Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Cider Cream

This will be our last post for our Thanksgiving Countdown. We hope you've enjoyed all the recipes as much as we have. Have a great time preparing all of your delicious Thanksgiving food and most important of all spending time with the ones you love. I'd love to hear some of your traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas foods. Happy Thanksgiving.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup With Cider Cream

Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

4 baking pumpkins or kabocha squash, each about 2 lb., quartered and seeded

Olive oil as needed

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

6 shallots, thickly sliced

2 celery stalks, thickly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tbs. minced fresh sage

12 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup apple cider, reduced to 2 Tbs. and cooled

Directions:Position 1 rack in the upper third of an oven and 1 rack in the lower third, and preheat to 425°F.
Divide the pumpkins among 2 baking sheets. Drizzle the pumpkins with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the pumpkins, cut side down, on the baking sheets. Roast, turning the pumpkins occasionally, until they are tender and beginning to brown, about 45 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through the roasting time. Let the pumpkins cool, then scoop the flesh into a bowl.
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the carrots, shallots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, nutmeg and sage and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin flesh and broth, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.
In a bowl, whisk the cream until slightly thickened. Whisk in the reduced apple cider until blended. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and drizzle with the cider cream. Serve immediately. Serves 12 to 14.

Posted by: Sallie & Julia

Up next week? Some fabulous cookies and neighbor gifts!

Butternut Squash Soup

Soups are another fun way to start off your Thanksgiving meal. You could easily make the soups the day before, then reheat the day of Thanksgiving. Here is one of our favorites.

Butternut Squash Soup

Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil

5 oz. pancetta, cut into small dice

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 sprig fresh sage leaves

3 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

32 oz. butternut squash puree (recipe follows)

1 1/2 Tbs. Marsala wine

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1/4 cup heavy cream Lightly whipped cream for garnish

1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions:In a stockpot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel lined plate; reserve the oil in the pot.
Add the onion and sugar to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and slightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sage sprig and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and squash puree and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the sage sprig and discard. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Add the Marsala and season with salt and white pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth, then whisk in the cream. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with the pancetta, a dollop of whipped cream and hazelnuts. Serves 6.

Butternut Squash Puree:

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, 2 1/2 to 3 lb.

Directions:Preheat an oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
Cut the squash in half through the stem end and place, cut sides down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until easily pierced with a knife, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fibers and discard. Spoon the flesh into a bowl and keep warm.
Using a potato masher, mash the squash until smooth. Alternately, process the squash in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulsing several times until smooth, about 1 minute.

Posted by: Sallie & Julia

Mama's Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a recipe that is loved by both of our families. We have a fun little family Christmas tradition. When we get together for the holidays we always plan one dinner where every person or couple makes a recipe that they really like. It can be anything from appetizer, side dish, main dish or even a dessert. Julia's husband Vince made them one year and they have been a family favorite ever since.

Mamma's Stuffed Mushrooms

from Eat This...It'll Make You Feel Better by Dom DeLuise

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. olive oil

1 sweet Italian sausages

5 tbsp. flavored bread crumbs

1 tsp. grated cheese

1 tbsp. minced parsley

1 egg1 lb. mushrooms (whole)

chicken stock

Directions: In a frying pan, gently brown the minced garlic in the olive oil.Remove the sausage meat from the casing, crumble the meat into the pan, and brown that, too. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, and egg. Add the cooked sausage.Wash the mushrooms quickly, because they tend to absorb water. Remove the mushroom stems and save them for soup or mince them and put them back into the stuffing. Fill the caps nicely with the stuffing. Place them in a baking pan lined with foil. Add a little chicken stock to the bottom of the pan (6-10 tbsp.), just to give them moisture.Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. If the mushrooms are small, maybe 15 minutes will do. Serve them hot! Serves 4-6.

Posted by: Sallie and Julia

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Endive

As if there isn't enough food on Thanksgiving I'm going to share a few appetizers with you. I do like to have them, especially on holidays because I don't know about you, but it seems like Thanksgiving morning I eat a small breakfast, skip lunch and then when I'm at the point of fainting, have a few appetizers and then stuff myself until I burst at dinner. If you're like us, you don't eat until later in the afternoon and it's nice to have a little something to nibble on while you're waiting for the big feast.

One problem I've come across is oven space. It seems like I'm cramming as much as possible into my one oven and there's no room left for appetizers. Some solutions --

1-Use your microwave or crock pot. This artichoke dip can be made as directed and then instead of putting it in the oven, warm it on low in the crock pot or just heat until warm in the microwave.

Meatballs are another great crock pot appetizer.

2-If you are hosting, cook your turkey early and assign out side dishes that will use your oven, thus freeing it for you to make some last minute appetizers OR assign out the appetizers.

3- Make cold appetizers that don't require an oven. Cheese balls with crackers, chips, veggies and dip, antipasto platters or fresh fruit platters are all great choices.

