h

THANKSGIVING WEEK RECIPES

With Thanksgiving coming up this week, we thought we’d share some recipes that you can make this week, whether for Thanksgiving Day itself, or just for a weeknight family dinner or treat.

SOFT-BAKED WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY COOKIES: These cookies and thick, soft and puffy. Try them out for a yummy treat this week! Here’s what you’ll need: ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature), ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg (room temperature), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup white chocolate chips, and ¾ cup dried cranberries. Beat the butter for a minute on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix on medium high speed until it’s fluffy. Beat in an egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix this into the wet ingredients until well combined. The dough will be thick at this point. Add white chocolate chips and dried cranberries until evenly distributed. With aluminum foil or plastic wrap, cover the dough and refrigerate anywhere from two hours to two days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or more. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line parchment paper on a couple baking sheets. Scoop up the dough and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack, and enjoy!

WHITE WINE-BRAISED SHORT RIBS: What you’ll need for the braised short ribs: 3 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided), 6 short ribs (trimmed and bone-in), 1 onion (diced), 1 large carrot (peeled and diced), 2 ribs of celery (diced), 3 garlic cloves (lightly smashed), 2 tablespoons minced thyme, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 ½ cups Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio, 1 cup chicken stock, and 4 tablespoons cold salted butter (cubed salt and pepper to taste). For the parsnip and rutabaga puree: 2 large parsnips (peeled and chopped), 1 large rutabaga (peeled and chopped), 1 garlic clove (lightly smashed), 2/3 cup heavy cream (warmed), 6 tablespoons slated butter (softened and salt and pepper to taste). For the gremolata: 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2 tablespoons shredded lemon zest, 1 teaspoon minced rosemary, and 1 garlic clove (minced).

First, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Pour 1 ½ tablespoons oil into a large Dutch oven and place over medium high heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Sear for 2 – 3 minutes on each side. Remove the short ribs and set aside. Drain excess fat from the pan and add oil. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic and thyme. Continue to sauté for 3 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Deglaze the pot with white wine. Boil until the liquid has been reduced by one third. Add short ribs in the pot and top with stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and place in the oven for 2 – 2 ½ hours. Remove the short ribs and set aside. Skim excess fat from top of braising liquid. Pour the liquid into a blender and blend together until smooth. Add cubes of butter and adjust sauce seasonings. Pour the puree back in the pot of short ribs, cover and set aside.

Fill a large pot with salted water and add parsnip and rutabaga chunks. Boil the vegetable until tender. Drain water from the pot and transfer the mixture to a blender. Add cream and butter; puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss together. Ladle a scoop of the root vegetable puree in s shallow bowl and top with 2 short ribs. Top with a ladle of sauce and finish with a bit of gremolata. Now it’s ready to serve!

CHUCK ROAST WITH BALSAMIC AND DIJON: What you’ll need: 2 – 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, 4 pounds Chuck Roast, 1 medium to large yellow onion (chopped), 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 – 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard, 5 springs fresh thyme, 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth, 2 bunches small carrots (cut off tops leaving a small stub), 1 pound very small baby potatoes (white or red), Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Season with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Brown well on all sides and remove the roast to set aside. Add chopped onion to dippings in the pot and reduce heat to medium. Saute onions until soft for 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and increase heat to medium-high, boiling until reduced and somewhat syrupy for another 4 – 5 minutes. Stir in the Dijon and set roast on top of onions in the pot. Pour in 2 cups of beef broth and thyme sprigs. Cover and put in the oven for 2 ½ - 3 hours. Add carrots and potatoes to the pot and put back in the oven. Keep cooking for another 30 – 60 minutes. Season and serve!

SALTED CARAMEL-FILLED DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK SKILLET COOKIE: Do you love Pizookies? If yes, then you’ll love this recipe! What you will need: 1 stick unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed), 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 ¾ (8oz) cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 8oz dark chocolate (cut into ½ inch chunks), ½ cup caramel bites, 2/3 cup thick salted caramel sauce, and salt (for sprinkling on top before baking).

First, grease a 6 inch or 8 inch cast iron skillet with butter and set aside. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a medium skillet. Stir continuously. The butter will melt and then foam, turning into a golden brown color and nutty smell. Once it starts turning brown, remove the pan from the heat and stir for another minute. Move to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cool at room temperature for 1 – 2 hours. When the butter has cooled, place in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, and cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy for 3 minutes on medium-high. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, soda, and salt in another bowl with a whisk. Slowly add in the flour and fold in the caramel bits and dark chocolate chunks. Press 1/3 of the dough into the skillet (entire bottom and sides of skillet should be covered in dough). Fill with caramel sauce and top with more dough to completely cover it and secure the caramel inside. Sprinkle salt over the top of the cookie. Cover it with foil and refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 18 – 20 minutes. Serve right away with ice cream on top!

MAPLE PEAR AND GINGER PIE: What you’ll need for the dough: 1 cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon baking powder, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold and cut into small cubes), ¼ cup cream cheese (cold and cut into small cubes), 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 – 2 teaspoons ice cold water, and 1 egg (lightly beaten). For the filling: 7 comice or 8 bosc pears (peeled, cored and thinly sliced), ¼ cup candied ginger (diced),4 tablespoons maple syrup, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 ½ tablespoons all purpose flour, a pinch of nutmeg, 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water (beaten) and 2 tablespoons white sanding sugar.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Make pie dough according to the instructions. Pat 2 even discs and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour. Place all filling ingredients into a bowl and fold together. Once the crust has been chilled, remove from the refrigerator and unwrap 1 of the 2 discs. Sprinkle flour on a clean surface and roll the dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick. Gold the dough in half carefully and lift it into a pie dish. Unfold and press the dough into the shell, cutting off excess. Crimp the edge and fill the pie shell with the filling mixture. Unwrap and roll the other half of the dough until 1/8 inch thick and cut into 14 strips of ¾” x 11” and gently lay 7 strips of dough across one direction of the pie. Space them evenly from one another. Form a lattice by arranging the rest of the strips through the first strips. Trim the edges and press the ends into the crust of the pie. Whisk together the egg and water and brush egg wash over the pie.

Refrigerate the pie for 30 minutes before placing on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Take the pie out of the oven and cool for approximately one hour before serving.

h