Milnot Pumpkin Pie

 What do you do if you have 5 cans of Milnot in your cupboard? First you make a Milnot cheesecake. Then, to spice things up, you should try this under-the-label recipe for "Classic Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream and Walnuts."

This is pie is not dense or too sweet, and the Milnot and eggs help the pie set up like a custard. The mixture is liquid at first, but just be patient. In my oven, it took 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe called for, but it came together nicely.

The recipe calls for a whipped cream layer on top of the pie, but we just added the whip in dallops. Next time I'll try it layered on.

My mom liked it better than any other pumpkin pie she's had!

Milnot Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream

~Print Recipe~

• 1 unbaked deep-dish pie crust shell (Trader Joe's brand was really good.)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 16 oz. can pumpkin
• 1 12 oz can Milnot (evaporated filled milk)
• 1/2 pint whipped cream
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Combine sugar, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. 
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly and blend in pumpkin, spice mixture and Milnot.
3. Pour into pie shell and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 25-35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool.
4. Beat cream and syrup in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Spread cream over pie and sprinkle with nuts.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

After three iterations, I finally feel like I can post this recipe! It is based on the famous Cooks Illustrated browned butter chocolate chip recipe. These cookies are a great way to use up any leftover pumpkin you may have from baking a pie for Thanksgiving. They also happen to be fantastically tasty!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 14 tablespoons butter, separated
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda and spices together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a light colored sauce pan (you need to see the color of the butter as you brown it) over medium high heat until melted. Continue cooking, stirring or swirling the pan constantly until the butter is a dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma--another 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and pour into a large heatproof bowl. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into hot browned butter until it has melted.
4. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in egg and egg yolk. Whisk in pumpkin until smooth.
5. Let the mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times (this let's the sugars dissolve), until the mixture is thick, smooth and shiny.
   
6. Using a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined--about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, making sure no flour pockets remain.
7. Spoon dough 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies one tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy; the edges will have begun to set, but the centers will be still soft after 10-14 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through baking.
8. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and cool cookies completely before serving.

*Vegan* Chocolate Chunk Spice Cookies

Need a last minute valentine treat for a loved one, who happens to be vegan or dairy-free? These festive cookies are quick and easy to make, and you will surely find most of the ingredients in your pantry already. Their spiciness also lend themselves to other winter holidays, such and Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you need a bunch of cookies, double or triple the batch, as they only make a dozen large or 20 small cookies.

What's in it

1/3 C sugar (turbinado or unrefined sugar recommended)

1/2 C dark chocolate chunks (be sure to check they are dairy-free, Nestle typically has milk products in their morsels)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/16 tsp ground allspice

1-2 pinches ground cloves

1 C barley flour (or 1 C minus 2 Tbl all-purpose flour)

3 Tbl cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 C maple syrup

1/4 C + 1 tsp canola oil

How it's made

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup and oil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chunks. Whisk or sift together until well combined and not very clumpy. Add in the chocolate chunks - you can save out some chocolate chunks if you would like to press them on top before baking. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter onto your baking sheet. Press reserved chocolate chunks on top of each cookie. Bake 11 minutes (no more, or else they will get dry!). Cool on pan 1 minute, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Brussels Sprouts are a seriously misunderstood and undervalued vegetable. I love brussels sprouts. I think I have always loved them, but ever since I have discovered the many ways of preparing brussels sprouts, I seriously cannot get enough of them. I also love helping people learn to love brussels sprouts. If I can convert one person to become a non-eater to an eater with one dish, then my job is done.

I found this recipe in Bon Appetite under the 'Learn to Love It' section. Of course I had to test out the recipe. I ended up making it for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Who wouldn't love brussels sprouts combined with cream and cheese? It's a great every day dish as well, a hearty side to any meat dish.

What's in it

1 lb brussels sprouts, stems and outer leaves removed

2 Tbl butter melted plus enough to butter dish

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 C heavy cream

1/2 C grated white cheddar cheese

1/2 C bread crumbs

How it's made

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a 2 quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the brussels sprouts and cook 8 minutes. Drain the brussels sprouts and coarsely chop.

Transfer brussels sprouts to baking dish and toss in the pepper flakes and salt to taste. Spread evenly and pour the cream on top. Sprinkle with the cheese and bread crumbs and drizzle butter on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Onions

Maybe it's because I came late to brussels sprouts, but I can't get enough of them. Maybe I am making up for lost time.

For those of you who don't understand where I am coming from, I'm sure that there is a way to cook brussels sprouts so that they don't taste good. Probably it was the way your parents prepared them for you when you were little. Maybe you hated them. I say, fair enough. Those brussels sprouts very well could have been nasty. I'm not going to tell you they weren't.

