Thanksgiving to me is about tradition, much more so than any other holiday meal. That doesn’t mean you can’t make a few tweaks to the menu. For instance, why not put a nice fresh glaze on your turkey.
Here is a delicious one. You can do this with a whole turkey or just a turkey breast with skin on.
CRANBERRY ORANGE GLAZED TURKEY BREAST
1 (3-4 lb.) turkey breast, bone-in and skin-on
2 c. fresh cranberries
1 c. orange juice
1/2 c. honey
2 tbsp. orange zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 375°F
In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, orange juice, honey, and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.
Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Gently loosen the skin of the turkey breast and rub half of the herb mixture under the skin. Rub the remaining mixture over the skin and inside the cavity.
Place the turkey breast in a roasting pan, skin side up.
Roast for 20 minutes per pound, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part.
During the last 30 minutes of cooking, brush the turkey breast with the cranberry orange glaze every 10 minutes.
Once done, remove from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
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WHIPPED RICOTTA & CRANBERRY CRACKER BITES
1 1/2 c. whole-milk ricotta
2 tbsp. olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
salt
24 sturdy crackers
1/2 c. whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 tbsp. chopped pistachios.
Blend the ricotta, olive oil, and lemon zest in a food processor until fluffy. Season with salt, then pipe or spoon it onto each cracker. Top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce and a scatter of pistachios and serve immediately.
THE BEST DUCHESS POTATOES
2 lbs. potatoes Yukon Gold
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt adjust to taste
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
4 egg yolks
2 tbsp. unsalted butter to brush the tops
Peel the potatoes and cut them into four pieces. Place them into a pot of boiling water and cook them until they are fork-tender.
Drain the water from the potatoes. Mash the potatoes until they are perfectly smooth. Add butter, salt, and heavy whipping cream to the mashed potatoes. Mash again to combine. Whisk the egg yolks, then add them slowly into the potatoes, stirring constantly until combined.
Place the mashed potatoes into a piping bag. Make sure there aren’t any large pieces or lumps otherwise they will get stuck as you are piping. Pipe the potatoes onto a lined baking sheet, about 2-3 inches in size. Leave about an inch of space between each potato mound.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and gently brush the tops of the potatoes with it.
Bake the potatoes at 425°F for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Enjoy!
And of course dessert! I can’t resist a good cupcake recipe.
PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES
For the cupcakes
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 large eggs
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
Frosting
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly combined.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, milk, and vanilla extract, then whisk until glossy and fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix.
If making the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.
Fill each cupcake liner halfway with batter. Add about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center, then top with more batter until the liners are about ¾ full.
Bake for 18–22 minutes or until the tops spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out mostly clean.
Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy and smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in vanilla extract and salt until creamy.
Pipe or spread frosting over the cooled cupcakes. Dust lightly with cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice if desired.
