I will make my apple cranberry pie today for sure. Depending on how I feel after that, maybe the cranberry sauce, the stuffing, and the make ahead gravy (yes, I make gravy without the drippings).
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My 10 year old bakes every week, and she has asked to make the pumpkin pie from a recipe in her bake book. It's taking all my will power to not make a backup. Like, don't screw this up, kid!
Post by Scout'sHonor on Nov 24, 2020 12:48:18 GMT -5
I'm not cooking, just getting Honey Baked Ham, bc lol at me making an entire thanksgiving meal... But I will make a cheesecake tomorrow night for Thurs dessert.
redheadbaker - I am making your cider brined turkey. Is it okay if I brine tomorrow from like 9 AM - 10 PM and then let it sit in the fridge uncovered overnight into Thursday? We don’t pick up the turkey until tomorrow and I just now noticed the timeline is two days.
I'd probably brine it 9 am tomorrow to 9 am Thursday, then let it sit uncovered in the fridge until it's time to roast it. The sitting uncovered is just to dry the skin so it crisps while roasting. Better to give it more time in the brine for more flavor.
I started yesterday. I made a caramel brownie cheesecake. I'll make the gravy today and saute the veggies for the stuffing, and bring the turkey. I'll probably make the potato rolls tomorrow.
Do you have a recipe for the cheesecake? I'm tasked with a dessert and have no idea what to make (already have pumpkin pie and the group doesn't like pecan).
Yup, it's this one. Definitely use at least a 9-inch springform pan, if not a 10-inch one. It's a LOT of cheesecake batter.
I usually always use a water bath, even when the recipe doesn't call for one, but I got lazy this time, and didn't, and my cheesecake cracked. I'll just smother it in caramel sauce
I started yesterday. I made a caramel brownie cheesecake. I'll make the gravy today and saute the veggies for the stuffing, and brine the turkey. I'll probably make the potato rolls tomorrow.
Do you have a make-ahead gravy recipe or tips? This is something I’d love to knock out ahead of time!
I started yesterday. I made a caramel brownie cheesecake. I'll make the gravy today and saute the veggies for the stuffing, and brine the turkey. I'll probably make the potato rolls tomorrow.
Do you have a make-ahead gravy recipe or tips? This is something I’d love to knock out ahead of time!
This is the one I make every year. I think someone else here recommended it, and I love it! I use store-bought turkey stock instead of drippings.
The cranberry sauce is made and the turkey is brined, and I'm so excited about the cranberry sauce! I've had a hard time getting granulated sugar at our supermarket lately, and while I'm pretty sure I have enough for Thanksgiving, I'm kinda trying to conserve it for the pies I'm baking tomorrow just in case. Cranberry sauce takes a lot of sugar so I used 1/2 sugar and 1/2 maple syrup, and I'm never making it any other way again. It's so good! I'd really like to grab the bowl out of the fridge and just eat it all right now, but my family would be disappointed so I won't.
The cranberry sauce is made and the turkey is brined, and I'm so excited about the cranberry sauce! I've had a hard time getting granulated sugar at our supermarket lately, and while I'm pretty sure I have enough for Thanksgiving, I'm kinda trying to conserve it for the pies I'm baking tomorrow just in case. Cranberry sauce takes a lot of sugar so I used 1/2 sugar and 1/2 maple syrup, and I'm never making it any other way again. It's so good! I'd really like to grab the bowl out of the fridge and just eat it all right now, but my family would be disappointed so I won't.
I made some sort of overnight french toast with pecans last year and thinned some of my cranberry sauce with maple syrup to pour over it for our Thanksgiving breakfast. HIGHLY recommend.
I've been avoiding thinking about Thanksgiving out of sadness. Reading this thread encouraged me to make a half-assed menu. I love Thanksgiving foods but getting excited about cooking for just 3 of us is hard. Not to mention the thought of having to go grocery shopping. Ugh, sorry for the downer post.
Christmas stollen 2020 is a wrap. The only hitch is that my DH said something was different about the homemade marzipan, which tasted like every other marzipan I've ever ate (once I omitted the rose water).
I've been avoiding thinking about Thanksgiving out of sadness. Reading this thread encouraged me to make a half-assed menu. I love Thanksgiving foods but getting excited about cooking for just 3 of us is hard. Not to mention the thought of having to go grocery shopping. Ugh, sorry for the downer post.
Totally understandable
Do you enjoy cooking? I love getting lost in a recipe. Pour a glass of wine and just see what happens lol. Turn on some good music. Make it a whole mood.
Maybe make something fun to lift your spirits. Maybe even something the other two would enjoy helping with?
I think this year is all about just finding ways to cope and steal some joy. Do whatever brings you some joy.
On that note, I am getting ready to do a long workout soon. And then spend the whole morning cooking. It is going to stop raining this afternoon and I look forward to getting out for a hike. Tonight we are going to watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I am very excited for my day.
