Thanksgiving 2016 - Menu/Recipes (2,403 views)

Cool Bitten Word links. Thanks. Interesting video for the Upside-down Turkey.

Yep, Cookieee and Testkitchen, lots of similar recipes, but I've never been able to find the exact one that I have clipped from the magazine. It is not from Harvest Market and it is not the one with the whole wheat crust. They're all alike though! No white sugar and no flour and no corn syrup in the one I make. I am sure they are all pretty close in flavor since they are so similar, but I do think eliminating the corn syrup is one of the reasons we like the pie so much.

mcgee, like the chicken pot pie idea. Did you see this recipe from the NYT? I was intrigued, but two people in my supper club do not come within ten feet of mushrooms.

I love hearing about everyone's families and feasts

Derp. I haven't printed from MC in so long that I'd forgotten. I was trying to create a .pdf & then copy that. Here's the recipe, along with my copious notes:


* Exported from MasterCook *

Pumpkin-Pie Gingersnap Cookies-and-Cream Ice Cream

Recipe By :Unbelievably good ice cream!
Serving Size : 18
Categories : Dessert Five-Star Favorite
Holiday Tradition Now Ice Cream or Frozen Treat
Make Ahead/FREEZE Make Ahead/NO last-min prep
Thanksgiving (Dinner or Theme)

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
EGG-YOLK MIXTURE:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
5 large egg yolks -- saving whites for meringues later!

REMAINING CUSTARD INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger

ADD TO CUSTARD:
1 cup half-and-half
15 ounces canned pumpkin

ADD AFTER PRESSING CUSTARD THROUGH STRAINER:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon orange zest -- grated and fresh (dried won't work; flavorless)

DON'T ADD THESE UNTIL CHURNING THE CHILLED CUSTARD:
1 cup coarsely chopped gingersnaps -- chopped with hand chopper b/c food processor will pulverize part of the cookies (Note that it takes about 14 gingersnaps to reach 1 cup chopped.)
1 cup gingersnaps -- left whole for garnish of scooped servings, optional

When separating the eggs, place yolks into bowl of stand mixer. (A large batter bowl works unless doubling the recipe, but the stand mixer is easier.)

Beat the brown sugar and corn syrup into the egg yolks until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in the cornstarch, cinnamon, pumpkin-pie spice, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.

Bring the half-and-half to simmer in a large, heavy saucepan (this will take awhile on low heat, but don't leave it!). Use stainless steel, as hand-mixer beaters in later steps (unless you're using stand mixer) aren't good for Le Creuset enamel. Use a pot much bigger than seems required, to help minimize splashing with later mixing. (When I double this recipe, I use my 8-quart All-Clad stainless: it's huge, but it has high enough walls to help with splashing, without being so high that a hand mixer cannot be used in it if needed.) I like to use my Pampered Chef stiff L-shaped nylon whisk; it scrapes the bottom of the saucepan really well. You just have to watch the mixture carefully to see the simmering bubbles (turn off heat as soon as you see those), b/c the whisk makes lots of foam.

Slowly beat the hot half-and-half into the egg/sugar mixture.

Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan. Wash out and dry the mixer bowl and beater. Place mixture over low heat. Stir constantly with a spatula until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture overheat (or boil!), or the eggs will scramble--see Notes for info on raw-egg safety.

Remove from the heat and dump the mixture back into the clean mixer bowl. Add the canned pumpkin; stir it a little with the beater paddle and then reinstall the bowl and paddle; mix until smooth.

Pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. (Doubled recipe requires a very large glass prep bowl or big Tupperware bowl; standard recipe can use 8-cup batter bowl.) Don't use a strainer with holes that are too tiny; it takes awhile anyway for the custard to pass through. Mash the custard around with a spatula to force it through the strainer. Wipe the strainer's underside carefully with rinsed-off spatula after mixture has strained through. Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the cream, vanilla, and orange zest.

Chill custard thoroughly. Churn in ice-cream maker (30 minutes for the Cuisinart). About 2/3 of the way through the time, when the mixture has thickened, add coarsely chopped gingersnaps and let the machine mix them in.

Transfer mixture into containers to store in freezer. Or, for Thanksgiving, transfer mixture into Le Creuset pumpkin casserole; freeze (but see serving notes!).

Description:
"Fantastic recipe. One of our Thanksgiving desserts."
Source:
"My adaptation of a recipe in The Ultimate Ice Cream Book by Bruce Weinstein"
Yield:
"6 cups of custard"
Start to Finish Time:
"1:15"
T(Time/day b4 serve):
"1:30"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 169 Calories; 8g Fat (39.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 77mg Cholesterol; 107mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

Serving Ideas : Important Note: If serving this recipe in the Le Creuset pumpkin, you need to place the pumpkin onto something that will not skid, such as a damp, folded kitchen towel or cloth napkin (so it'll absorb moisture, but start out a little damp so it doesn't skid on the granite). As the Le Creuset defrosts slightly, a layer of moisture forms on the outside of it, making it so slippery that a careless guest could slide it right off the counter while dishing out ice cream. Planning ahead will prevent disaster here (and thank goodness it hasn't happened)!

Doubled recipe (36-serving) will not fit into the Le Creuset pumpkin. About 1.25 or 1.5 recipes will, however. But for a typical large Thanksgiving dinner, where many desserts are offered, you do not need to double this recipe. You'll have leftovers anyway, and doubling it means taking twice the time to get the custard through the sieve--the most time-consuming part of the recipe.

