Turkey gravy

3/4 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons reserved turkey drippings

2 1/2 cups turkey stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring wine to a boil in pan until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes. Combine flour and turkey drippings in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add to pan; cook over medium heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool for a few minutes and pour into a freezer container. Refrigerate and when gravy is cool, cover it and freeze. Freeze up to 1 month.

Thaw overnight in refrigerator or a couple of hours at room temperature. Shortly before serving time, pour into a saucepan and slowly reheat, whisking on occasion. Add a bit of fresh or dried thyme, if desired, as the gravy is reheated.

Source: Cooking Light magazine

Sweet potatoes rolled in raw sugar

8 small or medium dark-flesh sweet potatoes (yams), about 6 to 8 ounces each

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

To finish:

Cooking spray

1 cup raw or unrefined sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground mace

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut into bits

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and arrange sweet potatoes on it. Prick each one a couple of times with a sharp knife. Bake until just barely tender, about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, depending on size of potatoes. Remove from oven, let cool and peel.

With a pastry brush, coat each sweet potato with orange juice. Place on a baking sheet, freeze until firm, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, wrapping one or two potatoes together. Place wrapped potatoes in heavy zipper plastic bag or plastic freezer container. Freeze up to 1 month.

When ready to serve, thaw wrapped potatoes in refrigerator overnight. Or unwrap and thaw at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking spray a baking dish or pan large enough to hold potatoes in a single layer. Combine raw sugar, cinnamon and mace in a large shallow dish. Roll each potato in the sugar mixture to coat evenly. Arrange potatoes in baking dish.

Pour 1 cup orange juice into bottom of dish. Scatter butter bits evenly over top of potatoes. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and baste potatoes with the pan juices. Serve warm.

Source: “Eula Mae’s Cajun Kitchen” by Eula Mae Dore and Marcelle R. Bienvenu

Maple Pecan Pie

Makes 2 pies, each serving 8

6 large eggs

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup Grade B maple syrup (available at Trader Joe’s)

1 cup light corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

14 ounces (3 3/4 cups) pecan halves, coarsely chopped

2 frozen 9-inch pie crusts, unthawed, purchased or homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl with whisk or electric mixer, beat eggs, then add sugar, melted butter, syrups, vanilla and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour into prepared pie shells. Bake in center of preheated oven until crust is golden brown, and center is puffed and firm, but still a dash wiggly, about 45 to 50 minutes. A thin knife inserted into center will come out clean. Place on rack to cool completely; it takes about 3 to 4 hours.

Wrap each pie in plastic wrap and then in heavy aluminum foil, molding foil to shape of pie. Freeze up to 1 month. Defrost wrapped pie at room temperature or in refrigerator for 6 hours. Uncover pie and warm in preheated 300-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Pie keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic.

– source: Beth Hensperger

Classic pumpkin pie

Makes 2 pies, each serving 8

2 frozen 9-inch pie crusts, unthawed, purchased or homemade

3 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

2 cups packed light brown sugar

5 large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons cognac, Grand Marnier or Calvados

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, use wire whisk or electric mixer on medium speed to combine ingredients; beat well one minute. Divide between pie shells, pouring up to the rim of fluted edge; rather than overfill, pour any extra filling into a small baking dish and bake as custard. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake until filling is set and puffed, and center no longer jiggles when gently shaken, about 50 to 65 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature on a rack.

Wrap each pie in plastic wrap and then in heavy aluminum foil, molding foil to shape of pie. Freeze up to one month. Defrost wrapped pie at room temperature or in refrigerator for six hours. Uncover pie and warm in preheated 300-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Pie keeps two or three days in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic.

– source: Beth Hensperger

Southern Stuffing

6 cups brioche, cubed and toasted

1 pound country ham, cubed

4 ounces (1 stick) butter

2 onions, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2 teaspoons dried sage

1 teaspoon file gumbo powder

1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Toast bread cubes for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Transfer to bowl. Raise oven heat to 425 degrees. Saute ham, in a skillet over medium heat, until brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to bread bowl.

In same skillet, melt butter. Add onions, and celery to skillet. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Combine softened vegetables, herbs, spices, with bread meat mixture. Add just enough stock to moisten bread mixture. Pack the neck and cavity loosely with stuffing, folding the neck skin under and fastening with a skewer. Or lightly pack stuffing into large stoneware baking dish.

Easiest Apple pie

1 prepared frozen pie shell

7 cups thinly sliced apples

1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice. Mix well and let stand 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Pulse several times to mix. Scatter the butter over the mix and pulse until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the nutmeg, cornstarch and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Add this to the apples and mix well.

Transfer the apples into the pie shell. Using your fingers, rub together the flour and oat mixture until it forms large buttery crumbs. Heap the topping over the apples, packing it down gently with your hands. It will seem as though there is too much, but continue to pack it on, completely covering the apples.

Place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any drips during cooking. Bake the pie for about 1 hour, or until edges of the crust are lightly browned. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil after 30 minutes of baking.

Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 8 servings.

– The Associated Press