Carrot Cake for Thanksgiving Dessert

This year Leila asked for carrot cake for Thanksgiving! Years ago in the late sixties when I was living in London,  an American girl gave me a carrot cake recipe. I remember she was from California and insisted this was really healthy . . . . probably not but it tasted really good! This particular icing is sublime.

Ingredients

3 cups grated carrots (put through meat grinder)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Mix all the above together in a bowl.
Bake in slow oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 2 1/4 hours or until tooth pick comes out clean. Avoid letting the cake become dry.

Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 lemons squeezed
Icing sugar (add according to how sweet  or not you desire the frosting to be) This is vague, I shall adjust once I’ve made it again!
1 teaspoon vanilla

So once the cake has cooled, ice the cake and enjoy.

Dolly's Pecan Pie - Thanksgiving Dessert

 

Dolly's pecan pie  .   .  . named after Dolly who once came to a family dinner as a friend of one of the guests. She brought along the most delicious pecan pie we had ever tasted, the pecans were from  her parent's tree in their garden down south! She graciously wrote down the recipe, we've been forever grateful.

Ingredients

3 eggs
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
dash of salt
1 cup of dark cayo syrup or use white cayo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whole pecans
Uncooked pastry shell (see recipe below)

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine everything except the whole pecans, pour into pastry shell, add whole pecans on top and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

I make two of these for Thanksgiving.

Dough for Pastry Shell

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup spry
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice cold water

Directions

Place 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix together briefly.
Add 1 cup spry and rub the spry and flour together with your fingers until the flour looks like  coarse bread crumbs. Don’t overwork the flour. Gently add some of the water and mix the flour around with your hands, it shouldn’t be too wet and mushy, nor too dry. The flour should be beginning to bind like a dough, mold it together with your hands so it is in one ball.
Some people leave the dough in the fridge to chill, but I generally use it right away, sprinkle the cutting board with a bit of flour, place the dough on the flour and flatten the ball with your hands before rolling out to fit the pastry dish.
This recipe is enough for two pastry dishes.
Pecan pie only has pastry on the bottom.

Chocolate Cream Pie - Thanksgiving Dessert

Epicurious is a great site for recipes, this one is delicious. I’ve made it with an ordinary pie crust as well and it’s still excellent.

Ingredients

The crust

1 1/3 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (approx. 26 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup sugar

The filling

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teasp. salt
4 egg yolks
3 cups milk
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate melted
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate melted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1 teasp. vanilla

Topping

3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Make the crust first.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Stir together the crumbs butter and sugar and press on bottom and up sides of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake until crisp, approx. 15 minutes and cool.

Next make the filling. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks in a saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a steady stream whisking constantly. Bring to boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer whisking one minute until thick. Whisk in chocolates, butter and vanilla. Cover filling with a buttered round of wax paper and cool for 2 hours.

Spoon filling into pie crust and chill for at least 6 hours.

Just before serving,mix heavy cream and sugar together with an electric mixer until the cream is stiff. Spoon on top of pie
This pie is also good without the cream topping!

Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin for Thanksgiving

Can be made day before, reheat at 300 degrees F. covered. Serves 6

Ingredients

2 large leeks (1 lb total)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for the pan
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 oz pancetta or country ham
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon coarse salt
black pepper
2 medium sweet potatoes
3 medium Idaho potatoes


                                                                      Directions

Take the 2 large leeks, trim, half lengthwise, slice 1/4 inch crosswise, swished and soaked in enough cold water to cover. Lift the leeks gently from their soaking water so that any grit stays behind. Drain them in a colander.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add 6 oz pancetta diced in 1/4” pieces, stirring occasionally until golden (about 4 mins). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. If there seems to be too much oil in the pan, pour some of it off at this point, leaving a small amount for the leeks. The dish can become too oily.
Add the leeks and 1/4 cup minced garlic to the pan,cover and reduce the heat to low. Sweat the leeks and garlic, cooking slowly and stirring occasionally until the leeks are softened (about 5 mins). Don’t let the leeks or garlic brown.
Add 2 cups heavy cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 mins. Stir in the ham, 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon coarse salt and a shake of pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 2 quart casserole dish (or spray Pam). Peel and slice 2 medium sweet potatoes between 1/4 to 1/8” thick. Repeat with 3 Idaho potatoes,

Arrange one overlapping layer of Idaho slices on the bottom of casserole. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons leek cream evenly over the potatoes. Add a layer of sweet potato slices, season lightly with salt and pepper and spoon on another 2 tablespoons of leek cream. Repeat with remaining potatoes until all are used. Press down firmly on the potatoes with hands and drizzle remaining leek cream over them.
Bake until the gratin is golden on top, 50 - 60 minutes.
Let rest in a warm place for 15 min.

