Ga-Ga's Turkey Dressing

Dressing, or stuffing, is a touchy business. Everyone has their own version of perfection. This year, a lot of people are going for a sausage and cranberry stuffing, which sounds very good indeed. But not for the people in my family that don't eat anything but poultry and fish! Hence, I go for a stuffing that's all veg and bread. My grandmother (GaGa) used to make this. She got the recipe from an Italian gardener that worked alongside of her in her huge kitchen garden. If you want it to taste like a traditional dressing, use pre-seasoned dried breadcrumbs. If you want to experience something very subtle and different, use un-seasoned dried crumbs. Both ways taste wonderful. Basil...that's the difference and the key.

In a soup kettle, sauté in butter or turkey fat:

2 yellow or white onions, chopped to about 1/3-inch chunks
3 C celery with leaves

Add:

One bag or box dried bread cubes (I use "Mrs. Cubbison's" from Safeway) or a cubed loaf of stale bread
1 1/2 t. Accent or MSG (yah, but she used it--what can I do?)
1 1/2 t. Beau Monde (it's a spice)
2 heaping dried T Sweet Basil or 4 T fresh Basil
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t garlic powder or salt
salt and pepper to taste
a very large handful of chopped parsley
chopped giblets (optional-- personally, I prefer to not have them lurking in my dressing)

Toss the above with 1/2 C melted butter and 1 C turkey or chicken broth (I used Swansons if I don't have any home-made in the freezer). You will most likely need to use more broth than what GaGa specified. Make sure the combination is wet, but not soggy. Remember, it's better to have too little moisture than too much. You can always add more broth, but you can't take it away. Throw the stuffing into a buttered crock-pot or a large, buttered casserole with a top. Turn the crock pot on until it's done, but not burned! About, 4 hours? If you use a good old casserole, put it in the oven at about 250 degrees until done, then keep it warm on a low temperature or warming tray.

Cwickie Cocoa Brownies with Divine Fudge Frosting

Brownies are my favorite way to eat chocolate. Home-made brownies. Hot, fudge brownies with vanilla ice cream. I can taste preservatives in a brownie mix brownie a mile away. Blech! These are so much better ...The " My Favorite Brownies" that are also posted on my bog are gourmet and perfect, but if you want a quick no-fail brownie--these are the best! No muss, no fuss and you almost always have the ingredients. I Served them last night at church and there were none left!

Note: If you want these to taste ultra-good, use unsalted butter. If you don't have unsalted butter (I usually don't) use salted butter and decrease the salt to 1/4 t. Almost as good. If you use a 9X 13" pan, double the recipe. These brownies are much better thicker than thinner. Grease the pan with lots of shortening or oil or vegetarian "butter" as they have a tendency to stick. Don't use butter to grease your pan, it burns too easily.

Ingredients:

1 C walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/2 lb. unsalted butter
2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 C sifted flour
1/2 t salt
3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Nestle or Droste-- the others are too bitter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8X8" square pan. Brown walnuts on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes only. Or skip this step entirely. You can even opt to not use walnuts if you wish. Up to you. Beat first 3 ingredients with a mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla. Then mix in remaining ingredients. Bake 30-45 minutes depending on your oven and how fudgy you like them. Other Options: Add chocolate chips to the batter or frost to make them extra-delectable.

Smith Fudge Frosting: (from my husband's family)

 After brownies are cool. Bring 1 C salted butter,12 T milk and 2 C sugar to a gentle boil in a 2-qt. saucepan with a sturdy bottom over medium-low heat boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 C chocolate chips until melted. Then place saucepan contents into a 2-qt. bowl over a larger bowl of ice water and beat until thick and creamy. Immediately spread on brownies.

Praline Cheesecake with Bittersweet Ganache

This is a very intense, decadent cheesecake. If you like the richer cheesecakes at "The Cheesecake Factory" such as, "Caramel Pecan Turtle Cheesecake", you will like this. Because it is cooked in a water-bath, the cheesecake filling itself is especially creamy. It was fun to make the praline, although I need to warn you about a few things. If you start to find little burned nuts floating in your praline filling, take it off the stove immediately and turn down the heat. Also, if you are daunted by the length of this recipe, simplify it by substituting a graham cracker crust. I did!

Important Note: I made a "baby" cheesecake for Mr. Smith without the praline filling I liked it even better than the richer version below! Just cheesecake and ganache...

