Dennys Food and Recipes: Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?

Dennys Food and Recipes: Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?:
From Denny:  Roasted my Thanksgiving turkey a day early.  Sure beats stressing on the Big Day.  Also, my husband, affectionately known as "Satan" misses out on trying to micro-manage the cooking, driving me absolutely crazy.  He never did learn to cook but thinks he knows how to tell you all about how to do it anyway.  Getting the Big Bird done a day early is a win-win for everyone as he was less stressed just as much as me!

Though he did try only twice this season to be ever so irritating:  once, when taste testing the fabulous gravy he made The Yuck! Face but could not keep his composure for long, laughed, and then raved about it as one of the best yet.  Later he decided he just had to tell me how to cut the French bread for sandwiches his way rather than the normal slices I was doing for hot garlic bread, his favorite.  Since I'm basically The Spatial Engineer in this house (just ask me to pack a car for travel and I am The Expert on finding every nook and cranny to fill) I explained to him how his way made no sense but cut a few slices for him anyway.  He was so disappointed to realize I was right after all.  "Satan" lost that round.  Never a dull moment at our house, that's for sure!

Hey, we should all be challenging the White House chef to a Roast Turkey Cook Off.  Bet mine is one of  The Best!  We love spices at our house and every year I create something different.  This year's wet rub spices were swimming in clarified butter:  sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smokey paprika, cumin, curry powder, marjoram leaves, lite sodium soy sauce, Moscato wine and Remy Martin cognac...

Santa Jingle Kid's All Over Print T-Shirt

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

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Holiday Appetizer From Chef Grant Actatz: Sweet Potato Toppers

From Denny:  This is a sweet appetizer to enjoy for the holiday season while the turkey is roasting.  Because it is sweet potato it will hold over those rumbling stomachs waiting for the feast.

This appetizer is so simple as it is a sweetened whipping cream and sweet potato mixture topped off with bourbon soaked raisins rolled in spices like cinnamon and ginger with a bit of brown sugar.

With the cracker of your choice (make sure it is strong enough to hold this mixture as sweet potatoes are heavy) just spread with the back of a spoon - or pipe like icing - some of the sweet potato mixture onto the cracker.  Then place the bourbon soaked and spice-sugar rolled raisins on top all in a row.  Simple, easy and serve immediately!

Nutrition facts follow after recipe.  Good news:  very low in sodium per serving.

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Chef Grant Actatz's Sweet Potato Toppers

Servings:  20

From:  Kellogg's

Preparation Time:  40 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups whipping cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1-3/4 lb. total)

3/4 cup bourbon or orange juice

1/2 cup raisins

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

Crackers Keebler™ Town House Toppers™ Original

Directions:

1. In large saucepan combine cream, granulated sugar and salt. Add potatoes. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

2. Drain potatoes. Place potatoes in food processor bowl. Cover and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine bourbon and raisins. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Let stand for 1 hour.

4. Drain raisins. Pat lightly with paper towels.

5. In shallow dish combine brown sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Add raisins. Stir until coated.

6. Generously spread sweet potato mixture on crackers. Top each with 3 or 4 raisins.

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Santa Jingle Silver Square Necklace

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle!

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  Thank you for supporting this cause.  You rock!

Subscribe in a reader to Romancing The Chocolate

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place.  A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

* * * Be sure to check out the Romancing The Chocolate Amazon book store for cookbooks on chocolate!

*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

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Holiday Cake: Chocolate Chip Gingerbread

From Denny:  Would this make a beautiful holiday food gift or what?  Who doesn't like chocolate or gingerbread during the holiday season?  The winter white vanilla glaze gives a strong visual contrast for presentation.  We do eat with our eyes...

This beautiful cake would be great for those holiday gatherings to beautify the dessert table.  Come on; if you are able to slightly warm the servings, melting the chocolate chips, then one whiff of that gingerbread and chocolate and this cake will go fast!

Santa Jingle Picture Ornament

Make some merry this holiday season! Jingle Jingle! This design also available in teapots, cocktail platters, serving trays, lots of bedding, area rugs, blankets, pajamas, pillows, clocks and so much more; come see!

