam masala spice mix
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (may need a bit more)
2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons coconut sugar or brown sugar, optional, for sweetness
2 cups cooked chopped turkey or chicken (from a rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey)
¼ cup heavy cream

1. Melt the ghee in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until caramelized, about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, ginger, Ior ginger/garlic paste) and almond flour and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, cinnamon, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt, and cook 30 seconds more while stirring constantly.

2. Stir in the broth and tomato paste. Bring up to a simmer, and then simmer 2 minutes (uncovered), stirring frequently. (Make sure onions are cooked enough at the end of this step.)  If it gets too thick, add additional broth. I added at least another 1/2 cup or more. Add the optional coconut or brown sugar. Add the turkey/chicken and cook until warm throughout, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.

 

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Pistachio Fluff Salad

My mom made this often growing up, especially for holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving.  Last time we were with my parents for Christmas, my mom made it and my kids really loved it.  I don't think I've ever made it myself, but I finally did a few days ago for Thanksgiving when my kids requested it.  It was gone too fast.  Most people use Cool Whip for this, but my mom just whips cream and it's so good that way.  I used 2 containers of European shelf-stable cream, which ends up being about 1.5 cups.  You can use just one cup or 1.5 cups.  It's good either way.  Also, it needs to be made the day before for best results, or the pudding mix doesn't seem to fully incorporate smoothly.  

Pistachio Fluff Salad

from my mom

2 boxes (3.4 oz each) Jell-O Instant Pistachio pudding mix
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple (in juice)
1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (can use just 1 cup, can probably use 2 cups as well)

1.  Whip the heavy cream- I use a stand mixer but you can use a hand mixer, as well.  After it's whipped to soft peaks, fold in the dry pudding mix (do not add any milk).  Then, fold in the crushed pineapple (you can drain a bit of the juice, but leave some).  Fold in the drained mandarin oranges.  Transfer to an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate, overnight, if possible.  

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Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

I have a tried-and-true recipe for mashed potatoes in the slow cooker, but those are actually made on the stove and then just kept warm in the slow cooker.  These new ones are made start to finish in the slow cooker.  When you make these for the first time, get them going about an hour before you think you should.  They can be mashed and kept in the slow cooker for awhile.  The first time I made them, I didn't start them soon enough and we had to wait a little to eat dinner.  Lol.  I did not try them for the first time on Thanksgiving- I made these about a week later.  In the future I might make these for Thanksgiving though.

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4-5 pounds russet or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I didn't peel)
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse, kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth (I use low-sodium)

FOR MASHING:
1/3 cup milk, if needed
2-3 tablespoons butter
2 ounces cream cheese, softened OR 1/4 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Grease the insert of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add the potatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, milk, and broth. Stir to combine. (Potatoes may not be totally covered by liquid; it's fine.) Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are very tender.

2.  Uncover the slow cooker, take out the garlic cloves (I left them in), and add the additional 1/3 cup milk (if needed – if the potatoes already look plenty soft/liquidy, don’t add this or add it gradually), butter, and cream cheese or sour cream. Mash until creamy, using a hand-held potato masher.  Add additional salt and pepper to taste. 

3.  Cover the slow cooker and turn the heat to low or warm until ready to serve (up to an hour).

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Overnight Dinner Rolls

These rolls were so buttery and delicious.  They are similar to my mom's roll recipe for Butterhorns, which isn't posted here (someday) but you make the dough and let it sit in the fridge overnight (or up to 4 days!).  This was perfect for Thanksgiving; I made the dough the night before and then used half of it to make rolls for Thanksgiving.  The next day, I used the remainder of the dough to make fresh rolls to go with our Thanksgiving leftovers.  Everyone loved these rolls.  This recipe is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe- I'm starting a new tag since I use so many of her recipes.