But I am going to tell you that, cooked properly, brussels sprouts are simply phenomenal. I like roasted brussels sprouts so much that I even like them cold, as left overs from the night before. Now, that is not necessarily the ideal way to enjoy these nutritious veggies, but I'm just saying that are THAT good.
(On a side note, why are brussels sprouts so unfairly maligned in popular culture?)

Normally, I follow Amber's recipe: a simple toss-with-olive-oil-and-roast preparation. I love it. The roasting imparts a mellow, nutty flavor and caramelizes the edges into a perfect crunchy sweetness. I don't know why I wanted to try another recipe for brussels sprouts last night, since I am so satisfied with the first, but I decided to get crazy. Maybe it was the pecans. Or the onions.

I do know that I couldn't get rid of the roasting, so I adapted this recipe from Saveur (the best food magazine in existence--and also wonderful to follow on facebook, by the way) to accommodate the roasting process.  This recipe is slightly different than the plain roasting method, but I don't want to say it is better. The pecans and onions compliment the brussels sprouts nicely and make this a particularly great dish for cold fall and winter nights. It kind of gussies them up a little. I'm going to add this into my regular brussels sprouts rotation, because I do love a little variety in my life. Even if it's just in my brussels sprouts.

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Onions

~Print Recipe~

• 1/4 cup of toasted pecans
• 1 pound of brussels sprouts
• Olive oil (just enough to coat the Brussels sprouts...but the more the tastier)
• Salt and pepper to taste

  

  As you can see, we added a bit more onion...

• 1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
• 1/2 of a medium white onion
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Chop and toast the pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes, until they are fragrant and browned.
2. Meanwhile, chop brussels sprouts in half. In a large bowl, toss brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until they are as browned as you like. (I like mine on the crispier side.)
3. While the brussels sprouts are almost done roasting, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Chop your onion. Add butter or olive oil to the skillet and let it melt. Add onion and stir to coat. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan. Sautée until the onions are golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in roasted brussels sprouts and cook for a couple minutes more. Stir in pecans and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2-4

Sauteed Carrots with Fried Sage

I don't usually cook carrots. In fact, most of the time I'm more of a raw, fresh vegetable kind of person--something I definitely get from my mom. I would be very satisfied with a big, colorful salad for dinner. Recently, though, I've been discovering the joys of steamed and roasted veggies. Until now, I've mostly stuck to my standbys--broccoli and eggplant. You know, I've just had more than my fair share of overcooked, mushy bland vegetables--especially carrots. Yuck.

Well, I can't tell you exactly why, but I was flipping through one of the four food magazines I'd acquired well before Thanksgiving and I decided to make this carrot side dish on Turkey Day. Carrots and sage---two ingredients with which I rarely cook. Maybe it was the simplicity of the recipe. Closer to Thanksgiving, I went back to find this recipe and for the life of me could not located it. I flipped through every magazine I had and nothing. I somehow had recycled the one magazine with my side dish recipes! (And, don't get me started on trying to find sage in the days before Thanksgiving--everybody was out!)

I was lucky enough to find the missing recipe online (though not before searching the Cooking Light website very, very diligently. What is up with their hard to navigate interface?!) and some sage after work on Thanksgiving day. Anyway, it was all smooth sailing from there. I tweaked their instructions a bit and fried the sage in the butter and oil (um, why exactly do they call it Cooking LIGHT?) first, which cooks the sage lightly and also flavors the fats with it's sage-iness. Such savory goodness! The carrots then absorb all of this wonderful flavor and develop their own satisfying sweetness. This would be an excellent side dish anytime.

Sauteed Carrots with Fried Sage

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon butter (use Earth Balance to make this vegan)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) small fresh sage leaves (or larger leaves, torn in half or quarters)
  
• 3 heaping cups diagonally sliced carrot
• 4 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil to pan and stir to mix. Stir in sage leaves and fry for 1 minute, or until lightly crisp. Remove leaves, draining excess oil back into the pan, and set aside. 
2. Add carrots and water to skillet. Stir to coat with oil. Partially cover and cook 10 minutes or until carrots are almost tender.
3. Add salt and pepper to pan. Increase heat to medium-high heat. Cook 4 minutes or until carrots are tender and lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add sage back in and stir. Serve immediately.

(Serves 4 as a side dish)

Pumpkin Pie

This pumpkin pie recipe is for the Reids in the family who are allergic to milk. It's super easy and tasty, if you like pies. A great last minute recipe for Thanksgiving.

What's in it
1 homemade graham cracker pie crust (or store bought)
2 C cooked pumpkin
2 eggs
1/3 C real maple syrup or honey or brown sugar
salt
pumpkin pie spice (cinnamond, allspice, ground clove)
1 package Silken firm tofu

How it's made
If using real pumpkin, bake sugar pumpkin at 400 degrees for an hour until soft, and scoop out the inside (but not the seeds). Otherwise start with canned pumpkin. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a blender combine all ingredients except for the crust, and blend till smooth. Pour into pie crust, and bake 15 minutes at 425 and 45 more minutes at 350 until firm in the middle.

