Homemade Marshmallows

This is my favorite time of year. The days are still slightly warm, getting up to 65-75 degrees, but the mornings and nights are crisp and refreshing. The air just feels different. It becomes socially acceptable to wear flannel shirts (seriously the most comfortable things ever) and leggings. Although maybe not together. Hot chocolate and spiced cider are the preferred beverages. And oh yes, it's time to make marshmallows.

I first started making this recipe several years ago. One of my good friends is allergic to corn syrup, and I was determined to find a way to make marshmallows that she could actually eat (and that didn't include really weird ingredients). It ended up being so much simpler than I thought it would, and no weird ingredients at all! Besides gelatin, which to be honest, is kind of a weird ingredient. With these marshmallows, we made the best s'mores I have ever tasted. In my life. We used thick graham crackers from Trader Joe's, and good quality dark chocolate.

Since then, I have only made these marshmallows a handful of times. I've made them for holiday gifts, and put pretty red/green sprinkles on top. I tried cutting them into fun shapes one year, but they were just too sticky for that to work.

These marshmallows can be used for so many things! Obviously, they are amazing in s'mores. I made them at the end of the summer, and they were a HUGE hit at the party I brought them to. Like I said, they make really cute gifts over the holidays. Include them with a package of good hot chocolate (or make your own mix), and your friends and family will love you forever. I haven't tried baking with these marshmallows, so I don't know how they would hold up in something like rice krispies treats. Honestly, I'd probably use regular store-bought marshmallows for those.

As a general warning - these are very different from marshmallows you buy in the store. They are so much fluffier, and a lot taller. You can probably pour them into a larger pan to make them less tall. They also melt a lot more under heat, so you have to be careful when making s'mores. It's hard to get them toasty on the outside before they start falling apart (but it is possible!) I think the best part is that even people who say they don't like marshmallows, love these.

Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows (WITHOUT Corn Syrup)
From: Sugar Plum
Yield: About 36 marshmallows, depending on how they are cut

Ingredients:
2 tbsp unflavored gelatin (2 Knox envelopes)
1/2 cup cold water
pinch salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
butter to grease the pan
powdered sugar to coat the pan

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Over medium heat, stir the sugar, salt and 3/4 cup water until dissolved. Once it comes to a boil, let it boil for 10-15 minutes, until it reaches 236 degrees F. This will depend on how hot your stove gets, so keep an eye on it.

Note: contrary to popular belief, you don't need a candy thermometer for this. I used a regular probe thermometer and it worked just fine. Make sure you are very careful when taking it in and out of the hot sugar, and that you run it under hot water after you take it out, to remove any sugar crystals.

Once the sugar syrup reaches 236 F, take it off the heat and slowly pour it into the mixing bowl. Have the mixer on low, with the whisk attachment. You want everything to be evenly mixed in, and you definitely want to avoid splatters. Add the vanilla. Turn the speed up to medium, and beat for 20 minutes. You want the mixture to be completely white (that change happens first), fluffy, and partially cooled. The mixture and the bowl will still feel warm to the touch. It's similar to making whipped cream, in that you want stiff, glossy peaks when you pull the whisk out of the mixture. If you don't get nice peaks, then it will never set up. On the other hand, if you overmix, it will be hard to pour into your prepared pan.

While the mixture is beating, prepare your pan. Use an 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking pan (can use larger pan for less tall marshmallows), and line with parchment paper or wax paper. Butter the paper, and then dust really well with powdered sugar.

When the marshmallow fluff is ready, pour/spread it into the prepared pan. It might be difficult. A large offset spatula works really well to smooth out the top. Resist the temptation to use nonstick spray with the spatula - it will discolor your marshmallows. Instead, just put the spatula under hot water if it starts to have marshmallow stick to it. Dust the marshmallows with another layer of powdered sugar.