Overnight Dinner Rolls
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 cup warm water
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1 cup + 4 cups all-purpose flour (25 ounces total)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces) butter, melted
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons, 4 ounces) butter, chilled
Melted butter for brushing dough and baked rolls

1.  In a medium bowl or 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together the water, evaporated milk, sugar, yeast, salt, egg, and 1 cup of the flour. Add the melted butter and mix until a smooth batter forms. Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, add the remaining 4 cups flour. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the 1/2 cup chilled butter into the flour. Toss the flour and butter together until evenly combined. Alternately, you can cut the butter into cubes and cut it into the flour using a pastry blender/cutter or two butter knives (or forks) until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. (I opted for the pastry cutter- it wasn't that hard at all.)

3.  Pour the yeast mixture over the flour/butter and use a fork or spatula to mix until the dough starts to come together. Mix just until the dough forms a rough, lumpy ball and the flour is evenly moistened.  (Click on link for original recipe, above, under the recipe title, for more info and a tutorial.)

4.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours and up to 3-4 days.

5.  When ready to make rolls, divide the chilled dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece (or one at a time, depending on how many rolls you want to make – the remaining dough can go back in the fridge) into an 11- or 12-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick or slightly less than. (I use a large glass cutting board lightly coated with cooking spray for the rolling.)  It should be fairly thin. Brush the dough circle with a tablespoon or two of melted butter.

6.  Cut the circle into 8 equal pieces, using a pizza cutter. Roll each wedge into a crescent shape starting at the wide end. Place the rolls on a parchment-lined baking sheet a few inches apart. At this point I brush the rolls with a bit of melted butter.  Cover lightly with a towel or greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

7.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes until golden and baked through. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter, if desired.

Cranberry Curd Bars

These Cranberry Bars were so fun to make and satisfying- a great weekend baking project.  You make your own cranberry curd (like lemon curd) from cooking down fresh cranberries, straining the mixture, and then mixing with sugar, eggs and egg yolks, and lemon juice and cooking and stirring until thickened.  Then strain again and pour over the pre-baked shortbread crust.  Bake a little longer to just set the curd, and you're done.  I found it important to have two strainers (or sieves) on hand for this recipe. The original calls for you to wash the sieve to use again, but I think it would have been too hard by hand with all of those cranberry seeds.  I was glad I had more than one on hand.

These would be great for Thanksgiving, but we had too many desserts already.  So I made them after those desserts were gone- lol.  If making for Thanksgiving, prepare the day before, because I think it'd be too much work for the day of.

Cranberry Curd Bars
adapted from the Kitchn

For the crust:
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces and at room temperature

For the cranberry curd:
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups- a little more/less is fine)
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces and at room temperature
Powdered sugar, for dusting

1.  Make the crust: Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray, or grease with butter.  You can line with parchment, if desired, so you can lift out the whole thing to cut after, but I just prefer to cut right from the pan and store in the pan.

2.  Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until coarsely ground, about 15 (1-second) pulses. Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse until finely ground, about 10 (1-second) pulses. Scatter the butter over the top of the flour-nut mix and pulse until the mixture forms moist clumps, 20 to 25 (1-second) pulses. (You can do this by hand: chop the walnuts finely, mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter with a pastry cutter.)

3.  Transfer the mixture into the baking dish and press into the dish with your hands or the bottom of a floured drinking glass, making it as even as possible. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Twenty minutes before the crust is ready, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F.

4.  Bake the crust until beginning to brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the cranberry curd.

5.  Make the cranberry curd: Place the cranberries and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the cranberries have burst open and are mushy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fit a fine-mesh strainer over a large bowl.

6.  Pour the cranberry mixture into the strainer and press the cranberry purée through using a spatula until only pulp remains in the strainer. (This takes a few minutes; keep stirring, scraping the bottom of the strainer frequently.)  Set the purée aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, discard the contents of the strainer and clean the strainer and the saucepan for reuse. (It's easy enough to clean the pan, but I would just get a second, un-used strainer ready for the next step.)

7.  Add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt to the cranberry purée and whisk until smooth. Return the cranberry mixture to the saucepan over medium heat. Stir the curd continuously, making sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan, until it comes to a simmer and thickens slightly, coats the back of a spoon, and registers about 150°F on an instant-read thermometer (there's some wiggle-room, so don't fret about being exact), 5 to 11 minutes.

