The Icing On The Cake...Apple Coffee Cake

I've told you all about the successful turkey and side dishes (as detailed here and here), so the only item left to cover is the always coveted dessert. On Thursday, I'll be bombarded with apple tarts, cupcakes, and pumpkin bars galore. For this particular faux-Thanksgiving feast, I wanted something sweet and warm with a hint of Fall flavors. That's why I chose an apple coffee cake for the dessert du jour. Though I may have mentioned that I really wanted a dessert for two, this one just couldn't be chopped. And like a Marc Jacobs handbag, once I noticed it, I couldn't get it out of my head.

Enter Emeril Lagasse's Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping and Brown Sugar Glaze. Though I've never cared for him as a TV personality, he strongly upped my affections by guest starring on Top Chef: New York (in the New Orleans ep). Unlike his incessant bam'ming on Emeril Live!, Top Chef Emeril was a sweet man with nothing but encouragement and a soft spot for the young competing chefs. It was then that he won a place in my heart and I've now been known to even catch an ep of Emeril Green now and again on Planet Green, where E serves up green dishes in a show that I like to call The Most Genius Product Placement of All Time - E cooking in a Whole Foods retailer, using Whole Foods products, and telling his proteges about Whole Foods. Genius, don't you think? (This has been added to the list of things I wish I came up with...)

Anyhow, I had never made an Emeril recipe before the apple coffee cake and I cannot tell you how unbelievably moist and delicious this cake turned out. Though I was supposed to find a dessert for 2, I'm thanking my lucky stars that this recipe called for the full 13x9 baking pan as a baking vessel. Now, I can enjoy the cake all week, share it with coworkers, and make this recipe one for the record books. If you're still on the hunt for a Thanksgiving treat, I highly recommend this fabulous dish. Here's the breakdown:

Emeril's Apple Coffee Cake with Crumble Topping & Brown Sugar Glaze
Cake:
1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples (make sure you use apples that are baking-appropriate. I went with Rome apples, but do a simple Google search to find a full list of recommended versions)

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.
- In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I had a little help from my favorite tool and wonder appliance, my Kitchen Aid stand mixer).

- Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

- Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla.
- Fold in the apples.

- Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

- To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Get your hands dirty for this one...

- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

- To make the glaze (yup, it's necessary in this situation to have a topping and a glaze...trust me), combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly.
- Serve warm and get ready for lots of compliments on your amazing cake.

So there you have it. A fabulous Thanksgiving dessert with plenty of Fall flavor. The best part? It'll make enough for your whole party. What are you making for Thanksgiving dessert this year? I'm always on the prowl for new Fall desserts, so leave some ideas for me!

Let's Talk Turkey

I'm back with part 2 of my faux-Thanksgiving wrap up, and this time we're talking big guns. This time we're talkin' turkey.  You may recall this article in which I detailed last year's FTD starring prepackaged turkey cutlets which were rolled with stuffing and cooked to a crisp. For my first Thanksgiving it wasn't terrible...but it wasn't great either. I longed for the fussing that consumes most turkey-roasters, like overheating the kitchen for hours on end with the oven turned up, calling in relatives to see if the meat thermometer really reads 165 and fawning over that gosh darn little button that just wouldn't pop out to confirm that the turkey is indeed fully cooked. Ok, ok...I also longed for a juicy turkey with perfectly crisped brown skin. So this year I picked up a few necessities for the makings of a tender and delectable turkey breast.

First, I snapped up this basic roasting pan and meat thermometer. For under $20 (with obligatory Bed Bath coupons) I was already on my way to the perfect bird. Next, I visited the local Morton Williams, chatted up the nice man guarding the butcher station, and scored myself a 5 pound turkey breast...meat, skin, and bone. (Side note: Since neither Shaun nor I care for the dark meat, and it was just the two of us, just the breast was perfect for us - no whole turkey necessary) The next step was finding a recipe that met the following qualifications: easy, delicious, and rave reviews. After consulting with Catherine, I decided on Ina Garten's Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast, perhaps the easiest possible turkey recipe around - no brining, no basting. Here's the rundown:

Ina Garten's Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds (I used a 5 pounder...whatever size works for your needs)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves (I omitted this since I hate rosemary with the fire of a thousand suns. That being said, if you like it, go for it!)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock (my addition)
3 large carrots (my addition)
3 large celery stalk parts (my addition)

- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. This will require a careful hand and a little elbow grease to get 'er done, but it is worth it! Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin.

