Bourbon Pecan Pie

I had never tasted a pecan pie before making this recipe. Why on earth, then, would I make one and take it to a Thanksgiving dinner? Because I am nuts (yep, I just did that), I have always loved the aesthetic of this pie (isn't he handsome?!), and because pecans are my absolute favorite...oh yea, and there's bourbon in it. I had no idea what the consistency was supposed to be, or if it was cooked under the top/able to be sliced without falling apart. Unfortunately there was only one way to find out, so my pie arrived to the gathering one slice short. Still unsure, I took it and hoped for the best. Everyone ate it, and no one died, and I really enjoyed it. This pie is gooey and nutty and surprisingly not sickeningly sweet. The only thing I would definitely do differently next time is to lightly pre-bake the crust, as like I previously noted, the pie is on the gooey side and mine suffered from a soggy bottom. Also, toasting the nuts a little beforehand definitely couldn't hurt, either.

Bourbon Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Pre-baked pate brisee pie shell
2 1/2 cups pecan halves
4 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon bourbon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Finely chop 1 1/4 cups pecans and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. Add corn syrups, butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt and whisk until well combined. Stir in chopped pecans and pour into pre-baked crust.
Place remaining (unbroken) 1 1/4 cups pecan halves in circular pattern over the top of pie. Bake until crust is golden, filling is semi-firm, and a skewer comes out clean- approx 50 to 55 minutes.

Adapted from: Martha Stewart

Cranberry Curd Bars

Cranberry curd bars with a walnut shortbread crust and topped with candied lemon peel.

The tartness of cranberry is cut slightly in curd form, and the mixture is subtle and smooth. Supported by a warm and nutty shortbread crust, the combo is not only extremely handsome, but also a delicious little treat!

Cranberry Curd Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner sugar, tamped lightly down and leveled off
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed

For the Cranberry Curd:
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Powdered sugar for dusting
Candied lemon zest

Directions
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with greased parchment (make sure you can grab the paper on either side, as that is what you'll use to take the bars out in order to begin cutting). Beginning with the crust, put nuts in food processor and pulse approx 15 times. Add everything else, except butter and pulse another 10 times. Add butter pieces and pulse another 20-25 times (or until mixture will hold together when pressed). Press crust into prepared baking pan and freeze for at least 30 minutes. Remove from freezer and bake for approx 25 minutes.

Curd: Place cranberries and water in a pot over medium/high heat and stir until all cranberries have popped and mixture is mushy. Take cranberries off heat and press through a strainer so that no skin gets through. Allow skinless puree to cool and then add the rest of the ingredients, except for the butter, until uniform. Return cranberry puree to pot and heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes quite thick (should take about 10-15 minutes). Stir in butter until completely melted, strain into clean bowl. Pour mixture into pre-baked crust, and smooth top with off-set spatula. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until mixture has set, but still jiggles a teeny bit. Allow bars to cool completely, and then chill in refrigerator before cutting (about 24 bars). Top with powdered sugar and candied lemon zest.

Adapted from: The Kitchn

Brioche Loaf

Brioche! Hands down, my favorite enriched bread. All of the butter and eggs make for a dreamily tender crumb and flaky crust. It's also pretty forgiving to make, so it's really hard to mess this one up even if you're new to viennoiserie or bread making in general. I have already eaten a mini loaf all by myself, and I am extra excited to let the other get a little older for some brioche french toast.

Brioche Loaf
Ingredients
3 3/4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 1/3 tablespoons fresh yeast
5 eggs
1 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups butter, cut into cubes
1 egg, one yolk, and teaspoon of salt for egg wash

Directions
Add yeast to water. In stand mixer with dough hook attachment, add the flour and then on low speed, add the eggs one by one until incorporated. Add the salt, and the sugar. When ingredients are fully mixed, add the water and yeast mixture and continue mixing on medium speed. Once dough is fully hydrated and very wet looking, begin adding butter piece by piece while still mixing. Allow each piece to be almost fully incorporated before adding more. Once all butter has been incorporated, allow dough to mix for another 10 minutes or so. Remove dough and chill until firm. Pull dough from refrigerator and roll out and divide to fit your loaf pan(s). Roll dough into rope pieces, and pinch any seams shut to make surface smooth. Place in pan(s), gently pushing down and into corners, and allow dough to proof in a warm area (on top of preheating stove) until doubled in size (at least 1 hour). Preheat oven to 375F. Once fully proofed, brush egg wash on top and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from pans(s) and cool.

Maple Buttermilk Tart

(Sorry for the poor quality night time photo- will make again and re-post new picture!)

A fall classic. Smooth, tangy, maple-ly, and delicious. I don't think this needs much more explanation. Just make it and enjoy with some maple whipped cream.

Maple Buttermilk Tart
Ingredients
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoons salt
2/3 cups maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
large grain sugar for sprinkling

Directions
Have your favorite lightly pre baked tart crust ready. Preheat oven to 325F. In large bowl, whisk butter, flour, brown sugar, and salt together until lump free. Add maple syrup and vanilla and stir until incorporated. Add heavy cream and eggs and stir until incorporated. Gently stir in buttermilk, as to not create bubbles. Pour mixture into tart crust, place on baking sheet, and bake for 45-55 minutes (or until outside is set, and center is slightly jiggly. Cool fully before cutting.

Adapted from: Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Sweet Potato Donuts with Marshmallow Glaze

The month of Thanksgiving has arrived, and with that, here is my donut twist on everyone's favorite side dish- sweet potatoes with marshmallow and brown sugar!
Spiced sweet potato baked donuts topped with a gooey marshmallow glaze, brown sugar, and more marshmallows. As I was glazing...adding more sugar...and more marshmallows, I became increasingly concerned that this dessert was going to be way to sweet to consume, but with a subtle yet strong base of cake and sweet potato, there was plenty of room for the additional sweetness and the taste turned out to be perfectly balanced.

Sweet Potato Donuts
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweet potato puree
1/2 cup milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease donut pan. In medium bowl, whisk ingredients from flour to cloves together. In another medium bowl, whisk ingredients from oil to milk together. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold together without over mixing. Place mixture in a piping bag and fill halfway. Bake for 10 minutes or until donut springs back when touched. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Dip donuts in glaze, sprinkle with brown sugar and white sugar mixture (50/50), and place halved mini marshmallows all around.

Adapted from: The Craving Chronicles

Marshmallow Glaze
Ingredients
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter

Directions
Place all ingredients over double boiler and whisk until fully melted. Keep warm for easy dipping.