Now, you are basically done! Let it set completely before cutting - either put it in the fridge/freezer for a few hours, or sit out overnight. Use a sharp knife to cut, preferably one that is large, so you can cut a whole row with just one slice. The top and bottom of the marshmallows shouldn't be sticky, from the powdered sugar, but the sides will be extremely sticky. I like giving them a roll in a bowl of powdered sugar, so every side is evenly coated. You can be creative here, and use colored powdered sugar, or sprinkles. Cocoa powder could be a nice touch for a subtle chocolate flavor.

The marshmallow fluff has just been poured, and the top is nice and smooth. It is still shiny, which means it hasn't been dusted with powdered sugar yet. 

 

I've started the process of cutting and rolling in powdered sugar. It makes a bit of a mess, and I find it to be a lot easier if you lift the whole thing out, and place the parchment paper or wax paper on a cutting board. I cut them kind of thin, so they would fit better on s'mores. 

I put some sheets of wax paper between the layers, to make sure they didn't stick together

We completely filled this container, and still had a bunch more!

Look how fluffy they are! They're almost a bit spongy. There are a few air pockets - you can probably prevent that by tapping the pan a few times before smoothing out the top. It won't affect anything besides appearance

Separate note - most of the recipes I post here are vegetarian, with the exception of anything with seafood (although you can usually just omit that and be okay). These are not strictly vegetarian - gelatin is an animal-derived product. Using gelatin in a recipe will definitely not be okay with anyone who is vegan, and is questionable for vegetarians, so make sure you check with anyone you will be making these for. In a separate note, gelatin is also not kosher under the Jewish dietary laws of kashrut. Here is a post about some alternatives to gelatin (that are still acceptable for kosher Jews and vegans alike). 

Birthday Celebrations

Here is a late, but long recap of everything I did on my birthday! I have all of the recipes included at the bottom.

I turned 28 on March 5th, and basically had an entire week of birthday celebrations! It started with the Saturday before - we went out to 9 1/2 lounge with some friends. I had never been there before, and it was a lot of fun. It's modeled as a "speakeasy" and you have to give a password just to get in! Of course the password is written right on the door, but somehow that manages to prevent the people who drink too much at the restaurant below from stumbling upstairs and getting in. The drinks were really yummy (my favorite was Cary Nation).

On Wednesday, my actual birthday, Joey and I cooked a birthday feast :) The menu was gruyere popovers, creamy mushroom pasta, garlic shrimp, and a skillet cookie. Everything was just fantastic. The popovers were still a little undercooked inside, but had great flavor. They probably didn't work perfectly with the rest of the meal, but whatever, I wanted them, and they tasted great! The pasta was just so so good. It wasn't too heavy, which is surprising with a creamy pasta dish. I've made the garlic shrimp before, and it's a nice variation on the typical roasted shrimp I make. It really doesn't take any longer than roasted, it just requires paying a bit more attention, since it's a lot easier to overcook them. Finally, the skillet cookie was just ridiculous. The recipe was from Jess (How Sweet It Is), so obviously it was over the top. As you can see in the picture below, it was bigger than my head! We had the cookie every night for more than a week. Once it was gone, Joey asked for more cookies, so obviously we didn't get sick of it in that time.

Joey gave me most of my presents on or before my birthday (a cast iron skillet cookbook, a hanging planter for flowers, a set of stacking silicone bowls for cooking, new jeans, and kettlebell!). The day after my birthday, he surprised me with a homemade planter! It's vertical, so we can fit a lot more plants in one space. I'm so excited to fill it with herbs and veggies. Once the weather is reliably warm, we're going to fill it up.

That night (Thursday), we went out with another group of friends to the C&O to get birthday drinks, part 2. I really like the atmosphere there - it's in the basement below the (super pricy) restaurant, and it feels really cozy. Plus they make homemade ginger beer for their dark and stormy :)

The weekend after my birthday, Joey took me to Richmond for some shopping! He made me a pre-shopping breakfast, after I finished run #1 of the weekend. And then was a serious trooper as we spent several hours shopping. I got some new bras (so pretty), and some shirts at Express and Limited that would work well for dressier occasions, or for presentations/interviews.