Mexican Avocado Dip with Corn Chips - Thanksgiving Hor D'Oeuvre

This dish is best made the same day, since there is a lot to make the same day at Thanksgiving, I will chop the scallions, the tomatoes, the black olives and mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and taco seasoning mix the day before. Not the avocado as it tends to turn black. . . I put everything in separate containers and it speeds everything up in the morning, easier to assemble everything. I use a rectangle pyrex dish.

Ingredients

I jar salsa (mild or medium)
2 avocados
1 package dehydrated taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tomatoes chopped
1 can Californian large pitted olives chopped (drain liquid)
1 Bunch scallions chopped
grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Peel avocados and spin in blender or food processor until smooth.
Spread this mixture over the bottom of a pyrex dish.
Empty the whole jar of salsa and spread over avocado mix
Mix together taco seasoning mix, mayonnaise and sour cream, spread over salsa.
Add a layer of chopped tomatoes
Add a layer of chopped olives
Add a layer of chopped scallions
Top with grated cheddar cheese.


Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.

Serve with corn chips.

Creamy Cranberry Relish-for Thanksgiving

This very delicious dish was handed down to me by my mother in law. I make it every year, it is very sweet and disappears the same day.
I make it the morning of Thanksgiving, so easy to make my grandchildren now mix it all together for me, and we cover it with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge till ready to eat.

Ingredients

3 oz cream cheese
2 cups cool whip
1 11 oz can mandarin oranges
14 oz cranberry orange relish
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 8 3/4 can crushed pineapple
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Buy all ingredients except cream cheese ahead of time, cool whip can be stored in the freezer 3 weeks ahead.

Directions

Have the cream cheese and cool whip at room temperature.
Drain the mandarin oranges and put the segments on a paper towel.
Drain the crushed pineapple.
Beat the cream cheese and cool whip with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended. Add  cranberry/orange relish, 1 cup mini marshmallows, crushed pineapple (drained) and the mandarins, leaving some aside for garnish at the end.
If using walnuts, chop coarsely and add to the mixture.
Put relish in a glass bowl, garnish with remaining mandarins and chill for several hours.

Shrimp with Horseradish Dip - Thanksgiving Hors D'Oeuvres

So I make the shrimp and dip on the same day .............. however, I do get jumbo shrimp ahead and keep them in the freezer. I can also buy the cocktail dip ahead. My friend, Maryanne, told me today that fifty years ago a chef in Utica gave her a tip about the boiling water part. He said if you bring the water to the boil, add two stalks of celery with all the leaves on, wait a moment then add the shrimp and proceed until the shrimp are pink. The taste is magnificent and you have a successful shrimp dish every time.


Ingredients

1 Bag of Jumbo Frozen Shrimp
Salt
Cocktail Sauce (or homemade dip see below)
Fresh Lemon Wedges
Tabasco Sauce

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring salted water to the boil.
Drop the frozen shrimp into the boiling water, the shrimp are done when they turn pink. Might take no more than 6 minutes. Test one shrimp by removing it from the water and cutting open with a knife.
If done, drain immediately and then plunge the shrimp into cold water filled with ice cubes. This stops the cooking process.
You may have shrimp with  shells. Peel shells off and make sure the black vein along the shrimp’s back has been removed, remove this by slitting over the vein with a knife, it comes right out in one string.
Place shrimp on ice cubes and store in fridge until just before serving.
Serve with a cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. If you like, you can add  a little tobasco sauce and lemon juice with the cocktail sauce.

Homemade Horseradish Dip

Ingredients

Mayonnaise
Tomato Ketchup
Tabasco Sauce
Grated Horseradish
Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

Make a dip using one tablespoon mayonnaise, 3/4 cup tomato ketchup, a shake of Tabasco sauce, a teaspoon grated horseradish, and a tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add extra Tabasco and horseradish if you like it more spicy.