- Pour the wine into the bottom of the roasting pan. I took this opportunity to inject a little more flavor. Roughly chop up the carrots and celery and put in bottom of roasting pan along with 1C chicken stock. This easy addition will add flavor and extra brown bits to the bottom of your roasting pan.

- Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

 I don't do the carving, so I brought in some reinforcements

 

 Isn't she a beaut?

- Slice and serve with the pan gravy (recipe below)

Some Notes:
1) The aforementioned little red button never 'popped out' of my turkey signaling to completion of the cooked meat. Here's where the meat thermometer is key. Given this little button vs. modern technology, please don't take the chance. Had I not snapped up the $5.99 meat thermometer and had the know how to check the meat despite the button begging me not to, Shaun and I would be chomping on turkey chips after waiting double time for the little button to pop. Invest people. Trust me.

2) I checked my turkey every 30 minutes to make sure that all of the liquid in the bottom hadn't evaporated. You'll want to be careful not to let this happen. If it does, add in 1 cup chicken stock. If it happens again, add another cup (get my drift?). And while this recipe didn't call for basting, I did brush some liquid onto the turkey every 30 minutes just to make sure it stayed juicy and delicious.

With a turkey this good, I wasn't going to waste my time on gravy in a packet. No siree, not for this good old-fashioned faux-Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, I made my own gravy. Now, get ready kids because if you haven't tried this yet, it'll change your life. And if you have tried it, you know what I mean. Here's the breakdown:


Pan Gravy
1-2 C Chicken stock
1-2 Tbsp flour
- Once turkey has rested, move to cutting board and remove the roasting rack from the roasting pan.
- Scoop out the shriveled, yet most likely super flavorful vegetables floating in the bottom of the pan.
- At this point, there will be some liquid and some deliciously browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

The makings of delicious gravy

- Start by adding 1C of chicken stock and 1tbsp flour to the warm pan (I actually laid my pan across two burners on the stove and put them on super low)

- Whisk together until it comes to a boil. Once it does, reduce to a simmer
- The key here is the stir. Whisk away for no lumps and gently stir, add stock and flour, until the desired consistency and taste is reached.

Serving up the goods, post Giants victory

Tell me you don't want to just eat that up

- Serve in pretty gravy boat (it's this guy's first use!), pour over turkey, potatoes, stuffing, basically anything you find because this will be the most flavorful gravy you'll ever have and you won't ever go back.

Some Notes:
1) I overfloured my  gravy just a bit and it was really thick. Make sure you use a light hand on the flour until you get moving.
2) If said overflouring occurs, thin out with more chicken stock.
3) I know this isn't the most perfect line by line recipe, but honestly you can't go wrong. The pan juices are going to taste fabulous regardless of what you add to them! And this recipe goes for essentially any gravy you make. I've done this with chicken and carmelized onions which was my life changing gravy moment.

So that's my tale of the turkey. What do you think? Look good enough to eat? How do you make your Thanksgiving turkey? Leave some tips to share with others in comments!

On the Side is a Very Big Thing For Me...

Though it's a mere four days till the annual turkey extravaganza, Shaun and I whipped up our now-traditional Faux Thanksgiving Dinner. It was my favorite kind of day in that I rolled out of bed, changed out of one Giants shirt and into another, threw my hair back, prepped food while watching football for 6 hours, ate until I couldn't move and oh yeah, the Giants actually won this week.

All of that a-side, my personal favorite part of any meal, not limited to Thanksgiving, are the sides. My own pre-Thanksgiving meal was no exception as I dished up stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes with a twist. Oh and did I mention Shaun whipped up garlic and shitake mushroom mashed potatoes? Yeah, we pretty much couldn't move after this meal. Let's get down to the goods.

Stuffing
Based on Catherine's rave reviews, I chose Paula Deen's Good Old Country Stuffing as turkey's favorite companion. While I tend to veer from original recipes, since this was my first foray into real stuffing, I essentially followed line by line except for one major change - the part about the breakfast sausage. Though I turn no pig or pork product away, Shaun has been pork-free for over two years which means it's turkey sausage for us.