Sunday, we made a true birthday breakfast after I did run #2 of the weekend. We made a vanilla bean dutch baby with caramelized vanilla pears. While that was cooking, Joey made me an egg on toast to hold me over (I was starving after running 11 miles!) The dutch baby was so so yummy, and I loved the pears. I was nervous about them, since had only bought the pears the day before, and of course it's impossible to find ripe pears when you need them. They worked out perfectly - cooking them softened them and brought out their flavor.

Gruyere Popovers:
Yield: 7 popovers
From: Completely Delicious
Notes: I halved the recipe, since I didn't need a ton of popovers. The original recipe called for 12, and I have that listed below

Ingredients:
5 oz cheese (I used gruyere and it was amazing)
4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
4 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place muffin tin in the oven while oven is preheating.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Heat the milk until steaming, but not boiling. This can be done on the stove or in the microwave. Slowly add the milk to the eggs, mixing constantly. Gently stir in the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix.
When oven is preheated, moving quickly, pull out muffin tin and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup all the way. Sprinkle with a handful of cheese.
Bake until puffed and golden, about 45-50 minutes. Try not to peek on them while baking - air can prevent the popovers from rising.
Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Serve immediately.

Nutrition:
124 calories
5 g fat
13 g carbs
0.7 g fiber
6.7 g protein

Baked Mushroom Linguine:
From Baked Ezra
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
4 oz dried mushrooms (such as porcini)
4 cups boiling water
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 tsp finely chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 cup goat cheese
1 onion, diced
1 lb button mushrooms, chopped
1 lb cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 lb linguine
1/2 cup grated or shaved pecorino romano cheese

Directions:
Place dried mushrooms in a bowl, and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the mushrooms and place them in another bowl. Press mushrooms to release any extra liquid, and pour liquid back into bowl. Set mushrooms aside. Strain mushroom liquid through a fine-mesh sieve.

Wrap the rosemary and thyme sprigs in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine. Set aside.

Place a large saucepan over medium heat, and melt butter. When the butter starts bubbling, add the flour. Cook, stirring, until the mixture begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Still stirring, slowly pour in the mushroom stock. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.

Stir in the milk, goat cheese, and bouquet garni. Reduce the sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until it begins to soften. Add button and cremini mushrooms and cook until they begin to release their juices. Add the rehydrated mushrooms and chopped thyme, and cook until all are tender.

Add cream sauce to mushroom mixture, stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F and butter a 9x13 inch pan.

Boil water and cook pasta according to manufacturer's instructions, but reduce cooking time by 2-3 minutes. Transfer noodles to a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Stir the noodles into the sauce mixture, and transfer to prepared baking pan. Top with cheese, and bake until bubbling and golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition:
366 calories
11.4 g fat
103.3 g carbs
11.8 g fiber
22.2 g protein

Simplest and Best Shrimp Dish:
Yield: 4 servings
From: Mark Bittman

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10-12 large cloves garlic, slivered or minced finely
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled, rinsed and dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Directions:
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over low heat. Spread the olive oil over the bottom of the pan, make sure it covers the bottom. Add garlic and cook just until it turns light golden, be really careful because it can burn in an instant.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp and spices. Stir to blend and continue to cook, shaking the pan once or twice and turning the shrimp once or twice, until they are pink all over and the mixture is bubbly, about 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition:
315 calories
16.6 g fat
4.8 g carbs
0.4 g fiber
35.2 g protein

Dark Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie:
Yield: 1 GIANT cookie (I seriously don't know how many servings, I would guess at least 16)
From: Tasty Kitchen a la How Sweet It Is
Note: The following ingredients are for a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, and made a very tall cookie

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups dark chocolate chunks (either cut up some chocolate bars, or buy it pre-chunked)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in sugars and remove from heat. Let rest until warm but no longer very hot, about 5-10 minutes.

Whisk in the vanilla and eggs, working quickly so the eggs won't cook before mixed in. Stir in the dry ingredients. It will take a few minutes for it to come together (I promise it will mix in!)

