Cranberry Pie (Nantucket style)

I fell in love with this several years ago, when my cousin first made it for me. Now that she has moved across the country and I can't bribe her to do the baking for me, I got her to share the recipe and got permission to share it here. Give it a shot, it's delightful!

Bake 325 50-60 mins 

Spray or butter pie plate 

Add 2 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped nuts (pecans are quite nice) and 1/2 cup sugar to the bottom of a pie pan 

Mix: 

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

3/4 cup salted butter 

2 tsp almond extract 

1 cup flour 

(Batter will be thick) 

Spread batter over the top of the cranberries and bake. 

Serve with ice cream or cool whip.

Courtesy of the incomparable Seleta Talbot!

Roasted Balsamic Cranberry and Brie Crostini

Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year for discovering and experimenting with new foods - after all, there are so many other good food choices around that even if the experiment flops, it can be quietly scraped into the garbage and it's existence earnestly denied. But when something pops - oh boy does it pop! 
I was a little bored, so I decided to jettison the traditional cranberry sauce this year. But since I refuse to have thanksgiving sans cranberries, I knew I would have to find some new way to put them back on the table - if only for my own benefit. I found this recipe on pinterest, and knew it could either be quite awful, or simply amazing. Since I am an optimist, I went for it. And I won Thanksgiving.


Roasted Balsamic Cranberry and Brie Crostini

• Toasted baguette slices or crostini (I cheated and bought mine, but you can make your own fairly easily. See the original recipe for a good example).

• 12 ounces fresh cranberries

• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• ½ cup sugar

• 1 Tablespoon rosemary

• 4 ounces triple cream brie

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and rosemary. Spread these out on a rimmed baking sheet. (They get pretty sticky, so if you want to avoid scrubbing, line the pan with parchment paper or tinfoil).

1. Place the cranberries in the oven. Roast for approximately fifteen minutes. At this point, the cranberries should be popped open with juices running out. Remove cranberries from the oven and transfer to another bowl before they glue themselves to the sheet.

1. Top each baguette with a slice of brie and a spoonful of cranberries. Garnish with thyme if desired. These can be served while the cranberries are still warm, or you can make the components ahead of time like I did and store them in the fridge. Simply assemble and serve at room temperature when you're ready!

Courtesy of Neighbor Food blog

Homemade Marshmallows

I’ve been prepping for my sister’s baby shower this next weekend, and part of that has been making homemade marshmallows. I was surprised with how easy they have been, and how much better they are than what you get at the store - I just finished my fifth batch and have had so much fun I thought I would share.

Homemade Marshmallows

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4+ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 tablespoon other extract as desired

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Before you start, line your dish with foil or wax paper, spray with your preferred non-stick spray (or use butter) and then generously dust with confectioners sugar. You will want this done in advance, because doing it last minute will lead to sticky messes. Delicious messes, but your end product will not be as nice.

The size of your pan will determine the thickness of your marshmallows - my first batch I did on a cookie sheet, making them about 1/2 an inch thick. Second batch was in a 9x13 and they ended up about 3/4 of an inch. My third batch I used a 9x9, they were about 1 1/2 inches thick. 

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I actually use the paddle - easier to clean fluff out of when I finish beating) and allow to sit while you make the syrup.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and boil until the syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Increase the speed of the mixer till you have it on high, and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 10-15 minutes depending on your mixer. Slow or stop your mixer to add the vanilla (to avoid splashing) and mix thoroughly for another minute or two. If you are wanting to add other flavorings or colorings this is the time to do it. I’ve tried 1/2 Tbs almond extract and coconut flavoring (not at the same time, though that might be good too.) Both were amazing, but the coconut was my favorite. 

I have not been beating the mix as long as is called for, and it means my fluff is a little thinner and easier to manipulate, it also makes the mallows more dense, but I have been liking it that way (I am planning to try the full time on my next batch to see what happens.)

Pour the marshmallow mixture into your pan, smooth the top, and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out. The thicker you make your mallows, the longer you want them to set. I put them in the oven to keep anything (like cat hair) from getting into it.

The next day turn the marshmallows out onto a dusted board or parchment paper and cut them in squares using a pizza wheel or kitchen scissors. Dust them with more confectioners’ sugar so the edges don’t stick to everything.

Store in an airtight container - word is they should last about two weeks in the refrigerator. I am doubting they will last that long.

As an added bonus, just because I find it very helpful to see exactly what I am doing and what I am looking for at each stage, here is a video showing the process (it’s 20 min, but it does the job)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I have a roommate right now who makes some pretty awesome food on occasion (hello RM) - and some of these recipes need to be shared because they are just too yummy to keep to myself :)


For instance this Flourless Chocolate Cake. Think of brownies on steroids and you will be pretty close to the mark. And so easy too - she told me it was, but dang! She wasn't kidding!


