Holiday Cookbook

Browned Butter Sage Turkey

SAGE BROWNED BUTTER

1 cup unsalted butter 18 sage leaves, fresh 2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a skillet, heat the butter, sage and salt over medium heat. With a whisk or simply moving the pan over the burner, swirl the butter as it foams up and begins to heat. Watch carefully as brown bits begin forming at the bottom of the pan, and continue moving the butter. (This will ensure the browning bits of butter don’t burn.) Remove the skillet from the heat when the brown bits begin smelling nutty, and are plentiful. Let the butter cool slightly, then set aside. (Refrigerate if you’re making this in advance.) Do not remove the sage. When you spread the butter on the turkey, it will crumble and add additional flavor.

TURKEY

14(ish) pound whole turkey Sage Browned Butter, (recipe above) at room temperature Ground black pepper, to taste Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set aside a large roasting pan. Remove the fresh whole turkey from its packaging. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place in the prepared roasting pan. Smear the Sage Browned Butter onto every surface of the turkey. Make sure to spread the butter beneath the skin and in the turkey’s cavities. When done with this, wash your hands vigorously beneath hot water. Season the entire turkey with freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the turkey to the preheated oven, and roast uncovered. However, if the turkey starts browning too fast or gets too dark, cover with foil to prevent burning. Bake at 325°F for approximately 3 hours, 45 minutes. Insert thermometer into turkey breast. When the temperature reads 165°F, remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 – 15 minutes before carving.

Classic Stuffing

1 ½ cups turkey drippings ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 ¼ cups chicken stock (plus additional stock should the gravy get too thick) Pour the turkey drippings from the roasting pan into a liquid measuring cup so you know how much you have. Heat the roasting pan (or a large saucepan) over medium heat and measure the drippings back into the pan. Add flour, and whisk until smooth. When the mixture begins to bubble, add in the chicken stock. Lower the heat and continue whisking. The gravy will thicken, and once it reaches the desired consistency, remove from the heat.

2 small onions, diced 4 stalks celery, diced ⅔ cup butter 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning

OR ½ teaspoon ground sage black pepper salt to taste 12 cups bread cubes 3-4 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons fresh parsley 1 tablespoon fresh herbs sage, thyme, rosemary

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and poultry seasoning (and rosemary if using). Cook over medium-low until tender (do not brown), about 10-12 minutes. In a large bowl, add bread cubes, onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs. Pour broth overtop until cubes are moist (but not soggy) & gently toss. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in a serving dish, dot with additional butter and cover. Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. If using rosemary in the herbs, cook along with the onions/celery. To stuff turkey, stuffing must be cooled completely in the refrigerator at least 45 minutes. TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare as directed, cover, and refrigerate up to 48 hours. To bake, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Prepare as directed.

Boursin Cheese Mashed Potatoes

TIP: I used a garlic and fine herbs Boursin 5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks ½ cup (1 stick) butter melted + 2 tablespoons cut into pieces 3/4 cup half-and-half 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin Gournay cheese, cut into large pieces 1 teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoons ground pepper

Place potatoes into large saucepan and add enough water to cover, plus about 1 inch. Cook over medium-low heat until fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, add halfand-half. Heat until simmering. Drain potatoes and pour potatoes back into saucepan used to cook them. Mash potatoes over low heat until smooth. Add the melted butter and half-and-half mixture and Boursin pieces to potatoes. Continue to mash the potatoes until creamy. Then, mix well with a wooden spoon until light, fluffy and smooth. Stir in salt and pepper. Pour potatoes into a serving bowl for serving.

1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts 2 tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar grated parmesan cheese, if desired

Gently cut off the very end of each Brussels sprout, leaving most of it intact (this will keep the sprouts from falling apart while they are being cooked.) Next cut each one in half length-wise. In a large skillet, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil at medium-high heat. Place the cut Brussels sprouts flat side down for about 3-5 minutes and let them brown. (Be sure to not overcrowd. If all the Brussels sprouts don’t fit in the pan, sauté a second batch.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then rotate the Brussels sprouts onto their other side in the pan and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and cook about 1-2 more minutes in the pan. Slide the Brussels sprouts onto a serving dish, add grated parmesan, and enjoy.

Sweet Potato Rolls

1 large sweet potato (about 2 1/2 cups) 2/3 cup whole milk 1/4 cup warm water 1 packet (2.25 teaspoons) active dry yeast 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided 2 large eggs 4 tablespoons butter, melted 5 cups bread flour, plus more for kneading 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Rinse and peel the sweet potato. Then, cut the potato into 1/2-inch pieces. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sweet potato pieces and milk to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the saucepan and cook the potato pieces for 20-25 minutes, or until they are very soft, stirring occasionally so the milk does not scald. Remove from heat and mash the sweet potato with the milk until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool (about 30 minutes). After the mashed sweet potato has cooled, combine the warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a small bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes, or until foamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the mashed sweet potato, yeast mixture, eggs, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Beat on low until combined. Switch to a dough hook attachment and continue mixing on low while gradually adding the bread flour and kosher salt. Beat on low for about 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough by hand for about 5 minutes, adding up to 1/2 cup of flour, as needed, if the dough is sticky. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place the kneaded dough into the bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Punch the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide the dough into 15 equalsized pieces. Push down slightly (but firmly and evenly) on the dough pieces and roll the ball under your palm in a circular motion. Use the cupped sides of your hands to keep the dough centered in your palm. You may have to work the dough for a while, but eventually, it will come together and most of the lines and folds should have incorporated into the dough, forming a smooth dough ball. Place the dough balls into the prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat the oven to 375°F. When ready to bake, uncover the rolls and bake for 22 minutes, or until a dark golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

*Needs to cool for at least 8 hours, so make the day before.

CRUST

2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs ½ cup butter, melted

CHEESECAKE FILLING

4 (8-ounce) packages original cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground ½ teaspoon ginger, round ¼ teaspoon cloves, ground ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated is best 6 eggs, room temperature 15 ounces solid pack pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling mix ¼ cup sour cream, room temperature - not reduced fat or low fat or fat free

TOPPING

⅓ cup caramel sauce 1 cup pecans, roasted and chopped

Cover the outside bottom and sides of a high sided, 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil. Make sure it’s tight to prevent leaking. Pulse the gingersnaps in the bowl of a food processor until they are crumbs. Stir in melted butter. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom and half way up the sides of the springform pan. Set aside.

CHEESECAKE

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the cream cheese, sugar, and spices in the bowl of a mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment until light and creamy on low speed for 8 minutes. DO NOT ever use a whisk or beat on medium or high speed. With the mixer still on low speed add the eggs, one at a time, beating 1 to 2 minutes after each. Still on low-speed beat in the pumpkin. Fold in the bourbon, if using, and sour cream with a rubber spatula until the sour cream is completely mixed in. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and place in a large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit for 1 hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Remove from the oven, take out of the water bath, and remove the foil carefully. Let the cheesecake sit away from drafts until it cools to room temperature. Place a folded paper towel on the top of the cheesecake and cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil. Chill overnight or at least 8 hours. Just before serving remove the aluminum foil and paper towel from the top; run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen the cake. Remove the springform pan. Top with caramel syrup. Sprinkle with pecans. Pass the caramel syrup so guests can add more if they want to. Do NOT peek at the cheesecake while it is baking or resting because it will crack. Let the cake come to room temperature before chilling. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.