Fold in the chocolate, again working quickly, so it doesn't melt too much.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, until the top is light golden, the edges are a darker golden and beginning to pull away, and the center still jiggles slightly. Serve warm (with ice cream).

Nutrition (if split into 16 servings):
392 calories
18 g fat
62.5 g carbs
2.3 g fiber
4.7 g protein

bigger than my head!

Planter:

Pre-shopping breakfast:

Birthday Breakfast:
Pre-breakfast: Fried egg on toast with gouda

Vanilla Bean and Caramelized Pear Dutch Baby:
Yield: 4
From: Turntable Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar or splenda
1 vanilla bean
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of salt
1 large pear, cored and cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Place a 12-inch castiron skillet in the oven while preheating.

Combine the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a blender. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean and add to the blender, saving the empty pod. Blend until smooth.

Remove the skillet from the oven, and add the 2 tbsp of butter, swirling to melt and mix. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 18-25 minutes, until puffed and golden.

While the pancake is baking, melt the 1 tbsp butter and vanilla bean in a large pan over medium heat. Add the pear slices and cook for a few minutes, without moving. Flip the slices over, to let them caramelize on the other side. If necessary, do the pears in batches, adding butter with each batch. You want the pears to be soft, but not mushy, and golden brown on each side.

Serve the pancake warm, with the pear slices, and syrup if desired.

Nutrition:
284 calories
12.8 g fat
36.1 g carbs
2.3 g fiber
7.4 g protein

Joey's plate with steak and eggs:

My breakfast, part 2:

My Guide to Surviving Passover - Great Passover Recipes

Passover starts a week from tonight, and this year I actually want to be prepared in advance! Charlottesville doesn't exactly have a large Jewish population, so most grocery stores have a pretty pitiful Passover section. Giant is considered the "Passover supercenter" but if you don't go early, you'll be left with empty shelves and really expensive single boxes of matzah. We went a week ago and picked up a lot of stuff - we got a 5lb box of matzah for only $2.99 with our purchase, as well as roasted chestnuts, matzah ball mix, macaroons, horseradish, and of course Dr. Brown's soda.

Most of my meals revolve around non-kosher for Passover foods. For breakfast I have a breakfast sandwich (english muffin = not kosher), followed by oatmeal (cooked grains = not kosher). For lunch I have a sandwich (bread = not kosher). Dinner is easier, since the majority of the meal is the protein and lots of veggies, and it's easy to substitute quinoa for that.

I want to come up with some meals that don't simply replace the bread with a piece of matzah. I remember back in high school, when I would bring in matzah to make a sandwich at lunch, and everyone who wasn't Jewish wanted to try a piece of matzah for the novelty of it. This year, when we were buying the matzah, the (obviously non Jewish) cashier informed us that she had tried matzah, and it was just really plain and she couldn't figure out why people were buying so much of it now. Yes, I agree it's bland!

So here are some ideas for Passover-friendly meals. Everyone has their own way of keeping kosher for Passover, so you may have to slightly adjust some of these recipes.

Note - here is a post from my old blog, back from 2010! I made matzah lasagna with pesto, and flourless chocolate cake, and include the recipes. Both are great choices!

Breakfast:

Matzah Brei with Lox, Eggs, and Onions

Broccoli, Mushroom Egg and Cheese Casserole

Baked Eggs with Herbs and Goat Cheese

Caramelized Onion and Zucchini Frittata

Breakfast Egg White Spinach Enchilada Omelets

Caprese Shakshuka Breakfast Casserole

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Extra Pink Berry Smoothie

Lunch:

Vegetarian Matzah Ball Soup

Matzah Ball Soup

Matzah Pizza

Veggies:

Recipes with an asterisk (*) include an ingredient that is considered kitniot - and is not kosher for Ashkenazi Jews.

Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts 

Spaghetti Squash Marinara 

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms 

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Sweet Corn and Avocado *

Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon *

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts

Roasted Beets with Balsamic Glaze

Thyme Roasted Carrots 

Roasted Eggplant Salad with Smoked Almonds and Goat Cheese

Mustard and Rosemary Asparagus 

Classic Cheese Fondue Use veggies as your vehicle for delicious oozy cheese

Mustard and Chive Potato Salad 

Honey Mustard Veggie Kabobs 

"Grains":

+Quinoa, although debated, is considered by most to be kosher for Passover. 