Ingredients:

Crust:
Either one recipe Graham cracker crust for a 9-inch springform pan or--
1 1/2 C vanilla wafer crumbs
1/2 finely chopped pretzels
1/2 C finely chopped toasted pecans
1/3 C unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg white

Pecan Praline Filling:
1 C sugar
3/4 C chopped pecans
1/4 C toasted chopped pecans (I was too lazy to toast mine)
2/3 C dark corn syrup
1/3 C unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 t salt

Cheesecake Filling:
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 C sour cream
1 1/4 C firmly packed dark brown sugar (I used light--it's fine)
2 T flour
4 large eggs
1/3 C heavy whipping cream
1 C sour cream
1 1/4 C firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 T all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/3 C heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make a graham cracker crust mixture and follow the directions at the end of this paragraph. OR in a medium bowl, combine vanilla-wafer crumbs, pretzels, and pecans for crust. Add melted butter and egg white, stirring to combine. Make sure your springform pan's bottom is tightly secured to the ring of the pan before proceeding. Press crumb mixture evenly into bottom and up sides at least halfway of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes, let cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Wrap bottom of pan with 2 pieces of foil, being sure to secure all sides completely to form a waterproof seal for the pan. (I even duck-taped the edges of the foil together.) Place prepared springform into a large (roasting?) pan or soup pot. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt for filling, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Add pecans and stir. Pour into cooled, prepared crust. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese for filling at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sour cream, beat until smooth. Add brown sugar and flour, beating until fluffy. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in cream and vanilla. Pour cheesecake mixture over pecan-praline filling. Fill roasting pan or soup pot with enough water to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

Bake one hour and 15 minutes, or until middle no longer jiggles when you move the springform pan and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Carefully remove rotating pan from oven. Allow water in roasting pan to cool before removing cheesecake. Let cheesecake cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Refrigerate cheesecake overnight. Run a sharp knife around the edges of cheesecake to release sides. Remove from springform pan. Place chocolate for ganache in a small bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat cream, butter and corn syrup over medium height heat until mixture boils. Pour chocolate mixture over top of cheesecake. Use a spatula to spread evenly. Let chocolate set, approximately 30 minutes. Garnish with pecan halves, glazed or plain. Worth the 2 1/2 hours it takes to make for a special occasion.

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

I have made this fabulous cheesecake at least 20 times. You can tell, because the recipe card for this is heavily splotched with chocolate and butter stains. It is my all-time favorite, all-purpose, go-to dessert. An unusually light chocolate cheesecake in texture, the filling is more like a creamy chocolate mousse than a cheesecake. Perfect for after a big heavy meal, like Christmas dinner. FYI: it also travels well to potlucks. Just freeze it for an hour or so, then take it out of the spring-form pan when you get to your destination! If you're going an hour or more away, freeze it solid in the pan (with the whipped cream on top) before leaving. This is a recipe for a small cheesecake--use an 8-inch springform pan, or a 9-inch pie plate. If you're going to a party, double the recipe and use a 10- inch springform or two 9-inch pie plates. Make it the day before you serve it for best results. Oh, and eat all the leftover Oreos. It's mandatory.

Note: You can use a pre-made Oreo cookie crust if you like. It's cheating, but you can do it! You will need two of them--this makes a lot of filling.

Ingredients:

24 Oreo cookies
1/4 C butter, melted
6 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 pkg. (8 0z.) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 C light brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 eggs, separated
1 C heavy cream, whupped

Directions:

For the Crust: Whirl Oreos in a food processor under they look like coffee grounds. Or crush them very fine in a heavy-duty plastic bag with a mallet or a rolling pin. Then add melted butter. Press mixture into springform pan, on the bottom and up the sides at least halfway. If using a pie pan, try to extend Oreo mix over the rim of the dish. Put in the oven about 8 minutes at 350 degrees, cool and refrigerate until using. This makes a very firm crust that will hold up to anything--refrigeration alone doesn't do it.

Cheesecake:
In a double boiler, melt chocolate over hot, not simmering, water. Set aside to cool, ten minutes. Combine thoroughly cream cheese, 1/2 C sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Add chocolate, mix thoroughly. Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 C sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Fold chocolate mixture into crust and chill 12 hours or overnight. Serve with whupped cream mounded or piped in rosettes on top. Chocolate curls, or grated chocolate looks pretty too, when sprinkled on top of the whupped cream!

C'est Parfait! It's Cheese Souffle!

I found this recipe card in my mom's recipe box. I'm not sure who gave it to her, but cheese souffle is so good, I had to include it. Mom used to make it for us. It was gone in about 15 minutes, it had to be. You can't let souffle wait, otherwise it becomes a frittata! Souffle is basically a science experiment some French person did to blow up a good sauce into a tasty balloon, using beaten egg whites. If you let it stand more than 10 minutes, it starts to deflate. Mom always made cheese souffle without a pan of water under it. Then you get the brown, crusty sides that are so good. Makes a great inexpensive dinner for the fam or brunch for the ladies!

Ingredients:

1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 C milk
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese (2 C--use mild Tillamook Cheddar if you can)
4 egg yolks
4 stiffly beaten egg whites

Note: Be sure and have your eggs at room temperature before beating the whites. Before you crack 'em, simply place whole eggs in a bowl of very warm (not hot) water for about 10 minutes to warm them up.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in double boiler; add flour and salt; blend--remove from heat. Add milk slowly and stir constantly until sauce is thick and smooth. You have just made a bechamel sauce--which is the backbone of any cheese souffle.