8.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter all at once, and stir until completely melted. Pour the curd through the strainer again into a clean bowl to strain out any small chunks of cooked egg. Pour the warm cranberry curd onto the crust and spread into an even layer.

9.  Bake until the curd is set but still jiggles slightly in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

10.  When ready to serve, just cut pieces right from the pan and serve.  Or, if you used parchment: run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cranberry bar slab. Use the parchment paper as handles to lift the slab from the pan onto a cutting board. Trim off the sides to make even edges if desired. Cut into 24 pieces. Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar, which will melt into the cranberry curd and make a sweet glaze. 

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Turkey Cranberry Panini

This grilled sandwich was easy and delicious.  I copied an idea from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, but didn't want to run to the store for missing ingredients, so I subbed or omitted things.  I didn't have Brie, so I used Baby Bell cheese, lol.  I didn't have spinach so I left it off.  I used regular Italian sandwich bread (like American sandwich bread, only much smaller) instead of something hearty or fancy.  And I just now realized I was supposed to add some Dijon.  Lol! You might not have leftovers anymore to make this, but keep this in mind for next year.

Btw, "Panini" just means "sandwiches" in Italian.  The "i" ending makes it plural.  It doesn't mean pressed or grilled sandwiches, but in the US it does mean that, so I'll keep that in the title.  I just used my regular sandwich griller thingy for this; I don't have a real panini press.

Turkey Cranberry Panini
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

For each sandwich:
2 slices favorite sandwich bread
favorite white cheese
leftover cooked turkey, sliced
Dijon mustard, optional
2-3 Tablespoons cranberry sauce, more or less to taste
Butter, for grilling

1.  On one slice of bread spread Dijon according to taste.  Layer on cheese, turkey, cranberry sauce, and another layer of cheese.

2.  Top with the other slice of bread. Butter the outsides of the bread. 

3.  Cook the sandwich in a hot skillet/griddle/panini press, pressing down with a spatula or a heavy saucepan (if you aren’t using an actual panini or sandwich press), flipping halfway through, until the bread is golden on both sides, and the cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

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Cranberry Upside Down Cake

This cake was a surprise!!  I made it because it looked easy and I needed to use up some cranberries.  Well, it was SO GOOD!!  Of course I knew it'd be a good cake, but I was blown away by the awesome flavor.  The buttery cake, the caramel layer you cook on the bottom, and the tart cranberries.  So good!  Another great David Lebovitz recipe.  This would be great for Thanksgiving. (Btw, I've made so many of his recipes I'm gonna start a new David L. tag!)  

Note: the recipe calls for 10 oz. of cranberries.  My bag was about 12 oz., but I only used 10 oz.  Next time, I'd just throw the whole bag in there.  It would have been fine.  (The cranberries really cook down, and it wasn't that much extra.)  For now, I'll throw the extra cranberries into some mulling cider, but usually I'm glad not to have a tiny bit of something hanging around in my fridge.  Lol.  

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

adapted from David Lebovitz

Topping:
4 tablespoons (55g/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed (I used salted)
3/4 cup (125g) packed light brown sugar
3 cups (280g/10 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (I'd use my whole bag next time- almost 12 oz)

Batter:
1 1/4 cup (175g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50g) coarse cornmeal or polenta (I used regular cornmeal I had on hand)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g/4oz) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature (I used salted)
3/4 cup (150g) granulated (white) sugar
grated zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125ml) whole or low fat milk, at room temperature

1. In a 9- to 10-inch (23-25cm) cast iron skillet*, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar together, stirring frequently, until the sugar and butter is liquefied. When the mixture starts to bubble, remove from heat and set the pan aside. (*You can also use a cake pan, as long as it's ok on the stovetop for the short period of time needed to do this step.)

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal or polenta, baking powder, and salt.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand in a mixing bowl with a spatula, beat the ½ cup of butter, granulated sugar and lemon zest at medium high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until very light and fluffy.

5. Reduce the speed of the mixer to medium and add the eggs one at a time, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides. Mix in the vanilla extract.