Chocolate Chip Gingerbread

Servings:  Makes 16 servings

From:  McCormick spices

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  40 minutes

Chocolate chips and cocoa added richness to traditional gingerbread. For an elegant touch, bake the cake in a Bundt pan instead of the typical square.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp McCormick® Ginger, Ground

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1 egg

1 cup boiling water

1 cup chocolate chips

Vanilla Butter Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10-cup Bundt pan with no stick cooking spray with flour. Mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, ginger, baking soda and cinnamon in medium bowl.  Set aside.

Beat butter, sugar and molasses in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture alternately with water, stirring just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Prepare Vanilla Butter Glaze. Spoon over cooled cake. Let stand until glaze is set.

Vanilla Butter Glaze: Mix 3 tablespoons butter, melted, 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons water and 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract in medium bowl until well blended and smooth. Let stand 5 minutes.


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Christmas Confetti Round Ornament

Check out the riot of holiday color to brighten your tree!  This design also available in teapots, cocktail platters, serving trays, lots of bedding, area rugs, blankets, pajamas, pillows, clocks and so much more; come see!

And here is a site for:  Easy DIY Thanksgiving Crafts Kids Can Make

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  Thank you for supporting this cause.  You rock!

Subscribe in a reader to Romancing The Chocolate

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place.  A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

* * * Be sure to check out the Romancing The Chocolate Amazon book store for cookbooks on chocolate!

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Healthy Chef Recipe: Yam Chocolate Spice Bars

From Denny:  Here's an interesting twist for the holidays - chocolate chips in your yams!  This is a quick recipe utilizing a spice cake mix, canned sweet potatoes, chocolate chips, real butter and reduced-fat cream cheese to create a delectable but easy to make dessert!

This recipe comes from Holly Clegg who has been a celebrity in Louisiana from some time now.  Why?  She was on the cutting edge of the food trends to reduce calories in our favorite comfort foods while adding nutrition.

Holly's father suffers from arthritis and she has developed a book of recipes to help those with arthritis reduce inflammation through food choices (think watermelon and sweet potatoes).  Holly also has a book on diabetes recipes.  Her mind is always thinking of healthier ways to trim, substitute or re-think our favorite recipes for modern times and health needs.

Louisiana yams and sweet potatoes are quite popular in our state so the local chefs are constantly thinking of new ways to include these vitamin A and vitamin C packed veggies into our everyday diet.  Holly also suggests this recipe is a good way to use up leftover sweet potatoes.

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Here are a few tips to get you through the holidays from Holly Clegg:

• 1 cup canned = 1 medium cooked, fresh
• 1 (16-ounce) can = 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
• When using canned sweet potatoes, add at end of recipe
• Baked sweet potatoes freeze well
• Store at room temperature

Yam Chocolate Spice Bars

Servings:  48 squares

From:  Holly Clegg for Albertson's grocery stores - and HollyClegg's Site

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time:  50 minutes 

"One bite of this incredible fall favorite made with a spice cake mix, yam filling and chocolate chips was a taste sensation. Everyone requested this recipe. Good use for leftover cooked sweet potatoes."

Ingredients:

1 box (18.25-ounce) spice cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1 package (8-ounce) reduced-fat cream cheese

1 can (15-ounce) sweet potatoes, drained and mashed

1 box (16-ounce) confectioners’ sugar

2 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, butter, and egg until well mixed. Spread batter into prepared pan.

3. In mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, sweet potatoes, confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, and vanilla until creamy. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour mixture over batter in pan.

4. Bake 40-50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool to room temperature and cut into squares.

Terrific Tip: Most bar cookies freeze well, so feel free to make ahead and pull out when you have a craving.

Nutrition Nugget: You know yams are an excellent source of antioxidant-rich carotenoids because of their deep orange color – great for reducing inflammation.

