When I was growing up, my mom used to get up crazy-early on Thanksgiving morning and start cooking the turkey. While the turkey was in the oven, she made the corn, broccoli, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and more on the stove top. My aunts and uncles would come over, and we children would do an arts and crafts project at the table. Then we’d all sit around the table and say what we were thankful for before eating a crazy amount of food. My father (may his neshama be blessed) used to mix his food together so that the mashed potatoes, corn, and cranberries, topped off with the turkey, formed a huge pile, an amalgamation of the different flavors and textures. To this day, that’s one of my favorite things to do, too. Thanksgiving with family and friends close by, laughing and eating, is my kind of holiday.
Of course, if you are not planning a Thanksgiving Day feast, it’s not illegal to serve turkey and all the delicious “fixins” on any fall or winter Shabbos.
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Pumpkin Pecan Rolls
Pumpkin gets a lot of hype this time of year. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has its Pumpkin Cold Brew Coffee. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts have also hopped on the pumpkin drink train. What’s not to love? I’ve been experimenting with some new pumpkin recipes. Try them all!
A gooey, glaze-drenched cinnamon roll with my hot chocolate in the morning is my cup of tea (if you’ll excuse the mixed metaphor!). And with the pumpkin in this recipe, I feel like I’m pumping my children full of vitamins. Like all vegetables, pumpkin is really good for you, with antioxidants, potassium, and Vitamin K. (Vitamin K? Seriously? Where are vitamins F, G, H, I, and J? The K stands for koagulation, the German way of spelling coagulation [of the blood, that is]. Why did the Germans get to name our vitamins, anyway?)
Well, back to the pumpkin recipe: Pumpkin is not only tasty and healthy, it also adds moisture, which makes rolls super delicious! (No one ever said, “I wish this dough were drier.”) The Cinnabon company, which produces cinnamon rolls for a living, makes their cinnamon rolls especially enticing by baking them at only 160° F, using a special dough. The following recipe would come out pretty raw at that temperature. But undercooking your dough by 15 degrees (I’ve already adjusted the recipe below) will create a gooier dough.
I have included a recipe for the dough, but you can use your extra challah dough. Or, if you are short on time and long on loving fresh cinnamon rolls, buy some pre-made dough in the frozen section.
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast (1 packet)
1/2 c. almond milk
1/4 c. warm water
3 T. coconut or vegetable oil
1 large egg
Filling
1 T. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 c. confectioners sugar
1 c. crushed pecans (or 1/2 c. ground pecans and 1/2 c. crushed pecans)
1 c. pumpkin puree
Icing
4 c. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. almond milk
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl (the goal is to evenly mix all the dry ingredients). Set aside. Combine warm water and yeast. If your yeast does not bubble, I am so sorry to tell you, your yeast is dead. (Toss it out and start again. It’s much better to know at this step than at the rising step.) Combine the almond milk and oil in a heatproof bowl. Use the microwave or stove to heat until the coconut oil is melted and the mixture is warm to touch (about 110° F.). Add the yeast mixture and pour into the dry ingredients. Add the egg and stir until it forms a soft dough, or use your mixer. On a lightly floured surface, using floured hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl. (I spray both the bowl and the top of the dough so that it doesn’t form a crust.) Cover loosely and let rest for about 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, roll the dough into a 14×8-inch rectangle. Mix the filling ingredients together and spread over the dough. Taking the 14-inch side, start rolling the dough tightly. Cut the log into 10 to 12 even slices and arrange with the swirl side up in a lightly-greased 9-inch round cake pan or pie dish. (Pro-tip: Use dental floss to cut the slices.)
Loosely cover the rolls with a moist towel and allow to rise in a warm environment for 60 to 90 minutes. (Pro-tip: Pre-heat your oven to its lowest setting, about 170 degrees. Turn off the oven and put the dough to rise inside. This will speed the rising process, especially in the winter if your kitchen is cold.) After the rolls have doubled in size, preheat the oven to 300° F. Bake for about 25 minutes.