This recipe comes from a Better Homes and Gardens Holiday magazine. It can be made up to 4 hours in advance. The original recipe called for plain Hazelnuts but I really like the contrast of sweet and savory from the candied pecans. If you can't find or don't want to buy Endive leaves you can use a small baguette of bread and just spread the mixture on top of each slice.

Blue Cheese-Stuffed Endive

slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

1 8 oz. tub regular or light cream cheese

1/2 cup (2 oz.) crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions or fresh chives

2 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled

2 tbsp. candied pecans or walnuts OR toasted hazelnuts, pecans or walnuts

36 Belgian Endive leaves (about 3 heads) or small baguettes, sliced

1. In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, blue cheese, green onions, bacon and nuts.

2. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the mixture. into the cup of each Belgian endive leaf.

*To make ahead: prepare as directed in step 1. Cover and chill for up to 4 hours. Continue as directed in step 2.

Posted by: Sallie

Apple Cider Punch

This is another fun drink to serve around the holidays. I like to use the cranberry juice for the pretty red color. It has so many great flavorsThis is a great drink for Christmas or Christmas Eve.

Apple Cider Punch

Better Homes and Gardens

6 cups apple cider
2 cups orange juice, cranberry-raspberry juice, or orange-mango juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 1/4 cups sparkling white grape juice

Directions
1. In punch bowl, large pitcher, or pitchers combine apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. Slowly add sparkling white grape juice or sparkling wine. Serve immediately.

Posted by: Sallie

Snickers Bar Pie

One more delicious pie for all of my fellow chocolate lovers. Again this pie comes from the Recipe Girl. If you haven't checked out her site, you need to. Doesn't she take the most gorgeous pictures? She has tons of yummy recipes and even a Weight Watchers section for those wanting to lighten things up. This pie, however, is not one of those things.

SNICKER’S BAR PIE

RecipeGirl

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1½ cups powdered sugar

½ cup chunky or creamy peanut butter

3 regular-sized Snickers candy bars, chopped

16 ounces Cool Whip, thawed (or about 8 cups of stiffly whipped, sweetened cream)

Two prepared graham cracker pie crusts or chocolate cookie pie crusts

chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, chopped snickers and chopped peanuts for garnish

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese sugar and peanut butter until creamy.
2. Stir in chopped candy bars.
3. Gently fold in the whipped cream just until mixed.
4. Divide between the two crusts. Drizzle chocolate and caramel syrup on top and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and additional chopped snickers. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yield: 2 pies

Cooking Tips:*For the pie pictured, the crust was made out of Chocolate Teddy Grahams. 2 cups of ground Teddy Grahams, 1 stick of melted butter & 2 Tbsp. sugar, mixed together and pressed into a pie plate. Baked at 350 F. for 7 minutes, and cooled before adding filling.

Posted by: Sallie

Butterfinger Pie

I know a lot of people enjoy fruit pies this time of year but I always like variety, and by variety I mean THERE MUST BE CHOCOLATE. This pie is so good. It's got creamy, crunchy, chocolatey, butterfingery, goodness, in every bite. Go raid your kid's Halloween candy and make yourself some of this delicious pie.

BUTTERFINGER PIE

RecipeGirl

CRUST:

14 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos)

4 Tbs butter, melted

FILLING:

23 fun-size butterfinger candy bars (or 15 ounces of butterfingers), divided

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch

2 cups whole milk

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

TOPPING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. Prepare crust: Preheat oven to 375° F. In a food processor, process the cookies into fine crumbs. Add melted butter to crumbs and continue to process until well blended. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie pan and press evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes. The crust will puff up and shrink slightly. Use the flat bottom of a drinking glass to gently press down on the crust. Cool completely.
2. Prepare filling: In a food processor, process 20 of the butterfinger bars into fine crumbs. Divide the crumbs into two 1/2 cup portions and one 1 cup portion; set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and milk. Slowly bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Whisk in hot milk mixture 1 Tablespoon at a time until eggs are tempered (slowly warmed up). Then add eggs to remaining milk in the pan, bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter. Scoop out 1 cup of the peanut butter mixture and put it in a medium bowl; cover and set aside. Add chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the butterfinger crumbs to the remaining peanut butter mixture in the saucepan. Stir until chips are melted. Pour this mixture into the cooled crust. Refrigerate while you’re preparing the next layer.
4. Prepare peanut butter layer: Whip 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Scoop into the bowl with the reserved peanut butter filling and fold together with 1/2 cup of butterfinger crumbs too. Remove pie from refrigerator and mound peanut butter mixture evenly over chocolate layer and spread to the edges.
5. Prepare the topping: Whip the 2 cups of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in remaining 1 cup of butterfinger crumbs. Spoon over the top of the pie, mounding slightly in the center. Chop the remaining 3 fun-sized candy bars and sprinkle over the top of the pie.
6. Cover loosely and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cooking Tips*If you don’t have a food processor, throw cookies in a zip bag and smash it. Candy bars too.**In step 3, if you add the eggs to the pan before they’re warmed up properly, you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. Warm them up slowly by adding the milk mixture a little at a time until they’re quite warm.

Posted by: Sallie