*Rice, on the other hand, is kitniot and only kosher for Sephardic Jews.

Quinoa Succotash +

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries and Pecans *

Caprese Quinoa with Homemade Basil Oil +

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Tomatoes, Broccoli and Feta +

Mushroom Fried Brown Rice *

Quinoa with Roasted Broccoli, Arugula and Feta +

Seafood:

*Shrimp are technically not kosher for Passover simply because they are never kosher for Jews. However, I still choose to eat them.

Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon 

Cod Baked in a Tomato and Feta Sauce 

Simplest and Best Shrimp *

Baked Shrimp in Tomato Feta Sauce *

Easy Ginger Lime Roasted Shrimp *

Grilled Tuna and Avocado Salad 

Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley *

Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna Salad (sesame seeds are kitniot)

Meat (and Potatoes):

Some of these recipes mix milk and meat - if this is a rule that you follow, then be careful to avoid or modify those recipes

Beer, Ginger and Garlic Braised Brisket (you would need a gluten-free beer for this recipe)

White Wine Braised Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Potatoes 

Roasted Provencal Chicken with Hasselback Potatoes (potatoes use butter)

Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes 

Chicken and Mushrooms in a Creamy Mustard Tarragon Sauce (sauce uses cream)

Balsamic-Brown Sugar Short Ribs with Garlic Mashed Potatoes (potatoes use butter, milk and sour cream)

Caprese Chicken (lots of cheese)

Easy Honey Mustard Baked Chicken 

Stove Top Summer Chicken 

Baked Parmesan Garlic Chicken (uses cheese)

Tangy Spiced Brisket 

Snacks:

Chocolate Covered Matzah Otherwise known as matzah crack, for its addictiveness

Custards:

Warning - gelatin is a technical no-no for Jews, so I've noted which recipes use it. 

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Roasted Berries *uses gelatin

Lavender Panna Cotta with Honey Poached Pears *uses gelatin

Lemon Lime Mousse with Fresh Strawberries

Almond Vanilla Rice Pudding (uses rice - kitniot)

Baked Apples with Creme Anglaise

Meringues and Pavlovas:

These desserts get their rise from egg whites

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Mixed Berry Pavlova

(Mini) Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Mixed Berry Mini Pavlovas

Flourless Chocolate Cake:

This is an easy way to make a passover-friendly dessert! These chocolate cakes are actually flourless by design. You might have to check the chocolate you're using, to make sure that's kosher as well. The best way to make sure of that is to use really good dark chocolate - less likely to have non kosher additives.

Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Warm Molten Chocolate Cake - Two Ways

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Spiced Poached Pears

Flourless Chocolate Tart with Sugared Cranberries

Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte

Ultra-Rich Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Flourless Cake

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cookies:

This is another easy way to make a yummy dessert for Passover with zero matzah in it! These cookies are sometimes called "puddle cookies" or "brownie cookies," but they're basically pure chocolate and fudgy and delicious!

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

Flourless Chocolate Mint Cookies

Chocolate Puddle Cookies

Macaroons:

You can find these in grocery stores, in round tins. However, when made at home, they taste so much better!

Chocolate-Dipped Macaroons

Raspberry Coconut Macaroons 

Birthday Dinner

Yesterday was Joey's birthday! Because his birthday happens to fall on the same day as a holiday endorsed by Hallmark, it has been a sad day for him in the past. Imagine having a girlfriend who wants to "move your birthday to a different day," just so she can get flowers and chocolate on a day that's supposed to be your special day, and then your birthday is just forgotten. Once he told me about all of this, I vowed to make February 14th his birthday only, with no focus AT ALL on cupid or sappy pink and red things. He usually finds a way to surprise me earlier in the week - I think our first year together, he managed to get me two bouquets of flowers, on his actual birthday. I may have yelled at him, so he bought me flowers the day before, last year. There may have been more yelling, so this year he got me flowers a full week before...with the excuse that they were really for turning in my paper to my committee.

