More than turkey in the oven

Two announcements before I share trusted old baking recipes for the Thanksgiving table.
1) The Washington Post on November 16 ran a scary report about widespread salmonella coming from raw turkey. The outbreak is already months old, many states big and showing now sign of stopping. What's scarier is that the industry controlled USDA, remember Perdue is running it, refuses to release any results of its research into how, why and exactly where this all began. It's protecting major turkey producers and processing plants. SO BE CAREFUL HANDLING TURKEY. Wash your hands after you touch it, every time! Use boiling water to sterilize any utensil or counter/cutting surface it touches. Then wipe with vinegar. And finally, cook big bird to well done, very well done.

2) On a more joyful note, ZEST a magazine of Maine turned its holiday issue into a cookbook of its readers' favorite recipes and 3 of the 15 are mine. You've read them here! Nepali chicken curry, Greek Island Chickpea and Brown rice soup with cinnamon, fresh flaked cod with chickpeas and harissa. The winter issue coming in January will feature my winter soup favorites.

And now back to our program for Thanksgiving. For the home cook or the invited guest, here are a few simple, tasty ways to bake something that makes the day. Each features a traditional ingredient of the meal and each is easy enough for kids to feel proud of contributing. (for the record: the photos that follow are not mine. I haven't had the time to bake all this stuff again.)

Cornmeal Spoon Bread

I always serve BBQ sauced turkey so cornbread in some form is a must. I have several recipes, some for muffins and puffins. This is the easiest one so I'm using it this year.
    serves 6 (you can double it and use a 9X13 baking pan.

2 1/2 c water
1 c yellow fine or med grain cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 c corn kernels (cooked and drained, and yes canned is okay)
1 c buttermilk
4 eggs, well beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter an 8" sq baking pan.
In a sm/med bowl stir 1/2 c water into the cornmeal.
Bring the remaining 2 c water to a boil. Add salt, chili powder, and lower heat. Slowly stirring constantly the wet cornmeal. Cook 1 minute, stirring to avoid clumps. Remove from heat. Using a mixer, beat in the buttermilk, eggs and butter and make a smooth batter. Fill the buttered pan, smoothing the top. You can, if you like the color sprinkle a tiny bit of paprika all around. Bake 30-35 min until a cake tester comes out clean.

Yam Biscuits

These moist colorful biscuits with the tantalizing fragrance of oranges easily compete with all the inevitable sweet potato casseroles and usually win as something different for a change. They're also perfect the next day as the bread makings of a turkey/cranberry sauce sandwich.

makes 9 biscuits (double recipe to feed a crowd or have leftovers)

1 1/4 c all purpose unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp light brown or turbinado raw sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 c mashed cooked yams (1 16-17 oz can will do it)
1/4 tsp orange peel finely zested or grated
2 tbsp whipping or heavy cream
optional: if you have it put 1/4 tsp orange flower water in

Preheat oven to 400º. Butter two large cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and orange peel. Add shortening and yams--and orange flower water if you have it. Mix just long enough to make a soft dough. 

On a floured board or large spread of waxed paper on the counter, pat or roll the dough into any shape 1/2" thick. With a 2 1/2" round cookie cutter or a drinking glass with the opening about that size (use it upside down), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place each on a cookie sheet, leaving 2" between them. Gather up the scraps and form another ball, pat iti down to 1/2" thick and continue cutting biscuits as long as there's dough.  With a pastry brush or piece of waxed paper, brush the top of each biscuit with the cream, carefully coating it. 