Nutritional Information: 

Calories 134

Calories from Fat 42

Total Fat 5g 

Saturated Fat 3g 

Cholesterol 12mg 

Sodium 116mg 

Total Carbohydrate 22g 

Sugars 16g

Protein 2g


And here is a site for:  Easy DIY Thanksgiving Crafts Kids Can Make

Writers Thank You Greeting Cards (Pk of 10)

Elegant lady writer ponders what to write on her scroll.  This design also available as an ornament for your tree or to include with your thank you note as a little gift for the holiday season!

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  Thank you for supporting this cause.  You rock!

Subscribe in a reader to Romancing The Chocolate

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place.  A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

* * * Be sure to check out the Romancing The Chocolate Amazon book store for cookbooks on chocolate!

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Holiday Cookie: Chocolate Bon-Bon Drops

From Denny:  These are simple chocolate cookies that your kids could help you make.  You roll the dough into small balls before placing on the cookie sheet.  Little hands love to do fun projects like rolling cookie dough.  The trick is to keep them from stuffing the raw dough into their mouths! :)

These easy cookies are deep-chocolate rich, topped off with a very sweet vanilla glaze.  For the holidays you could top them with a Hershey's chocolate kiss or a bright red cherry or other holiday decoration to dress up the cookie tray.  Better yet, give them away as a holiday food gift and become the favorite friend and relative for life!

Included are reviews of bakers who tried this recipe.  Since I enjoy reading them I thought you might too.

Celebrate Dark Chocolate Queen Duvet

Chocolate Bon-Bon Drops

From:  King Arthur Flour, ingredients list available in ounces and grams as well as volume.  "Tender, deep-chocolate cookies with a rich, sweet vanilla glaze, these bite-sized beauties are perfect for a holiday cookie tray or hostess gift. Topped with a chocolate pearl, or bright red cherry, each cookie is a jewel to the eyes and a gem for the tastebuds."

Hands-on time:  8 mins. to 10 mins.

Baking time:  7 mins. to 10 mins.

Total time:  15 mins. to 20 mins.

Yield:  approx. 2 dozen cookies, depending on size

Tips from our bakers

• When making the glaze, heavy cream will give the richest, most creamy results. The creaminess of the glaze is a perfect counterpoint to the crisp, shortbread-like consistency of the cookie.
• While you can choose to skip the chilling step for these cookies, they'll bake up flatter, and not as nicely domed as when chilled.
• For festive chocolate-peppermint bon-bon drops, replace the vanilla bean paste in the glaze with 3 drops of peppermint oil, and garnish each cookie with a sprinkling of peppermint crunch or crushed candy canes.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cookies

• 12 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or Dutch-process (European-style) cocoa
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Vanilla Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream OR half and half OR milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Place all the cookie dough ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until a soft, smooth dough is formed. Remove from the bowl, and shape into a 3/4" thick disc. Wrap well in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes, or as long as overnight.

2) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape the dough into small balls, about the size of a large gumball (a teaspoon cookie scoop is a huge help here). Space evenly on the cookie sheet, leaving about 2" between cookies. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Watch the cookies carefully to avoid scorching the bottoms.

3) Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the pans while you prepare the glaze. For the glaze:  blend the sifted confectioners' sugar with the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste. This glaze will be thick, almost icing consistency. If you use half and half (or milk) and vanilla extract, the glaze will be much thinner and not as rich.

4) Using a teaspoon, portion the glaze over the barely warm cookies. You can pipe the glaze from a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner cut off as well. Top with chocolate pearls, slivers of maraschino cherry, or chocolate sprinkles. Store any leftovers at room temperature for up to a week.

Celebrate Chocolate Silver Square Necklace

Reviews

• 2darnhot2 from KAF Community

• Jen 

• Erin from Boston

• Amanda from Vancouver, BC, Canada

• Jennifer from Dallas, TX

• Mitchell Geller from Watertown MA

• Sofia from Phoenix, AZ

* * *  Please support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  Thank you for supporting this cause.  You rock!

Subscribe in a reader to Romancing The Chocolate

* Check out Dennys News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food - a place where all my other 20 blogs link so you can choose from among the latest posts all in one place.  A free to read online newspaper from independent journalist blogger Denny Lyon. * 

* * * Be sure to check out the Romancing The Chocolate Amazon book store for cookbooks on chocolate!

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