So here it is - reblogged from her food blog,  the recipe is from a 1997 issue of Gourmet.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

4 oz good bittersweet chocolate (I used a 72% dark chocolate bar, and it was pretty decadent. You could easily go lighter...)

1/2 c real butter

3/4 c sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t vanilla (the original recipe does not call for this, but comments on Epicurious recommend it)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper; butter paper. In a double-boiler-type setup, melt chocolate with butter, stirring till smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, whisk well. Sift in cocoa and whisk till just combined. Pour batter in pan and bake in the middle of the oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate. 

Then fancy it up as your whims dictate - a chocolate ganache, berries, powdered sugar, whipped cream... so many yummy possibilities.

Ridiculously Easy Apple Cranberry Pie

So, the fact that I am posting this will only serve to emphasize what a lazy cheater I am - and I don't think this even counts as an actual recipe.

However it is really quite delicious, so very simple (but it looks so fancy!) and it makes a great fall back when all of a sudden you find that you have to take a dessert and you don't have the time to do more than throw things together.

• 1 box of Stouffer's Holiday Edition Glazed Apple with Cranberries
• 1 package of refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Yup. That is all it takes. Defrost the Apple Cranberry mix. Line a pie dish with the first crust, pour filling into crust and lay second crust over the top. Pinch edges together to form a tight seal, cut holes into top of pie crust to vent, and bake according to directions on crust box. You can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the top of the crust, or fancy it up any other way you see fit - or just leave it be! You really can't mess this one up!

Snowflakes

This is not so much a recipe, as an idea to try. We put a large decorating tip (star shaped) in a decorating bag, and filled it with our favorite yogurt. Then squeezed (not much squeezing needed) drops of yogurt on a cookie sheet, and place it in the freezer. In about 3-4 hours, you can just use a spatula to pop them right off the cookie sheet. Put the "snowflakes" in a tupperware in your freezer, and proceed to serve 2-3 of those as "dessert". Our resident 4-year old named these, and proudly served them to our dinner guests.

Also, you can use a zip-lock bag and just cut a hole in a bottom corner. Less snowflake-like, but with the savings in clean up time, I'm sure you can devise other names.

Naan Pizza

I have been wanting to share this recipe/idea for almost a year now, but have been really lazy. At long last, here it is!  I had never tried naan until moving out to NY, but it was, no joke, love at first bite - what amazingly tasty bread! Then while shopping at our local (and beloved) Wegmans, I saw a recipe idea, using naan as a pizza crust, and simply topping it with your favorite things. So while any toppings can be used, here is my favorite variation:

Preheat oven to 400

Use 1 piece naan per person

Chop several fresh basil leaves

Drain and chop roasted tomatoes in olive oil (sundried tomatoes are also good)

Slice as much fresh mozzarella as makes you happy

Place ingredients on bread, I put the basil on the bottom so the leaves don't burn, and the cheese on top so that it melts into everything, but so long as everything is there, no worries. 

Bake pizza for 10-15 minutes, or till cheese is melted and edges are brown. I cook it on the rack, with a pan on the rack below to catch dripping cheese, but if you prefer a softer crust you can place it in the pan before cooking, and shorten your time in the oven. 

Slice it up, sit back and enjoy the yum :)

Watermelon Granita

So, we need more fruit in our lives. And by "we", I mean a certain 3-year old. One by one, foods she used to love have been dropped from her list of approved foods. One has "dirt" in it (pepper), another has the cheese and meat mixed (how dare it), that one looks funny (even though we devoured it just last week). Basically, bread and cheese are okay. And anything else is highly suspect. I know, I know. We should not be surprised. But we can still try a few things, you know?

And so we tried Watermelon Granita. And we all fell for it. It was super easy, so we might try another fruit soon.

Ingredients
1/2 whole seedless watermelon, cut into chunks (about 8 cups)
4 TBSP lemon or lime juice (originally calls for fresh lime, but we aren't that coordinated and subbed lemon juice)
1/3 cup sugar (to taste)

Process
Put half the watermelon, half the juice, and half the sugar in a blender. Unless you have a super sized blender. Process until smooth, and pour into a pan or large flat tupperware.

Repeat with the other half of the ingredients. The pan/tupperware should only be half full (use a second if needed).

Freeze for a couple of hours, and lightly scrape the top/edges with a fork or spoon. Return to freezer, and continue scraping in another couple of hours. Repeat until the entire mixture is shaved. Cover the containers with lids or plastic wrap.

Tell 3-year old it is red "ice cream" or "slushy" and enjoy.

