Roasted turkey breast with cornbread-pecan stuffing

 

     Looking for an alternative to the holiday turkey? Try this delicious stuffed breast, there's no wrestling with legs or wings.

Makes 16 servings

• 1 whole turkey breast on bone (about 12 pounds)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 1¼ teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups cubed day-old white bread
• 4 cups crumbled cornbread (click for recipe)
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup chicken broth
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Rinse breast and pat dry.
2. Place rack in roasting pan, place aluminium foil on rack ; pierce in 6 places for excess liquid to drain, place breast on foil.
3. Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat ; add celery, onion and parsley.
4. Cook 10 minutes until softened ; stir in seasonings.
5. Meanwhile, combine bread cubes, cornbread, milk, broth and egg in large bowl ; stir in onion mixture and pecans.
6. Preheat oven to 375F.
7. Spoon stuffing under breast ; cover pan with lid or tight-fitting aluminium foil.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 3 hours ; uncovered and bake an additional 1 hour or until instant-read thermometer inserted in meat and stuffing registers 170F.
9. Let turkey stand at least 20 minutes before carving.
10. Serve with stuffing.

BON APPÉTIT

Caramel eggnog

 

     For the holiday spirit or outside after a day skiing or simply in a cold winter night, add dark rum or bourbon.

Makes 10 servings

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 6 eggs
• 4 cup lowfat milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of each nutmeg and salt
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons almond or hazelnut-flavored liqueur
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• Grated nutmeg and sliced almonds, for garnish

1. Combine sugar, the 2 tablespoons water and the lemon juice in medium-size saucepan ; place remaining ¼ cup water near the stove.
2. Bring sugar mixture to boiling over medium heat ; cook 5 minutesor until dark amber in color and remove from heat.
3. Gradually and carefully add water to sugar mixture, it may spatter ; stir until caramel is dissolved.
4. Whisk together eggs and milk in a bowl ; stir in carame mixture and cook over medium-low heat for about 12 to 15 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats back of a spoon.
5. Immediately strain into clean bowl ; stir in vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
6. Refrigerate, covered, until chilled.
7. Just before serving, beat together cream, liqueur and icing sugar in small bowl until soft peaks form.
8. Pour chilled eggnog into serving bowl ; fold in whipped cream with a whisk.
9. Sprinkle grated nutmeg and almonds on top.

BON APPÉTIT

Apple and Raisin bread pudding

 

                     It may be extravagant, but feel free to serve with a custard sauce, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or just drizzle with heavy cream. Try substituting pear for the apple, and golden raisins, chopped dried apricots or currants for the dark raisins.

Makes 8 servings

• 1 loaf (6 ounces) Italian or French bread, cut into ½-inch-thick slices (about 18 slices), lightly toasted
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup raisins
• 1 small McIntosh apple, pared, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar, for garnish

1. Butter 2½-quart shallow baking dish 11¾ x 7½ x 1¾ inches.
2. Arrange bread slices in bottom of dish, overlapping slices ; brush bread with butter and sprinkle with the raisins.
3. Toss apple slices with lemon juice in small bowl ; scatter over bread in dish.
4. Beat eggs in large bowl until combined ; beat in sugar until mixture is thick and yellow and falls in ribbon from beaters, 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir in half-and-half, vanilla, lemon rind and cinnamon.
6. Pour over bread ; press down on bread to completely soak it in custard, then cover and let stand 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350F.
8. Place baking dish in larger, shallow baking pan on oven rack ; add enough boiling water to larger pan to come halfway up sides of baking dish.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until pudding is set and puffed and knife inserted near center comes out clean ; tent with foil if browning too quickly.
10. Let pudding cool to warm ; sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

BON APPÉTIT

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler

 

     Serve the cobbler with whipped cream or ice cream, and vary the fruit according to seasonal availability.

Makes 8 servings

Fruit filling

• 1½ pounds peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 pint blueberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Pastry topping

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ¾ to 1 cup heavy cream

Egg glaze

• 1 egg combined with 1 teaspoon water

1. Preheat oven to 375F ; butter 2-quart baking dish no more than 2 inches deep.

Prepare filling

1. Combine peaches, blueberries, sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and flour in large bowl ; transfer to baking dish.

Prepare topping

1. Stir together flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder and salt in medium-size bowl ; cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Stir in ¾ cup cream until mixture forms a ball, adding more cream if necessary ; gently knead 3 to 4 times until ingredients are well combined.
3. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface into round large enough to cover fruit ; transfer to baking dish.
4. Crimp edges of dough ; brush dough with egg glaze and sprinkle top with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar ; cut 3 steam vents in center of dough.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown ; tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BON APPÉTIT

Pumpkin cheesecake

 

     A rich, creamy cheesecake. Make this the day before you plan to serve it.

Makes 10 servings

Crust

• 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 20 single-square crackers)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling

• 3 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese (Philadelphia style), softened
• ¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ¾ cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 can/16 ounces solid-pack pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Icing sugar

Prepare crust

1. Butter 9-inch springform pan.
2. Combine crumbs, sugar, butter and cinnamon in small bowl ; press mixture over bottom and halfway upsides of pan.
3. Chill at leats 1 hour.

Prepare filling

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth ; beat in brown sugar and sugar until combined.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition ; beat in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
4. Pour mixture into prepared pan ; bake in preheated oven for 1¼ hours or until just set in center (tent with foil if overbrowning.
5. Gently run thin knife around edge of pan ; cool cake in pan on wire rack.
6. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
7. To serve, remove side of pan ; sprinkle with icing sugar, if you wish.

BON APPÉTIT

Double chocolate granita

 

     We've combined cocoa powder with semisweet chocolate in this coarse-grained ice. For a mocha ice, substitute expresso powder for the cocoa powder.

Makes 4 cups (8 servings)

• 3 cups water
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch grated nutmeg

1. Stir together water and sugar in medium-size saucepan to dissolve sugar.
2. Bring to boiling over high heat ; boil 1 minute without stirring.
3. Remove from heat ; stir in cocoa powder, semisweet chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined and chocolate has melted.
4. Pour into 9 x 9 x 2-inch-square metal pan ; cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in freezer.
5. As sides freeze, pull mixture in toward middle with spoon and return to freezer.

When the granita is frozen, scoop out the large, icy crystals and serve.

BON APPÉTIT

Frothy Mexi-Mocha coffee

 

     Rich enough to be a dessert.

• ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• ½ strip orange rind (2 x ¼ inch)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of allspice
• 1½ cups hot strong coffee
• ¼ cup half-and-half, warmed
• Orange rind and cinnamon sticks, for garnish
• Chocolate-covered coffee beans

1. Combine sugar, chocolate, orange rind, cinnamon and allspice in blender ; whirl until finely chopped.
2. Add coffee to blender ; whirl for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth andchocolate is melted, scraping down side if needed.
3. Pour into saucepan ; gently heat.
4. Combine in blender with warmed half-and-half ; whirl until frothy.
5. Strain ; discard solids.
6. Serve in cappucino cups ; garnish with orange rind and cinnamon sticks, and chocolate covered coffee beans, if you wish.

BON APPÉTIT