Fold the sliced or diced cheese to the hot sauce, cover, and let stand over boiling water until cheese is soft. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks with beater; stir the blended cheese slowly into the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry (they will form stiff peaks in the bowl when you take out the beaters). Turn them into the bowl with the cheese sauce mixture. Cut and fold with a blending fork or metal spoon (wood is too blunt) until the whites are thoroughly combines and the whole mixture is light and fluffy. Don't be overzealous with the mixing! It's ok if you leave a few small puffs of egg whites un-blended. It's better to under-mix rather than over-mix.

Pour mixture into and un-greased casserole, souffle dish, or ramekins, about 2/3 full. Cook 1 hour and 15 minutes. Do not cover! It will rise and billow over the top if you get it right! If you like a crisp brown crust on the bottom and sides, don't place the casserole in a pan of water. Eat right away!

Profiteroles: French Cream Puffs or Eclairs

I taught this in a cooking class once. I actually made this over a stove while people were watching, and I was talking. So, it's got to be pretty easy to pull off, yes? These are cream puffs--widely eaten in France. The dough is called "pate a chou". If you fill them with vanilla pastry cream and frost them with chocolate ganache, they are called "eclairs". But if you don't want to make pastry cream or ganache, you can fill them with your favorite ice cream. Then, drizzle chocolate sauce on top of them to make a dessert that looks fancy but is relatively easy and inexpensive.

Ingredients:

1 C water
6 T butter, cut into small pieces
1 C all-purpose flour, sifted after measuring
1 t sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 t. water

Directions:

In a heavy 2-3 qt. saucepan, bring the 1 C water and the butter to a boil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as butter has completely melted, remove pan from the heat and pour in flour and sugar all at once. Beat mixture vigorously for 1-2 minutes, or until mixture forms a mass that leaves the sides of the pan and moves freely with the spoon. All of this happens pretty fast, so be ready for the next step: Immediately remove the pan from heat and use a spoon to make a well in the center of the paste. Break and egg into the well and beat it into the paste. After the first egg has been absorbed, add 3 more eggs 1 at a time--beating well after each egg is added. The finished paste should be thick, smooth and shiny.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter two large baking sheets. If you don't have a pastry bag, drop teaspoonfuls of the paste onto the baking sheets, allowing the same 2 inches of space between them. This will make smaller profiteroles--they will double in size. These are great to fill with chicken or tuna salad for appetizers. But use 2 t for dessert profiteroles.

Beat the remaining egg with 1/2 t water. Lightly brush the top of each profiterole with mixture. Bake for 6 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake 5 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until profiteroles have doubled in size and have turned a light golden brown. They should be firm and crusty to the touch. Turn off oven and make a tiny, baby, incision near the bottom of each profiterole with the tip of a sharp knife to release the steam. Let them rest a few minutes to dry out on the inside. Then, place on wire racks to cool. On individual dessert plates, slice in half and fill with ice cream (coffee, peppermint, vanilla bean?) of your choice and drizzle on chocolate sauce. Or make the following...

Pastry Cream Filling for Dessert Profiteroles:

Ingredients:

1/2 C sifted flour
1/2 C sugar
1/8 t salt
2 C milk
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 t vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in the top of a double boiler.  Add milk slowly, blending until smooth. Heat and stir over direct moderate heat until thick and smooth. Mix 1/2 C hot mixture into eggs, then return to pan. Put over boiling water in other half of double boiler and cook, stirring 2-3 minutes, until thick. Take off the heat, stir in vanilla. Place a piece of waxed paper or plastic wrap on top sauce to prevent a skin from forming and cool. Chill until ready to use as pastry filling.  Pipe into sliced Profiteroles, put on dessert plates and drizzle with Easy Chocolate Glaze.

Easy Chocolate Glaze:
Heat 1/2 C chocolate chips, 2 T butter and 1 T corn syrup over low heat until chocolate is melted. Cool slightly and drizzle over Profiteroles.

No-Knead French Bread

This is another recipe Chef Lauren (my daughter) has used with great success! There's nothing like a fresh, warm, loaf of French bread. Everybody in France knows that, that's why many of them buy a fresh loaf daily. Leftover bread? Make it into a bread pudding! This recipe is by Jim Lahey at the Sullivan St. Bakery. Note: before you make this, note how many hours it needs to rise (12-18), so make it the day before you need it!

Ingredients:

3 C all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 t instant yeast
1 1/4 t salt
Cornmeal

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 C water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. (I really don't know what 'shaggy' dough is, but I assume that's how it looks. Wasn't Shaggy a character on the cartoon, "Scooby-Doo"?) Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about18, a warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, or cornmeal. Put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough it'll be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6-8 qt. heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is OK. shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed, it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on rack.