Sweet Life of a Baker’s FIVE Classic and Traditional Thanksgiving recipes to help compliment your traditional family Thanksgiving meal. From my kitchen to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!
~ Andrea Maranville
1. HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
To can or not to can. That is the question. Its a timeless debate. Some people will only eat this “sauce” if they can see the lines from the can in the serving bowl. Others, turn their nose up at the sight of the jellied stuff. Our Thanksgiving table always has both – we are a 50/50 split in our family and its the only thing from a can on the table but once again….It is tradition. Making your own cranberry sauce is not difficult. It is one of the easiest sauces to make, has only a few ingredients and can be made days in advance so the day of is a breeze. Simply place all the ingredients in a saucepan on medium to low heat and simmer until the berries are bursting and the sauce is thick. Recipe below.
CRANBERRY SAUCE RECIPE:
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12 oz. fresh (or frozen) whole cranberries
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1/4 C. Brown Sugar
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3/4 C. granulated pure cane sugar
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1 Fresh orange (Juice and zest)
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1 small apple (skin removed and diced small)
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1/4 C fresh orange juice (from orange)
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1/4 C. water
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1 T. Fresh orange zest
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1/4 t. ground cinnamon
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1/2. t. pure vanilla extract
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1/8 t. salt
Place all ingredients in a sauce pot and place on the stove. Cook low to medium heat sirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Using spatula or a fork, smush remaining berries and apple chunks. Cook an additional 5 minutes stirring often until thick, hot and ruby red. Allow to cool and place in a container in the refrigerator until serving.
Recipe originally posted on (Sweet Life of a Baker Blog Here)
2. SAGE THANKSGIVING STUFFING
My love affair with sage started way back before I can remember. My most reminiscent memories of this herb began in my mother’s kitchen. The wafting smells of what I later grew to know as sage were generously added to her roasts, turkey stuffing, homemade soups and casserole during cooler fall and winter months. To this day every time I breathe in the wonderful smell of sage it takes me right back to my childhood and wonderful family memories. I grow my own sage now, and steal a bundle from aunt Jacquie’s greenhouse too! I have sage smudges hanging in my kitchen and the kids know this smell very well! I’m proud to carry on this tradition and love for this herb. Recipe below.
THANKSGIVING STUFFING RECIPE:
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1 bag of plain bread croutons (if you have homemade croutons its even better!!)
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2-3 Large eggs – beaten
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4-6 large stalks of celery
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1-2 medium yellow onions (diced)
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1 T. dried sage or 2-3 T. fresh (chopped)
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1 t. salt
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1/2 t. pepper
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1/2 t. celery salt
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1 C. Milk, almond milk or chicken stock
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1 apple – peeled and small diced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Chop celery and onion, saute on stove until tender and translucent. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, sage, and seasonings. Next, add the croutons, celery and onions and apple. Mix well until all croutons are coated. If they are still “dry” add more liquid until they start to fall apart and soak up the liquid.
Transfer to a baking dish or stuff inside your turkey. If baking seperate from the turkey, cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 – 40 minutes! Remove foil for the last 10-15 minutes to brown the top. Keep warm until serving.
Recipe originally posted on (Sweet Life of a Baker Blog Here)
3. DELICIOUS HOLIDAY DINNER ROLLS
My recipe for delicious dinner rolls is so easy that spending money on rolls for your holiday dinner will seem silly after realizing not only how easy they come together but how inexpensive it is to make! Not to mention when you make your own rolls you know what is IN them! Don’t think you will have time to make rolls ON Thanksgiving? No worries, my recipe post will share with you how to make the rolls the day before or better yet a WEEK before you need them. Recipe below.
