Thanksgiving 101 (27 page)

1.
Peel and quarter the apples, cutting out the core from each quarter. Cut each quarter into thirds and place in a large bowl. As they fill the bowl, occasionally sprinkle and toss the apples with the lemon juice. (Don’t wait until all the apples are cut, or they may already be turning brown.)

2.
In a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add half of the apples and
¹
/3 cup sugar. Cook, stirring often, until the apples are barely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining butter, apples, and ½ cup sugar. (If your nonstick skillet is smaller than 12 inches, cook the apples in three batches.) Cool completely, stirring occasionally.

3.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

4.
Sprinkle the flour and cinnamon over the cooled filling, and toss well. Following the
directions for a double-crust pie, line a 10-inch pie pan with the bottom crust. Fill with the apple mixture. Cover the filling with the top crust and flute the edges. Cut a small hole in the center of the top piecrust. (The unbaked pie can be prepared up to 1 month ahead, covered tightly in plastic wrap and an overwrap of aluminum foil, and frozen.) Brush the top of the pie lightly with the heavy cream. If desired, cut out decorative shapes from the dough scraps, place them on the top crust, and brush lightly with heavy cream. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

5.
Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbling through the hole in the crust, about 50 minutes. Cool on a wire cake rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

New-fashioned Mincemeat Pie

A simmering pot of mincemeat announces the holiday season with its heady, spicy aroma. As dried fruits were served at the first Thanksgiving, this fruit-packed pie is an appropriate dessert for today’s feast. It’s an updated mincemeat that breaks with tradition, but in ways that most people would approve. The suet and beef from the old recipes are gone, and the fruit flavor has been increased with apple juice concentrate, which also acts as a sweetener. Supermarket candied citrus peels are usually tasteless, so look for high-quality imported ones. Some mincemeat is aged for months, but this one is ready to go the day after making. The result is a multicolored and deeply flavored mélange that tastes different with every bite.

1.
At least 1 day before baking the pie, in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, bring all of the ingredients except the piecrust to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight or up to 1 week.

2.
Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

3.
Following the directions for a double-crust pie, line a 10-inch pie pan
with the bottom crust. Fill with the mincemeat. Cover the filling with the top crust and flute the edges. Cut a small hole in the center of the top piecrust.

4.
Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake until the top is golden brown and you can see the mincemeat bubbling through the center hole, about 50 minutes. Cool on a wire cake rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry-Ginger Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

This is an elegant combination of ingredients that grown-ups will love: tart cranberries, zesty ginger, and bittersweet chocolate. (You may want to have another, less sophisticated dessert for the kids.) And it’s easy to make, thanks to a sweet pastry dough that doesn’t need to be rolled out before baking. Just press it into the buttered tart pan, and you’re in business. In Perfect Piecrust 101, I warn against mixing pie dough in the food processor. But this dough uses more sugar, which tenderizes the crust and keeps the flour’s gluten from toughening in the processor. Still, take care not to overprocess the dough.

SWEET TART DOUGH

CRANBERRY FILLING

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.

2.
To make the tart dough, in a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 15 times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, mix the yolk with 2 tablespoons water. With the machine running, add the yolk mixture and process just until the dough is moistened. It will look crumbly, but should hold together when pressed between your thumb and forefinger. If necessary, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water, pulse briefly, and check again. Do not overprocess the dough.

3.
Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tart pan. Using a fork, prick the dough all over. Line the dough with aluminum foil and weigh with pie weights, dried beans, or raw rice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.

4.
Place the pan on the hot baking sheet. Bake on the hot baking sheet until the pastry seems set, about 10 minutes. Lift up and remove the foil and weights. Continue baking until the pie shell is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire cake rack and cool completely.

5.
To make the filling, in a large saucepan, bring the cranberries, 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium.
Cook, stirring often to avoid scorching, until the mixture is thick and reduced to about 2¼ cups. In a small bowl, sprinkle the cornstarch over 2 tablespoons water and stir to dissolve. Stir into the cranberry mixture and boil briefly until very thick. Spread evenly in the cooled tart shell and cool completely.

6.
Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, and fit over a small saucepan with very hot, but not simmering, water over very low heat. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a small plastic sandwich bag. Force the chocolate into a corner of the bag. Using scissors, snip off the corner to make a small opening. Squeeze the chocolate in a cross-hatch pattern over the top of the tart. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the chocolate is set and the tart is chilled. Remove the sides of the pan, then serve the tart chilled, with the whipped cream.

Caramel Cashew Tart

Talk about a crowd-pleaser! There is something about the combination of caramel and cashews that everyone loves—it must remind us of a candy bar. I sent this tart to a friend’s office to get opinions, and it got such unanimous raves, I had to send a second one to placate the disappointed people who missed the first one. Good news traveled fast that day. A few tips: When making the caramel, be careful when adding the cream (it can bubble over if you’re not alert), and allow time for the caramel to cool before adding the egg or the filling will curdle. As good as this buttery tart is, it
is
candy-bar sweet and should be served in thin slices.

1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and place a baking sheet on the rack. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.

2.
Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared tart pan. Using a fork, prick the dough all over. Line the dough with aluminum foil and weigh with pie weights, dried beans, or raw rice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes.

3.
Place the pan on the hot baking sheet. Bake on the hot baking sheet until the pastry seems set, about 10 minutes. Lift up and remove the foil and weights. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly browned, about 8 more minutes. Cool the tart shell on a wire cake rack while making the filling. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Keep the oven on.

4.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. (Or heat the cream in a microwave oven, being careful that it doesn’t boil over.) Set the hot cream aside.

5.
In a tall, medium saucepan over high heat, bring the sugar and ¼ water to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. (Don’t stir the boiling syrup or it will crystallize into a thick glop.) Boil the syrup until it turns deep amber, 3 to 5 minutes. While the syrup is boiling, occasionally swirl the pan by the handle to mix it. Wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan by dipping a
large pastry brush in cold water and rubbing the wet brush against the crystals. When the syrup is dark amber, reduce the heat to low. Being very careful, slowly stir in the hot cream. The mixture will bubble dramatically, but eventually subside. Simmer, stirring often, slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour into a medium heatproof bowl and place in a larger bowl of ice water. Let stand, stirring often, until the caramel is tepid.

6.
Whisk in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Using the side of a large knife, coarsely crush about 1 cup of the cashews and spread in the tart shell. Top with the remaining whole cashews. Pour the caramel mixture over the cashews.

7.
Place the tart on a cool baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and continue baking until the filling is bubbling in the center, about 15 minutes more. Cool the tart completely on a wire cake rack. (The tart can be baked 1 day ahead. Cover the cooled tart with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.) Remove the sides of the pan, then serve the tart with the whipped cream.

Drambuie Gingerbread

Using Drambuie, a heady Scotch-based liqueur, is an excellent way to add interest to a spicy gingerbread. In fact, one friend, a notoriously picky cookbook editor, told me that this was the best gingerbread she ever had. Was it the liquor talking, or the cake’s deliciously moist texture and wonderfully fragrant aroma? If possible, let the cake age for a day before serving.

GLAZE

1.
To make the cake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter the inside of a 12-cup
nonstick
fluted tube pan, such as a Bundt pan. Dust the pan with flour and tap out the excess.

2.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until light in color and texture, about 1 minute. Do not overbeat. Beat in the eggs, then the Drambuie and molasses.

3.
Sift the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, and salt together. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Stir in ¾ cup hot water. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.