Bake at 400º 18-20 min or until they are very light brown (almost imperceptible). With a spatula transfer them to a wire rack to cool down and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Throw out all your ideas about pumpkin bread and think cheese cake! That will give you insight into this divinely rich, creamy, raisin flecked loaf. And if you make two, you can count on one freezing really well. This is a great hostess gift too. Don't panic at the long list of ingredients: many are spices. This is a flavorful loaf!
makes one 7 1/2" x 3 3/4" loaf (medium size)

2 tbsp maple syrup (use only real syrup)
1/2 c light brown or raw turbinado sugar
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 oz cream cheese
3 extra lg eggs
1 1/2 c plain mashed pumpkin (canned is fine)
1 tbsp orange rind, finely grated or zested
1 c all-purpose, unbleached flour
2/3 c seedless dark raisins
1/2 c whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter the loaf pan.
In a lg mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, brown sugar and maple syrup until smooth.
Add pumpkin, then the eggs one at a time, beating to keep the mixture smooth. Stir in the orange peel.

Whisk or sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and all the spices.  Add this to the wet batter, mixing just long enough to incorporate completely. Don't over beat.  Fold in the raisins with a wooden spoon. 

Spoon the batter into the butter loaf pan, leveling and smoothing the top. Bake at 350º in the center of the oven 50-60 min until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes before turning it upside down and removing the bread to cool on a wire rack. 

Cranberry Muffins

Here's how to sneak in the berries for those who can't stand the traditional cranberry sauce. They're mighty tasty, pretty and perfect with turkey. In fact you could make a very colorful, appealing bread basket mixing these with the yam biscuits.

makes 10 3" muffins

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 extra large eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp orange peel, finely grated or zested
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c whole cranberries
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c buttermilk
2 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c chopped walnuts
(optional: 1 tsp orange flower water)

Preheat oven to 375º. Butter or line with paper cups 10-12 muffin cups. (A standard muffin tin is 6 or 12.)
In a small saucepan over med/high heat, combine 1/2 c cranberries, 1/2 c sugar and 1 tbsp orange juice. Cook, stirring, 5 min as though making jam. (The cranberries should soften and burst, the sugar should melt and start to thicken.) Remove from heat, plunge bottom of pan into cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.

Lightly toast the walnuts 3 min in the preheating oven.
In a large mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and cream until the mixture is fluffy. This is critical to get light, high muffins. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as you beat into a smooth puree. Add 1 tbsp orange juice, orange peel and the cooked cranberry mixture. Mix just enough to blend.

Sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add half to the wet batter. Mix just enough to incorporate. Add the buttermilk, optional orange flower water and remaining flour mixture. Mix thoroughly but do not over beat. With a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the remaining cranberries and chopped walnuts.  Spoon the batter into the buttered muffin tins, filling close to the top and leveling. Shake out air pockets. 

Bake at 375º 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
While they are baking, make a glaze by whisking together in a shallow bowl
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 1/2 tbsp fresh orange juice
pinch nutmeg

When the muffins come out of the oven, let them rest 5 minutes. Then remove each and holding it upside down gently rotate it in the glaze to cover the top. Turn right side up and cool on wire racks.

Absolutely Apple Bread

In case nobody's bringing or making apple pie. Or even if they are. This is a trifecta for apple fans: fresh apples, apple sauce and apple cider all together. All it needs on the serving table is apple butter! Don't be turned away by the long list of ingredients: they're all the usual stuff in the cupboard and this is a cinch to assemble.

makes 3 sm loaves (5 3/4" x 3 1/4")

1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c seedless dark raisins
1 lg Granny Smith apple, very finely diced (you need 2 c of a tart apple)
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup (only the real deal)
1/4 c light brown or raw turbinado sugar
2 extra lg eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 c applesauce (jarred is okay)
2 tbsp fresh apple cider
3 tbsp plain yogurt OR heavy cream
1 c all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease the loaf pans.
Sprinkle the finely diced apple with the ginger and cinnamon.
In a lg mixer or mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, maple syrup and sugar until blended. One at a time, add the eggs, beating to mix.  Add vanilla, applesauce, cider and yogurt/cream. Blend.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, allspice and nutmeg. Carefully stir this into the wet batter. Fold in the spiced apples, raisins and walnuts. Spoon the batter into the buttered pans. Bake at 350º 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.