DINNER ROLLS RECIPE:
2.25 t. dry active yeast (or instant yeast)
1/4 C. water (warm – 110 degrees)
1 C. whole milk ( or water)
1 egg (beaten)
3 T. sugar
1-2 t. salt
4 T. unsalted butter ( or olive oil)
3 C. All Purpose Flour
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Cut the butter into small chunks. Add to milk and sugar in a microwave safe bowl or sauce pot. Warm the the butter, milk and sugar just until the butter is melted. Heat 30 seconds at a time stirring until melted. Set aside.
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Place the yeast, 1 T. of sugar and warm water in a bowl or standard mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Stir. Cover with a dish towel and let sit for 5 minutes. NOTE: After 5 minutes the water will look foamy.
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Add flour, liquid and egg to the bowl and either mix by hand or us the hook attachment until all flour has been absorbed and dough is wet and shaggy.
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Continue to knead dough for approximately 5-8 minutes. This can be done either in mixer with a hook attachment on low/medium speed OR by lightly flouring a surface and kneading using the palm of your hand. If using this method add small amounts of flour to keep from sticking if needed…but not too much. Continue kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
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Coat with olive oil, place in a large bowl. Cover with cling wrap and dish towel and set in a warm spot for 1-1.5 hours. (I’m sure you can find something else to do for an hour) The dough will double in size during this time.
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Punch down dough with your fist and turn out onto a lightly oiled or floured counter.
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Form and roll into equal sized dinner roll balls.
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Place on a lightly greased baking tray or sheet pan about 1-1.5 inches apart. You can place parchment paper on bottom of tray as well. NOTE: Leaving space will allow room for dough to rise and touch for classic “pull apart” rolls.
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Cover with dish towel and let rise for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350. Brush the rolls with a beaten egg using a pastry brush. Dont have one? Feel free to skip this step but you wont get that “shiny crust look. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and cool..if you can wait that long. ENJOY!
MAKE AHEAD ROLLS: Once completely cool place in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to use, let defrost IN the sealed bag. Just before serving place in a preheated oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes.
Recipe originally posted on (Sweet Life of a Baker Blog Here)
4. Maple Candied Walnuts
Maple Candied Walnuts are a delicious addition to a cheese board, in a bowl for snacking, chopped and topped on a salad, sweet potato casserole, or decoratively sprinkled on a dollop of whipped cream sitting on a slice of homemade apple pie. These candied walnuts will impress your family and be gobbled up so fast you will wish you made more.
MAPLE CANDIED WALNUTS RECIPE:
2 C. walnuts
6-7 T. Pure Maple Syrup
Pinch of salt
Put walnuts in a dry fry pan and add maple syrup. Turn heat up to medium/high and stir until the walnuts are toasted and the syrup has caramelized – approx. 5 minutes.
Spread on a baking sheet to cool and enjoy!
Recipe originally posted on (Sweet Life of a Baker Blog Here)
5. Maple Whipped Butter
Want to kick up your dinner with a “WOW” factor and a surprise for those at your table. Make a maple (or honey) whipped butter for the table. This delicious addition will be amazing on top of your fresh warm baked rolls, mashed potatoes or well, dare I say just about ANYTHING. This added touch of “gourmet” to your table is a great way to elevate your Thanksgiving table and have everyone talking about “your amazing butter”! Simply take 1 C. room temperature unsalted butter, 1/4- 1/2 C Maple Syrup or Honey, 1/2 t. sea salt, 1/8 t garlic powder and whip in a mixer until combined pale and fluffy. Ah-maz-ing!!
Full Recipe Thanksgiving recipes originally posted on (Sweet Life of a Baker Blog Here)
Learn more Thanksgiving cooking tips from Andrea in the video:
About the Baker
Meet the Baker: Andrea Maranville is a self taught cook and baker from Sherrill, N.Y. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a passion for baking. In 2018, she got her big break in the baking world after competing on ABC’s “The Great American Baking Show – Holiday Edition.” It was there that she competed in 18 baking challenges and finished in the top three. Now Andrea has taken her passion for baking and turned it into her own business, Sweet Life of a Baker, where you can follow her story and view more of her recipes.