Chewy Caramel Popcorn

1 C Sugar 
1 cube butter 
1/2 C corn syrup 
Dash of salt 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1 tsp vanilla 
2 bags popped microwave popcorn 
  
Bring sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt to a low boil for approximately 1 minute. Remove from heat and add baking soda and vanilla. Mix well. Pour over popcorn quickly and stir to coat evenly. 

This chewy goodness is brought to you by my Aunt Jill :)

Enchilada Casserole

6-8 corn or flour tortillas
1 large can refried beans
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 can mild/medium enchilada sauce
1 1/2 C grated cheddar cheese


Mix hamburger meat with enchilada sauce. 
On the bottom of a round, deep casserole dish create a layer of torn up tortilla shells. Spread a layer of refried beans onto the layer of shells. Add a layer of meat and sauce mixture, followed by a layer of grated cheese. Repeat layers till dish is full or ingredients are gone. For the final (top) layer, use only tortilla shells, beans and cheese. 


Cover dish with lid or foil, and bake at 350 till heated through and all cheese is melted. 
*Other layers may be included as desired.

Taco Soup

Brown:

1 lb ground beef

½ C Chopped onion

Add:

3 C Water

3, 14oz cans stewed tomatoes

2, 16oz cans kidney beans or small red beans

1, 16oz can tomatoes sauce

1 packet taco seasoning

Simmer 15 min, then on top add 2 small avocados, grated cheese, sour cream, Fritos

No-Bake Cookies

Bring to a boil (1min) onthe stove:

2 C Sugar

1/2 C milk

1/2 C butter

1/3 C cocoa

Remove from heat and add (mixing well):

3 C oatmeal (quick cooking works best)

1/2 C peanut butter

1/2 C coconut (optional)

Mix well and drop spoonfuls onto non-stick surface. Let cool.

Hamburger Soup

1lb hamburger

2 cans stewed tomatoes

4-5 beef bullion cubes

3-4 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 T chili powder

1 T oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

1 can whole corn

1 can green beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

Fry hamburger, drain and rinse. put in large soup pot along with tomatoes, bullion cubes, potatoes, carrots and spices. Simmer in water till the potatoes and carrots are soft all the way through, then add the last four cans of vegetables, add salt to taste and simmer again till ready to serve.

Pumpkin Cake

1 large can pumpkin

4 beaten eggs  (whip eggs and then add sugar)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

2 c evaporated milk  (Just add enough water to make 2 cups)

1 box dry yellow cake mix

1 cup butter

nuts

Combine first seven ingredients together and pour into 9X13 pan.

Sprinkle DRY cake mix over the top.  Melt butter and drizzle over cake.  Sprinkle with nuts (optional).

Bake 350 for 1 1/2 hours  (check after an hour) - continue until set, kind of like pumpkin pie

Serve with whip cream or ice cream 

(I like it best the next day after it has sat in the fridge!)

Courtesy of my Aunt Lori

Hamburger Goulash

1 lb hamburger

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can stewed tomatoes

2-3 beef bullion cubes

1/2 T oregano

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp basil

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can green beans

1 can peas

1/2 pkg cream cheese

12 oz pkg of macaroni noodles

Fry hamburger in a large, deep frying pan. Rinse, drain and return to pan. Add remainder of ingredients (except for the cream cheese and macaroni noodles) and slowly simmer to allow flavors to mix. Boil noodles in large soup pan till tender but not overdone (al dente) drain, and return to soup pan. Stir in hamburger sauce and cream cheese till blended and serve. Makes great leftovers!

Hamburger Stroganoff

1 lb hamburger

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 of a 16 oz sour cream

1 beef bullion cube

Dried onion to taste

Salt to taste

Water/milk

12 oz pkg wide egg noodles, boiled and drained

Fry hamburger in a large deep frying pan. Drain, rinse and return to pan. Add  remainder of ingredients except for noodles. Simmer together for 1/2 an hour to an hour adding milk or water to keep at desired consistency before mixing with noodles.

German Pancakes

Mix in blender:

6 Eggs

1 C flour

1 C milk

1 tsp salt

Melt 1/2 cup butter into a 9x13 pan

Pour batter over butter

Bake @ 400 for 20 minutes

Serve with favorite toppings

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2 lbs chicken, cut as desired

1 ½ C rice

3 ¼ C water

2-3 lbs broccoli

1 can cream of chicken soup

¼ C miracle whip/mayonnaise

¼ C water

Lots of grated cheese

Combine rice and water in a 9x13 casserole dish. Cut broccoli florets from main stalk and fill casserole dish. Add chicken, push chunks in among the broccoli. In separate bowl, combine cream of chicken soup, miracle whip and water. Pour over chicken and broccoli, spread to make sure it covers everything, spread cheese over top, as much as you want. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350 for an hour or so, or till rice is cooked, water is completely gone, and chicken is fully cooked. Uncover, and bake for another 5-10 min till cheese is a little brown around the edges.