Vegan Nut Roast

Here it is... That tasty dish I served on Thanksgiving. Super easy and simple.

Ingredients:

The roast:

two tablespoons oil or margarine
2 large onions, chopped fine
5 cloves (or an entire bulb) garlic, minced
3 cups raw cashews
1 1/2 cups bread
1 cup soup stock (or water)
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice

The "stuffing":

3 cups bread cubes, toasted
two tablespoons margarine, melted but not hot
1/2 to 3/4 cup finely-chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon sage
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt to taste

Method:

(From the first list:) Cook the onion and garlic in the oil or margarine until tender, and remove from the heat.
Chop the cashews by hand or in a food processor; cut up the bread as well. Add the cashews and bread to the onion, then add the vegetable stock, salt and pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Put half of this mixture into a small, non-stick loaf pan (or line a regular loaf pan with parchment paper if a non-stick pan is unavailable).
Mix together all the ingredients from the second list. Put the mixture on top of the stuff in the loaf pan, and add the rest of the first mixture so that there are three layers of food in the pan.
Place the pan on a baking sheet or in a larger loaf pan (in case it overflows while cooking), and bake at 400 degrees F for half an hour. The top should be browned.
Let the roast cool for a few minutes, then turn the pan over and serve the roast on a plate (or simply serve it out of the pan). Serve with gravy if desired, keeping in mind that it is a very rich dish.

Notes:
The roast will take about an hour to prepare.
The stuffing works well on its own -- and I often make extra!
The roast refrigerates well and can be frozen for a few months and microwaved back to life.
As shown, recipe makes roughly six servings.
Vegetable stock is often available in concentrate or as bouillon cubes, in health-food stores and in general grocery stores. If you really can't find it, use water.

Pecan Pie

For most of my life I refused to touch the stuff, though it was a staple at my family's traditional Thanksgiving dinner (store bought, I would guess--not really any pie-makers in my family). Those days I was too busy savoring a fat slice of the only pie I cared for--pumpkin. Something about pecan pie creeped me out... maybe it was that oozy, gelatinous goo below the pecans.

Well, I don't remember what finally convinced me to branch out a bit and taste pecan pie for the first time, but when I did--holy sweet angels in heaven! It was delicious. For a few years after that first foray, I tried to divide my loyalty equally between the pumpkin and the pecan after our turkey dinner. Then somehow over the years pecan pie pulled ahead and is now unequivocally my first and foremost favorite pie. I wanted to make it.

So, I scoured the Internet and found plenty of recipes. Most of them had about a cup of corn syrup in them, but one on allrecipes.com touted itself as corn syrup free. (Plenty of sugar instead!) I liked the idea, but would it be any good? As it turns out, 366 people had reviewed the recipe and given it an average rating of 4.5/5, mostly commenting that it was even tastier than the corn syrup version. Done.

Here is my adapted version*:

No Corn Syrup Pecan Pie

~Print Recipe~

• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups pecans (I used 1 cup pecan halves and 1/2 cup chopped pecans)
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust (Kate recommended the Pillsbury pre-made crusts to me. I'm now officially recommending them to you.)
  

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir in the slightly cooled, melted butter. Quickly stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and flour so that the sugar begins to dissolve. Mix well. Add milk, vanilla and nuts. (That's it! So easy!)
3. Sprinkle both sides of pre-made pie crust with flour and place in a 9" pie pan. Pour pecan mixture into prepared crust. Cover edges of crust with tin foil or a pie crust protector.
   
4. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. (I know--it was preheated to 350 degrees. Turn it up; go with it.) Then reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the crust protector and bake for another 25 minutes or until set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
   

* This pie doesn't look completely like an ordinary pecan pie; it comes out a little darker.
* When you pour in the filling, it won't fill up the crust, but it will rise when baking.
* I baked my crusts bare for the first 20 minutes and then covered with tin foil; but my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook (old-school!) says to put it on first--which seems to make a lot more sense. It was kinda tough attaching the tin foil strips to a hot pie.
* This pie tasted pretty fantastic. Especially when served with homemade whipped cream. Try it!

Apricot Ginger Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is also from my mom, though I think she got it from a magazine some time ago. I was skeptical at first about the flavor combinations in this dish, but it only took one taste to convert me. I like that it's easy to prepare. It's perfect for fall and more delicious than you imagine.

~Print Recipe~

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks (hint: Trader Joe's sells them pre-cut!)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss potatoes in a single layer on 2 large baking pans. Bake 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine maple syrup, preserves, butter, ginger and salt in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until preserves melt, around 5 minutes.
   
3. Mix together and serve warm. Enjoy!
   

I have a mini-tradition making this for Thanksgiving. (Amber, this would probably be great even without the crystallized ginger!)