Whisk all icing ingredients together. Drizzle or spread over warm rolls. I quadrupled the amount of the original recipe – I didn’t want a little bit of glaze; I wanted the rolls to be drowning in it. This is one of the tricks of Cinnabon; they are not light on the glaze. If you’re looking for a rich, absolutely delicious treat, extra glaze is the way to go.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Those who know me know I take my vanilla extract pretty seriously. I make my own with Madagascar vanilla beans suffused in vodka, and I don’t put it in everything. Thus, I do not normally add vanilla to brownies. If you can’t taste the vanilla in the finished dish, don’t put it in, I say. (Oh, you just tripped over my huge soap box. Sorry about that, I carry it around in case someone starts talking to me about vanilla. It also comes in handy when discussing whether or not Trader Joe’s Peanut butter cups are the best ever.) That said, I think the vanilla in this recipe is useful.
Note: I love the sweet and salty contrast of the beef “bacon,” rather than the standard marshmallow topping. But there’s another reason to avoid marshmallows: They are often made with fish gelatin. (What? There’s fish gelatin in marshmallows!? Yeah, I know, shocking.) Those who do not eat fish and meat together, take note.
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted,
3 to 4 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cubed
1/2 c. almond milk
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 large eggs
Topping
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. maple sugar
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. crumbled crispy beef fry (sautéed or broiled, extra fat drained off)
Place sweet potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender: 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Mash. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish. Whisk together oil, mashed sweet potatoes, almond milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Transfer to the baking dish.
For the topping, combine flour, maple syrup, oil, and salt in a medium bowl until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans and beef fry. Spread the mixture in an even layer over the top of the sweet potatoes. Bake until mostly set in the center and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Marinated Turkey
If you want any meat or poultry to be extra moist, marinating it is the way to go. This requires a little advanced planning – especially if you bought your bird frozen. First defrost the turkey in the refrigerator early enough that you can marinate it for 24 hours before cooking.
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2/3 c. lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
11/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. pepper
2 large oven roasting bags
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds)
Combine the first seven ingredients; set aside 1 cup for basting and refrigerate. Place one oven roasting bag inside the other. Place turkey inside inner bag; pour in remaining marinade. Seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible; turn to coat turkey. Place in a shallow roasting pan (you’re doing this just to make sure it doesn’t leak and to facilitate moving the turkey). Refrigerate overnight, turning several times.
Grill Method: Remove turkey; drain and discard marinade. Prepare grill for indirect medium heat. Tuck wings under turkey and arrange breast side down on grill rack. Grill, covered, for 1 hour. Baste with reserved marinade. Cook, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, brushing with marinade every 30 minutes until thermometer inserted in thigh reads 170°. Remove turkey from grill; tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.
Conventional Roasting Method: Remove turkey; drain and discard marinade. Preheat oven to 325°. Place turkey on a rack in a large roaster. Bake uncovered 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in a thigh reads 170°. (The general rule is to cook 15 to 20 minutes per pound of turkey.) Baste frequently with reserved marinade. When turkey begins to brown, cover lightly with a tent of aluminum foil. Remove turkey from oven and tent with foil. Let stand 20 minutes before carving. If desired, skim fat and thicken pan drippings for gravy; serve with turkey.
Pumpkin Dip
Although this dip is dairy, you can make a pareve version. Whichever version you choose, it is super delicious and a little bit addictive. Be warned.
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree
2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
3 oz. cream cheese (or pareve cream cheese) at room temperature
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 c. heavy cream (or soy cream)
Ginger snap cookies, for garnish
Suggested dippers: ginger snaps, cinnamon-sugar pita chips, graham crackers, sliced apples
Put the pumpkin puree, light brown sugar, cream cheese, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until completely smooth. Add the heavy cream and continue to beat on medium-high until very thick and fluffy. Transfer to a dip bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Right before serving, garnish with a border of ginger snaps. Serve with dippers.
Did you make any of these recipes? You can tag @sweetandgoodcatering and hashtag it #sweetandgoodcatering on Instagram or Facebook! I want to see! If you want the “old standby recipes” (printed in the Where What When over the last few years) send an email to bshor@sweetandgoodcatering.com) and I’ll send them over to you.