6. At low speed, add half of the flour mixture, then the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just enough so that they’re all combined. Do not overmix. I used a rubber spatula at the end to get the flour fully incorporated.

7. Distribute the cranberries in the prepared pan over the brown sugar mixture and shake the pan so they are in a relatively even layer. Spoon the batter over the cranberries in four mounds, then use a spatula to spread the batter evenly over the fruit.

8. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. (Mine was done at around 40,) Remove from the oven, wait 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the cake. Place a serving platter overturned on top of the cake in the skillet, then using oven mitts to cover your hands, flip the two over simultaneously, until the cake releases from the pan.

Storage: The cake is best made and served the same day, warm if possible. You can rewarm slices in the microwave. It is also good served at room temperature.

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Salted Caramel Squares

First, Happy Back to the Future Day!  Lol.  Ok, these delicious-looking bars were in the last Penzey's Spices catalog.  The recipe is online too.  This recipe comes from an Irishman, so I guess that makes it Irish!  My layers didn't come out as clean-looking as theirs, but these were still so delicious.  I actually made these for our Canadian Thanksgiving Celebration on October 12. We had some extra kids over and most of them seemed to enjoy these, too.  My kids loved these even through they contain coconut (I didn't tell them until they were all gone.... evil laugh).

You could use a can of Dulce de Leche if you have that on hand, instead of cooking the sweetened condensed milk.  I'd melt the butter and add everything into the DDL if you do that.  I still have some cans of Portuguese DDL I brought over from the Azores, but decided to not use it for this (it's harder to find DDL in Italy... I've only seen it in international stores.

Salted Caramel Squares

adapted from Penzey's

Base:
1 Cup self-rising flour
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 Cup shredded coconut
1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt

Caramel:
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 TB. Lyle’s golden syrup (use half honey, half corn syrup for a sub)
1 TB. butter
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Chocolate:
16 oz. dark chocolate
1 tsp. butter
1/2- 1 tsp. coarse sea salt

1.  Preheat oven to 360°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, coconut, butter, cinnamon (if using) and salt. Mix well on low. Press onto an ungreased rectangular baking sheet (about 10x14; a 9x13 pan would also work), about 1/4-inch thick. Bake at 360° for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit, leaving the oven on.

2.  For the caramel, combine the milk, golden syrup and butter in a small heavy saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring constantly, until big bubbles form and the mix is thickened and a light caramel color, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.  Pour and gently spread over the base. Return to the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.

3.  For the chocolate, melt the chocolate and butter using a double boiler or in a glass bowl placed over a pot of boiling water. Stir until melted. Pour and spread the chocolate over the cooled caramel. Sprinkle with the sea salt. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set, about 2 hours. Cut and serve.  Tastes best at room temperature.

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Pecan Pie Bars

These Pecan Pie Bars are some of the most delicious food I have ever eaten.... I loved them sooo much!!  I made them for Thanksgiving this year instead of Pecan Pie.  I love both but these were way easier.  These combine some of my favorite things and flavors- shortbread, caramel, and pecan pie.  Seriously, you have to make these.  There's butter involved, for sure, but sometimes it's so worth it.  You whip up shortbread, and then cook some honey, butter, and other stuff on the stove, pour it over the crust, and bake.  So easy.  It makes a large 9x13 pan, too!  

Pecan Pie Bars

adapted from Cooking Classy

Shortbread:

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Pecan Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 Tbsp heavy cream (I subbed store-bought almond milk)
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups roughly chopped pecans

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip 1 cup butter with 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp salt until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour and mix until dough begins to come together in crumbles. Press mixture into an even layer in prepared baking dish and bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden.

2.  Meanwhile, prepare the topping by melting together 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, honey, heavy cream or almond milk, and salt in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan set over medium heat. Simmer mixture 1 minute, then stir in pecans.

3.  Pour pecan mixture over hot shortbread and spread into an even layer. Return to oven and bake until top is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes. (Don't let it get too brown around the edges- or they'll be really hard.)  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack (you can cool in the fridge or freezer to speed up cooling) then, cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**