Anyway, this is all my way of saying that I try my best to make the entire day (or weekend) about Joey, since he deserves it. This year he gave me a bunch of things that he wanted for his birthday dinner, and I tried my best to accomplish them.

The first was a steak. He started out by sending me this link for making the perfect steak, hint hint. He also wanted roasted garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and cauliflower, a mushroom and blue cheese sauce for the steak, dinner rolls, and some kind of dessert. At first he thought he wanted Smitten Kitchen's peanut butter and chocolate cake (one is his roommates made it for him last year and it was insane), but changed his mind to bread pudding, any kind, as long as it had chocolate. (That recipe is coming soon)

I followed the Buzzfeed article 100%, and he was really happy with the steak! He handled the mashed potatoes - we cut two large-ish russet potatoes into bite-sized pieces, boiled them until they were tender, and then mashed with some butter, almond milk, a touch of half and half, the roasted garlic, and salt and pepper of course. He also handled the green beans and cauliflower - he sauteed some spices in butter and oil, then added the veggies with soy sauce and water, and covered the pan to let them cook until tender.

While he was doing that, I also pulled together the mushroom sauce and the rolls. I just made up the sauce - I sliced ~1 lb of white and cremini mushrooms, and cooked in 1 tbsp of butter, with some salt and pepper. Once they started to get caramelized, I added another tbsp of butter, a sprinkle of flour, and ~1/3 cup of almond milk. I cooked until it thickened up, and then added ~1/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese. I was afraid that I had added too much flour and that it was gluey, and while it did sort of look gluey, it did not taste it! It was delicious - Joey put it on top of his steak, and I put it on top of the mashed potatoes.

For the rolls, I actually have a real recipe for you to follow. They were delicious - really flavorful from the herbs, and super soft.

Herb Dinner Rolls
Adapted from Food Gal

Ingredients:
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup cool water
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp table salt
1 tbsp (each) of green onions (the top parts), rosemary, parsley and thyme
3 tbsp butter, melted and divided
1 egg
1 cup milk (use whatever milk you have on hand - I've used both unsweetened vanilla almond milk and unsweetened coconut almond milk)
3 1/4 cups bread flour

Directions:
Sprinkle the yeast over the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Let stand 5 minutes. Using the dough hook attachment, mix together the sugar, salt, herbs, 2 tbsp melted butter, egg, and almond milk. Add to the yeast, stir to combine. Add flour gradually, with the mixer on low. Once the flour is mostly absorbed, turn up speed to medium, and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. If it sticks to the bottom, add more flour, 1 tbsp at a time.

Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Take out the dough and shape it into a ball, put it in the bowl and turn to coat with spray. Cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. Punch down and divide into 12 pieces (mine were each 2.75 oz). Brush 1/2 tbsp of the melted butter on the sides and bottom of a 9x13 pan. Shape each of the pieces into a ball that is slightly flattened, and space out evenly in the pan. Brush with the remaining 1/2 tbsp of butter. Cover with a tea towel, and let rise 30-40 minutes in a warm place, until they have almost completely filled the pan. Toward the end of the rise, turn the oven to 350 F. If you are using your oven to let the rolls rise, wait until you've taken them out before you turn the oven on!

Bake 25-30 minutes, until deep golden brown and internal temperature registers at 190-200 F. Brush with more melted butter (if desired), and enjoy while warm!

Notes: These rolls were so good! Once baked and cooled, you can freeze and reheat - I would recommend first in the microwave, and then in the toaster. Use whatever herbs you have on hand - you could even add some cheese if you really wanted. Since you don't use any warm water, make sure to put the dough in a very warm place when they are rising - I turn the oven on for a minute or two, turn it back off, and then put the dough in the warmed oven, covered with a towel. I put the oven light on also, to keep it even warmer.
They also can be mostly prepped in advance - once the dough balls have been put in the pan, you can put it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then let them come to room temperature, covered, and let them rise until they have filled the pan. Cook as directed above.