I baked yesterday for the first time in a while. I forgot how much I enjoy it. I need to start cooking more often again. My H is the regular cook since I work longer hours, but I’m the better cook.
I dry brined the turkey and have it back in the fridge. The base of the sweet potato casserole is done and ready for the topping tomorrow. I also made a pumpkin cake, but we cut into that last night and I had it for breakfast today.
This afternoon I will make cranberry jello salad, turkey stock, and prep the stuffing. I may bake the apple pie, but may wait until tomorrow.
Can't wait for ALL THE FOOD! And certainly some of the wine!
I made a fruitcake yesterday. Started soaking the fruit on Sunday, baked the thing yesterday (for four hours!!!), and it's _almost_ fully cooled... *blink* Dense, much?
We will have a simple meal tomorrow - giant turkey in the roaster, some mashed potatoes, gravy, crescent rolls, and a vegetable side, probably steamed green beans, or such. Plus crust-less pumpkin pie (neither of us really enjoy the crust, so...)
Then, soup! Well, stock, first... We're cooking a 23+ lb bird for the two of us, mostly because I want the carcass and the leftover meat for soup and such...
I made the cranberry sauce last night, and was supposed to make the pie crust but didn't. Tonight I make the pie and cheesecake, probably get my turkey stock figured out, and prep for the ceviche (yes this is random, we like cold seafood as lunch/apps on big holidays)
H is doing turkey things.
I need to decide what I'm doing with my greens. I'm torn between like normal southern style greens or something creamed. Southern style makes better leftovers, but I really liked creamed spinach and all it's cousins.
Post by spinnaker5 on Nov 25, 2020 15:53:03 GMT -5
It’s just the two of us - we’re having
-Apps: truffle potato chips, olives, raw veggies and dip -Roasted guinea hen -Butternut squash and red onions with balsamic and rosemary - adapting this recipe: www.myrecipes.com/recipe/balsamic-rosemary-roasted-root-vegetables (the original version is great too) -Fresh cranberry sauce -Outsourcing dessert: mini sweet potato-black currant bundt cakes. Just picked them up and they look amazing.
-Wines: a split of Champagne with the apps, Zinfandel with dinner.
Post by underwaterrhymes on Nov 25, 2020 15:56:58 GMT -5
I didn’t want to spend all day cooking, so we ordered our sides and pies from Whole Foods and I’m currently brining a turkey. H and I have been together 15 years and I’ve never cooked a turkey because we’ve either been living in a city with no family close by and so we would go out to eat or living close to family who did the cooking.
I was making a roux which is ovbs very time sensitive. H comes up from a workout and was like, hey can I make a quick shake. Suuurrreee
15 minutes later he is still putting the ingredients together as I am darting around the kitchen trying to pull my fancy green bean casserole together. Omg go away! Jeez loiuse
Welp, my pie is overdone and I discovered that my meat thermometer is broken so who the fuck knows how long the turkey needs to cook.
Your turkey's probably out of the oven by now, but it needs to cook until the legs feel loose when you wiggle them. I'll bet your turkey came out just right. Happy Thanksgiving!
Post by SusanBAnthony on Nov 26, 2020 19:43:44 GMT -5
I made the cranberry curd pie (I used a regular pie crust not the tart recipe it comes with).
IT WAS SO GOOD OMG BEST PIE EVER.
It was quite tart which I liked. For those who don't like tart, they smothered it with whip cream and loved it. 10/10. Also it was super easy- I blended the cooked cranberry mixture in my vitamix and didn't need to seive it at all, I just scooped a little from the blender into the eggs, then threw the eggs into the blender to mix them all, hen poured from blender to pie pan.
I screwed up the turkey. Not sure why, but the thermometers showed it as fully cooked, pulled it out, let it rest, cut into it, and it was _mostly_ cooked, but not completely. Back into the roaster it went...
Pulled it out of the roaster an hour later, looked done. And then, a bit of the dark meat looked a bit underdone.
At that point, I cut it into pieces, tossed some in the oven for another 30-40 minutes, and we ate from that.
Ah well. It was not horribly dry (the parts we ate), and the parts we have not yet eaten are destined for redesign in soups and such, so if it's dry, not world-ending.
Stock is now simmering. Pie is in the fridge, because we have cheesecake leftover from DH's birthday to finish first.
I did a dry brine on the fresh turkey breast and let it air dry in the fridge last night. It turned out super moist and flavorful, but the skin didn’t get crispy and brown. I never seem to have luck with that with chicken and turkey.
Welp, my pie is overdone and I discovered that my meat thermometer is broken so who the fuck knows how long the turkey needs to cook.
Your turkey's probably out of the oven by now, but it needs to cook until the legs feel loose when you wiggle them. I'll bet your turkey came out just right. Happy Thanksgiving!
It was maybe a little on the underdone side, but everyone seems to have liked it and nobody got food poisoning, so whatever.
The pie was a total sleeper hit though. The crust was overdone but the filling was OMG amazeballs.