The gingersnaps are optional. I added them to the basic ice-cream base one year. Based on Blue Bell Creamery's 2013 flavor, "Spiced Pumpkin Pecan" (which is fantastic), I think other additions could be chopped pecans and/or a swirl (don't fully mix it in!) of caramel ice-cream topping (just buy a jar & swirl it in). Mmmmmmmmmmm.

NOTES : Original recipe was a little bland. We added the pumpkin-pie spice and doubled the gingersnap quantity to make a real winner.

You need about 16 gingersnaps to equal 1 cup coarsely chopped, plus extras for garnish if desired.

Would be interesting to try cutting the fat grams by substituting some lower-fat ingredients. This is a very heavy, rich ice cream that might still be excellent with lighter ingredients; it's worth a try!

From biochemist and chef Shirley Corriher: Destroying bacteria is a matter of both time and temperature. You do not even have to get the yolks to the salmonella instant-kill temperature of 160 degrees F. Holding them at a slightly lower temperature for several minutes is just as effective. Yolks are pasteurized by holding them for 3.5 minutes at 140 degrees, which is not very hot--hot tap water is in this range. Eggs don't scramble (cook) until about 180 degrees, so you have some margin here.

Testkitchen - wow, that sounds great but A LOT of work. I would make it except DH not a huge fan of pumpkin so I'm afraid the effort wouldn't be worth it. Sure sounds good though and if I ever host a larger group, I'm going to give it a try.

VAcooker, the Signup Genius invitation's basic intro text mentions the # of people, so I think I'll be OK there. We will probably have enough leftovers to feed an army.

My daughter wants me to make MY mashed potatoes, which is a compliment but it also would give me one more thing I have to make (eek!) = one less thing farmed out. I will likely leave the mashed taters as a signup thing. A few of my family members want the Brussels sprouts, which at this point is my only last-minute recipe (I'm not fond of that idea at all, but do-ahead sprouts sound gross). Aaaaand, in the "Mission Creep As My Personal To-Do List Grows" department, DD would love asparagus, "even if I have to do it myself on the grill, Mom." I refuse to have two last-minute items, no matter who's doing them, so what do you think of this make-ahead asparagus recipe? link

You could try a stuffed turkey breast with spinach, feta and sun-dried tomatoes or cranberries, or whatever you like - similar to the Michael Symon recipe I posted above for turkey braciole w lemon pan juices -- using turkey breast in place of thighs.

Thank you so much, Karen! I hope to test drive this once our disgustingly hot weather cools down. (We don't have air conditioning and the thought of running the oven at 500 degrees does not sound appealing at the moment.)

How about a make-ahead blanched and chilled Asparagus Salad...

www.thriftyfoods.com/recipes/recipes/asparagus-tomato-and-butter-lettuce-salad
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We do a neighborhood potluck for Thanksgiving, and collect singles who have no one to have the day with. DH and I do a turkey on Tuesday, and slice it for leftovers for the people attending, then make soup for them to take home. Our signature and most often requested dish is bourbon cranberry sauce, so I double the recipe.

4 cups cranberries
2 cups sugar (I'm trying half Splenda this year)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup bourbon.

Mix first 3 ingredients in a 13x9 pan, and cover securely with foil. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Stir, and continue baking for another 1/2 hour, or until cranberries are soft. Remove from oven, add bourbon and stir. Chill once it cools. We've kept it for months in the fridge... good on pancakes, too ;-)

While I don't love cranberries of any kind, I love your Thanksgiving holiday sharing it with those that don't have others to be with. It is so refreshing to hear that good people still exist in this world with all the hate that seems to be so prevalent these days! Thanks lakemartingal!!

Karen

How's your Thanksgiving prep going?

I just finished making my version of the NYT Sauteed Brussels Spouts and Apple with Prosciutto. I quartered the b sprouts and used tart apples. Bacon fat instead of olive oil, and added some sage. I undercooked the sprouts and apples so they can be reheated tomorrow.

3 pounds of shrimp are roasted for Ina's Roasted Garlic Shrimp Cocktail, still need to make the sauce.

Up next, deviled eggs (my standard version with capers and also some with with bacon and pickled jalepenos). Then Pumpkin Cheesecake cupcakes. And Roasted Shallots with Buttery Sweet-Tart Glaze.

We have appetizers around 11:30, then turkey dinner at 4:30.

Hope everything is going smoothly for you!

In good shape for our "Greek/Middle eastern" Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. Done and just have to reheat tomorrow or bake include spinach pie, Mushroom lentil stuffed butternut squash kibbeh, Greek turkey meatballs with Lemony tomato sauce and feta, Fava dip, homemade pita, mujaddarrah, Braised Greek green beans and tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves, sweet potato pie, and Maple apple baklava. Also done is a breakfast casserole since FIL coming early in the day and staying overnight (we hope!). Table almost ready, too. For tomorrow...finish setting table, Greek lemony potatoes, falafel salad, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki. I think it is going to be a four fork kind of day!!! Looks like I have the Thanksgiving basics covered....I have sweet potato, butternut squash, turkey, green beans, rice, apples and in general....lots of food and family.

Happy holiday to all,
Karen

Recipe review here for the  www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-turkey-with-no-fuss-gravy-simple-thanksgiving-solution/ I posted earlier.  My 6-lb. turkey breast was perfectly done at 4 hours in a 6-qt. Crock-Pot.  I subbed 1/2 lb of baby portobello mushrooms for the celery, and pureed all veggies into the liquid with an immersion blender (minus bay leaves and thyme sprigs) without skimming fat.  That made a ton of wonderfully flavorful and somewhat thickened gravy.  I plan to use the excess gravy, along with some of the leftover turkey breast, for a turkey and rice or turkey and pasta casserole.