This was my first time making rolls this way, and I loved how easily they pulled apart from each other!

Before...

...and after being cooked

The awesome pillowy rolls

Joey's full plate (green beans and cauliflower on the side)

My full plate (I made some roasted shrimp for myself)

Fluffy perfection

Thanksgiving

Yes, I know that Thanksgiving happened 3 months ago. But don't you still want to hear about the great food we made??

This year we stayed in Charlottesville, and since we weren't having any friends join us, we tried to keep the menu minimal. For us, 7 dishes is minimal. We did a lot of cooking, but also had a lot of couch time, and never felt stressed about getting the next dish in the oven. I think that's at least partly due to the schedule we came up with the night before. It just took about 10 minutes to figure out when we wanted to eat, and when each dish would have to be started and put in the oven by. It was nice realizing we were ahead of schedule for most of the day.

Every single dish we made was a new recipe, and they all turned out incredibly well. Joey handled the turkey (obviously, since he was the only one eating it), sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. I made the cheesecake, rolls, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Here is our table, overflowing with lots of good food!

And here's what we made!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
From: Baking and Books

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 oz cookies)
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
4 8-oz packages cream cheese, at room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat neufchatel)
2 cups sugar
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
5 large eggs
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Grind cookie crumbs, pecans, brown sugar and ginger in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter, and pulse a few times to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan, press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan (really make sure to press it up as high as you can, since you have a ton of filling with this recipe!) Bake crust until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Using a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate. Add flour, spices and salt - mix just to combine. Stir in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in the center and edges begin to crack (center will still jiggle slightly), about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around edges of pan to release crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Notes:
Like I said, this makes a TON of filling. I didn't get the crust quite high enough up the sides, and I was nervous to have the filling above the crust (my pan leaks a bit), so I had filling leftover. I also had leftover gingersnap cookies, so I put a cookie in the bottom of the muffin cups in a standard muffin tin, and then put a scoop of filling on top. It worked out really well! We had mini cheesecakes!

Crust ingredients, ready to be blended

See - my crust isn't pushed very high up the sides

My mini cheesecakes turned out pretty well! I overcooked them slightly, so they weren't as creamy as the big cheesecake

When the cheesecake first came out of the oven, it was slightly cracked, and the center had puffed up

By the time it cooled, the center had deflated, and most of the cracks had filled in

Out of the pan! 

The crust was a bit crumbly, so it made a little mess. It tasted delicious, so I didn't care!

Pumpkin Cranberry Twists
From: Girl Versus Dough

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups bread flour, divided
2 1/4 tsp (or 1 packet) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (about 110 F)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 egg
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Directions:
In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, stir 1 cup flour, yeast and warm water until combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, salt, spices, and egg until combined.
Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stir to combine.
Using a wooden spoon or dough hook attachment, stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until a dough forms. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface 7-10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed OR knead on medium speed with dough hook attachment 5-6 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed.
Add in cranberries and pecans, and mix until they are all kneaded in.
Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour in a warm place until doubled.
When dough is doubled, punch down. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a 12-inch log. Fold each log in half, then twist the two ends around each other, and pinch the bottom ends closed to seal. Place twists on 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
Cover baking sheets with tea towels or lightly greased plastic wrap. Let twists rise until puffy, about 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 425 F. Uncover twists; brush with beaten egg. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown and baked through. Cool slightly before serving.

Notes:
Somehow I managed to misread the recipe, and made 12 twists instead of 16! It turned out perfect, and they were large enough to make sandwiches on later in the week.
I changed the recipe so that you add in the cranberries and nuts before the dough rises the first time - I had a hard time hand kneading in the fruit and nuts, and don't see why you have to wait to add them.
All in all, these are the best rolls I've ever made! The nuts added a great crunch, the cranberries added a nice sweetness, and the bread itself was just lightly sweetened, with a great flavor from the pumpkin and spices. It was perfect with butter or jam, but it wasn't too sweet to top with cheese and a fried egg.
Also, if you're baking two trays at once, definitely switch positions halfway through. The bottom tray wasn't browning (because duh, the top tray was blocking it), so I thought they weren't cooking as quickly. I left them in a few more minutes to brown on top, only to find that they were too brown on the bottom! They were still tasty, just not as fluffy and moist as the other pan. By the end of the week, we were so glad to have more rolls that we didn't care if they were a little overdone!