Paula Deen's Good Old Country Stuffing
2 loaves oven-dried white bread
2 cups cooked white rice
1 sleeve crushed saltines
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage (I used plain ol'turkey sausage just removed from their casings)
2 cups chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
7 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 stick butter, melted

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut oven-dried bread into cubes. This may require a big knife and a little elbow grease to get 'er done, but power through as delicious stuffing awaits! Add rice and saltines (I just embraced my inner Hulk and crumbled 'em with my own two hands).
- Cook sausage in a large skillet until it starts to brown. Add celery and onion and saute until transparent, 5 to 10 minutes.

 - Pour over bread and rice mixture.
- Add stock and mix well. Add salt, pepper, sage, and poultry seasoning. Mix well.
- Add the beaten eggs and melted butter. Mix well.
NOTE: To put all of these elements together, I brought in the big guns in the form of my gargantuan red mixing bowl (I'm talking special order here people). Make sure you have a giant mixing vessel as this makes a LOT of stuffing!

- Pour stuffing into a greased pan and bake until cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

A golden brown & delicious stuffing...thanks Paula!

The Verdict:
A resounding YUM! A fantastic stuffing with plenty of flavor even with the turkey sausage substitute. It can get a little moist, so make sure you use plenty of really dry bread. Oh, did I mention that this recipe feeds about 15? Yeah, it does. And yes, we'll be eating stuffing sandwiches for the next 4 days...

Sweet Potatoes and...Banana?
A recipe so nice that last year I made it twice. More sweet than savory, this sweet potato concoction comes straight from the kitchen of Tyler Florence and once you go sweet potato and banana, you won't go back.

The mashed up goods, sans sugary topping 

Whipped Sweet Potatoes & Bananas with Honey
5 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed (I used 6)
4 bananas, unpeeled (I used 3)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Kosher salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and roast for 30 minutes. Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but don't turn the oven off. (Note: the bananas will be completely black after roasting. I had planned to take a photo, but it wasn't until after I removed the peels did I realize this).
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl. Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of the butter, and the honey.
- Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything's well combined and the mixture is fluffy. Spoon into an oven-proof serving bowl and smooth the top.

The makings of a crunchy topping

In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour, and pecans until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

The Verdict:
A Turkey Day staple in my recipe repetoire as it inevitably tastes delicious. It was just as good this year as I remembered from last year. I mean really, creamy yams and bananas, honey, and brown sugar topping...does it get better than that?

Cranberry Sauce
Last year my cranberry sauce was a bit over-oranged from adding orange zest per a certain Food Network chef's recommendation. This year, I wised up and went in a different direction with one of my favorite FN personalities who finally got a decent show, Alex Guarneschelli. Though not so different from the version I used last year, I decided to change it up a bit.

Cranberry Sauce
1 pound fresh cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (I didn't have allspice, so I combined a 1/4tsp of cloves, ginger and cinnamon in a bowl, then used 1/2tsp of that mixture)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced (I just used the juice...I'm on worldwide campaign for no-zest)

- In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick, allspice and nutmeg.

It's a sugary one, but so necessary to counter-balance the tartness

- Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole.
- Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving. I even let mine sit for hours with the heat turned off so the flavors could properly soak.

 The Verdict:
Last year's recipe called for chopped butternut squash, and I have to say that I kind of missed it in this year's version. Otherwise, this was a super easy, sweet tart'ed version of cranberry sauce with super seasonal flavors.

Brussels Sprouts
Though I may have expressed my culinary aspirations for making the mini Audrey II's into something not only edible, but daresay delicious, it just wasn't in the cards for this year's FTD. With all of the above, not to mention Shaun's shitake mushroom and garlic mashed potatoes, I just couldn't stomach the thought of more food. There's a chance it'll make an appearance later this week though, so if you're into making mini-cabbage taste yummy, stay tuned!

So there you have it. My big Turkey Day side dish reveal. What do you think? What sides are you bringing to your Thanksgiving table? Leave some ideas (and a lil' love) in comments!

Coming up next: How I made my Thanksgiving Dinner in a tiny apartment kitchen, my official, never-turning back recipe for turkey breast with pan gravy, and everyone's favorite part of the meal, dessert.