Hot From The Kettle ®
A few years ago, back in 2011, I was a guest on Emeril's Table. I must be getting old, because I forgot all about this great recipe for poached pears with port syrup and blue cheese. Just saying it makes me swoon, and I'm sure your Thanksgiving guests will too.
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Here's throwback Thanksgiving recipe from Chef Mike Carrino. This classic Carrino dates back to pre-Pig & Prince days, when he owned and operated, Passionne, an intimate BYOB restaurant on Walnut Street in Montclair. The recipe is as good today as it was then.
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Sadly, holiday cookies often fall into one of two camps: they either look great and taste awful or look awful and taste great. Very rarely will you find one that does both. 
When it comes to looks, the spiced gingerbread cookie is decorative enough to double up as a tree decoration, but best of all, cooking this recipe will fill your kitchen with a festive aroma. The source of this great smell is also the source of their great taste - golden syrup or molasses. Mmmmmm....
Pignoli Cookies aren't technically holiday cookies. But I'm including the recipe in the Retro Holiday Cookie Series simply because they're one of the most delicious cookies ever created!
Pignoli (pine nuts) are expensive; a two ounce jar can cost about $7.99. Almond paste isn't cheap either. But these soft, almond-licious cookies transform the ordinary cookie tray to an extraordinary holiday treat!
I've probably eaten hundreds of them - Strufoli! Sometimes referred to as "honey balls," these marble- sized Italian confections generally appear around Christmas and Easter.
If my memory serves me correctly, it was usually my Aunt Millie who sent over a plate of these honey-dipped tidbits.
They are a bit time consuming to produce, but very addictive.
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli." Clemenza was right. Never, ever forget the cannoli - especially during the holidays.
Few pastries are more adored than cannoli. But, there is one essential requirement for great cannoli: they must be freshly filled.
Walnut Cups or "Tassie's," as Grandma more frequently called them are what I classify as an "adult cookie." As a kid, Tassie's were not my cookie of choice, but as an adult - I love them!
These cookies are quite impressive and relatively simple to make. Enjoy!
Sweet and savory! The potato chip cookie!
Potato Chip Cookies
1 lb. butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
6 oz. potato chips
Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla, flour and potato chips andbeat well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Put on cooling rack and dust with confectioner's sugar.
When I think of the holidays, I reminisce on old-fashioned, retro food: Calamari sauce, calamari salad, roasts of all carnivorous persuasions, Grandma’s “hooch,” Lou Palma’s “Christmas Peppers,” strufoli, and most of all - enormous trays of cookies!
6 ounces good-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Pinch of fine salt
6 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Fresh raspberries, for serving
Whipped cream, for serving
Fresh mint leaves, for serving
Preheat oven to 300° F and place oven rack in the middle position.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a medium sauce pan, over medium high heat, bring cream, milk and a pinch of salt to a boil. Pour the scalded milk over the chocolate and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes and then whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and grated nutmeg. Slowly and carefully pour the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a large glass measure with a pour spout. Let the custard cool slightly.
Line the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish with a folded kitchen towel and arrange six (6-ounce) ramekins on top of the towel. Divide the custard evenly among the ramekins, then pour enough hot water into the casserole dish to reach half way up the ramekins. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the custards are set but still slightly wobbly in the very center.
Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Then chill the ramekins, covered for at least 2 hours before serving.
The pots de crème can be kept in the refrigerator, covered for up to days before serving. When ready to serve, garnish with raspberries, whipped cream, and mint leaves.
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
One 16-ounce bag frozen sliced peaches, defrosted
1 ¼ cups cake flour
¼ cup almond meal/flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 Tbsp. shortening
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced cooking apples (such as Golden Delicious or Granny Smith)
"Enough" apples peeled, cored, and quartered*
1/2 lb. butter
4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
tapioca
Combine all ingredients except apples and tapioca. Work together to create chunky crumbs. Spread and pack crumbs on bottom and sides of "tube" pan. Reserve 1/3 of crumbs for top of cake. Sprinkle with tapioca. Place sliced apples over crumbs. Dot with 1/4 lb butter. Sprinklw with sugar and cinnamon. Vocer with the remainder of crumbs.
Bake at 325 degress for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
*Grandma is not really sure about the quantity of apples, she simply said, "use enough." Okay . . .
4 Egg Whites
1 lb. Almond Paste
1 1/2 C Sugar
1 lb. Portuguese Pignoli Nuts
Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
Break up almond paste into small pieces and beat in sugar.
Fold the sugar and almond paste mixture into egg whites. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Roll into balls and roll balls into pignoli nuts. Flatten slightly. Put on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees 12 - 15 minutes. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
This is one of my favorites from Grandma's box - Maple Iced Pound Cake.
The recipe begins with a "Box of Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix," but does not follow the indications on the box. The tweaking yields a much denser, more flavorful, and very moist variation of the typical yellow cake, in other words, a "pound cake."
The frosting is my favorite part of this dessert. Make sure to lay the frosting on real thick, at least 1/2 inch.
Then, top the frosting with chopped walnuts, and refrigerate to allow the frosting to firm up a bit.
Recipe courtesy of Laura Himmelein, owner Party Cake Party Cake
Brownies
Makes 36 heart-shape brownie bites
1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 stick salted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
White Chocolate Coating
14 oz. bag pink candy melts, 2 ¾ cups
14 oz. bag orange candy melts, 2 ¾ cups
Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michael Couso at Richie Cecere's Restaurant & Bar
Yield: 1 Gallon Ice Cream
4 Crème Brulee
Ingredients:
1 Qt. 40% heavy cream
1 Qt. whole milk
1 whole vanilla bean (split)
12 medium eggs
6 egg yolks (only for crème brulee)
3 C. granulated sugar
3 C. pumpkin puree (canned or fresh)
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