Post first rise, just added the nuts and cranberries

All of the twists have been formed (notice that there are only 12!), and are about to rise for the second time

Post-rise, you can see that the twists have puffed up

Baked, and absolutely gorgeous

Seriously, best rolls ever

Bacon Wrapped Turkey
I don't know where Joey got the recipe, or if he even followed one, but here is his beautiful turkey!

Maple Sweet Potatoes:
I'm also not sure which recipe Joey used for the sweet potatoes, but they had maple syrup in them, and a maple-greek yogurt topping

Mushroom and Leek Stuffing
Adapted from: Noble Pig

Ingredients:
16 oz crusty bread (we used one that whole garlic cloves in it), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 medium leeks, sliced (white and light green parts)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 cup fennel, sliced
1 1/2 lbs cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2 large eggs
2 cups vegetable stock
8 oz grated Gruyere cheese, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until dried out and lightly browned. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in a large 12" skillet saute pan over medium heat. Stir in leeks, celery and fennel and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until they are tender. Stir in mushrooms, thyme, and white wine. Add 1 tbsp kosher salt and 1 1/2 tsp pepper and cook for ~10 more minutes, until most of the liquid evaporates, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the parsley. Combine with the bread cubes in a large bowl, and let cool slightly.

In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together eggs, vegetable stock, and half of the Gruyere cheese. Pour over the bread and vegetable mixture, stirring well to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Stir well and pour into a 3quart dish (9x13 inch pan). Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is browned and the custard is set.

Notes:
We modified this so it was more of a stuffing than a bread pudding, by reducing the number of eggs, and replacing some of the cream with vegetable stock. We also added the fennel and celery for good flavor, and used thyme instead of sage. It was absolutely delicious, and I loved the Gruyere cheese in it.

Orange Cranberry Sauce with Ginger:
From Half Assed Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 bags of fresh or frozen cranberries
1-2 tbsp grated ginger
1 orange, peeled and separated into wedges
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup water

Directions:
In a blender or food processor with a metal blade, chop up the ginger, orange, and one of the bags of cranberries.
Place the cranberry mixture in a saucepan and add 1/2 cup of water. Add the other bag of cranberries, whole, and the sugar.
Boil over high heat for 3-4 minutes, while stirring. If it looks like it's scorching or getting too thick, add some water.
Cook for 5-10 minutes, until most of the berries are burst, and it becomes a deep red. Taste and add more sugar if desired.
Let cool (it will thicken as it cools) before serving.

Notes:
I loved this method of making cranberry sauce - blending half of the cranberries really thickened up the sauce nicely, and gave it great texture. I also loved the ginger in it.

Dijon Braised Brussels Sprouts:
From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts (we used 24 oz)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
2-3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp half and half or cream
1 tbsp smooth dijon mustard
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Directions:
Trim sprouts and halve lengthwise. In a large, heavy 12-inch skillet (use cast-iron if you have it) heat butter and oil over medium heat. Arrange halved sprouts in skillet, cut sides down, in one layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook sprouts, without until undersides are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the shallots, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low (for a gentle simmer), cover the pot with a lid (or foil) and cook the sprouts until they are tender and can be pierced easily with the tip of a paring knife, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the lid, and scoop out the brussels (leaving the sauce behind). Add half and half or cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Whisk in mustard. Taste for seasoning, and adjust as necessary with more salt, pepper or Dijon. Pour sauce over brussels, sprinkle with parsley if using, and serve immediately.

Notes:
We decided to make brussels sprouts instead of green beans this year, and absolutely loved this dish.

This was my plate Thanksgiving night:

And the next night, for leftovers: