Cranberry-Ginger Sorbet with Pumpkin Shortbread

I turned on our local NPR station around Thanksgiving time and heard them discussing food, and not just food, Thanksgiving recipes with a twist. Once I heard the title of the dessert I knew I wanted to try it, and I waited 15 minutes to hear how to find the recipe. It was a HUGE hit. I'll totally make this again. --Mark

Ingredients:

For Cranberry-Ginger Sorbet

4 cups fresh cranberries (organic preferred) 

3 cups water 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

2 T grated fresh ginger (from about a 2-inch piece, peeled) 

Powdered ginger, to season

For Pumpkin Shortbread

1 1/4 cups flour 

1/2 cup cornstarch 

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt 

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened 

2/3 cup powdered sugar 

Generous 1/3 cup pure pumpkin (canned) (organic preferred) 

1 tablespoon raw sugar, to garnish

For the Orange Syrup

1 cup orange marmalade

2 T blue agave syrup

1/2 cup orange juice

1 T light brown sugar

For the Candied Orange Garnish

Orange, sectioned

raw sugar

For the Pomegranate Syrup

2 cups pomegranate juice

Directions:

Prepare the Sorbet

In a large saucepan combine the cranberries, water, sugar, and the ginger. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil stirring occasionally to melt the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the cranberries are popping and very soft (optional: you can partially cover the saucepan as the berries simmer to prevent splattering cranberry juice everywhere). Set aside to cool about 15 minutes. Transfer the cranberry mixture to a blender (you may need to work in batches) and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining pulp. Cover the mixture and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight, until the mixture is very cold. Freeze the sorbet. Taste the cranberry ginger mixture. Adjust the flavor by adding superfine sugar or powdered ginger spice. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to a clean container and freeze covered until hard, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove to the refrigerator to soften a bit about 30 minutes before serving.

* * * * *

Prepare the Shortbread

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Spray a fluted 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom with a nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium size mixing bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter and powdered sugar; mix on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add in the pumpkin and combine mixing for about 1 minute more. Remove the bowl from the stand and add in the flour mixture and combine just until incorporated. The few strokes the lighter and flakier your shortbread. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan. Using a sheet of waxed paper gently spread the mixture around the pan, smoothing the top. Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the shortbread is firm and golden brown around the edges. 10 minutes before the end of the baking cycle sprinkle the raw sugar around the top of the shortbread. Remove the shortbread from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the tart pan, and using a long, sharp knife, cut the tart into 16 wedges.

* * * * *

Prepare Orange Syrup and Candied Orange Garnish

Place 1 cup of orange marmalade into a small sauce pan and set over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons blue agave syrup, ½ cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar. Cook until the mixture is reduced to ¼ cup. Strain the mixture into a small container. Reserve the orange pieces in another bowl. Toss the orange pieces with raw sugar and spread on a piece of wax paper to dry. Store with additional raw sugar in an air tight container.

* * * * *

Prepare Pomegranate Syrup

Place about 2 cups of pomegranate juice in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ to 1/8 cup, and thick. Transfer to a small squeeze bottle. Reserve.

* * * * *

To Serve

On a chilled serving plate drizzle a bit of the orange syrup in a decorative pattern. Add drops of the pomegranate syrup. Place on scoop of the cranberry ginger sorbet on the plate and garnish with some of the candied orange garnish. Set one piece of the pumpkin shortbread alongside the sorbet. Serve immediately.

Notes:

This is worth all the work. Everything can be prepared a day ahead of time as well.

http://witf.org/lifestyle/food/5551-recipe-cranberry-ginger-sorbet

Portuguese Stuffing

I am not a big stuffing person. This stuffing is out-of-this-world amazing. Well, I guess it's technically a "dressing" since we don't actually stuff the turk--who cares?! It's awesome! It goes perfectly with the Portuguese turkey we make at Thanksgiving, and it is awesome as a leftover. One of our friends said it's "good but not traditional." I'll take good over traditional any day of the week. --Mark

Ingredients:

bread, hard

olive oil

garlic, minced

onions, chopped

crushed red pepper

tomato sauce

chourico

red wine

salt

giblets

turkey drippings

Instructions:

A few days before making the stuffing, break bread into chunks. Chop giblets and chourico in a food processor. Make sure the chunks are very small. In a pot, heat olive oil. Saute garlic and onions until soft. Add crushed red pepper and heat through. Stir in tomato sauce. Add giblets and chourico and cook through. Add salt. Once the meat is cooked, add in red wine and simmer.

Stir bread chunks into sauce until it is all covered. Put into greased roasting pan or baking dish. Place in oven with turkey for one hour, basting frequently with the turkey drippings.

Note:

One variation is to soak the dried bread in water and then squeeze out the excess water through a colander. Then add it to the sauce. Spread the bread mixture into a baking pan before cooking.

Sweet Potatoes

Another classic fall recipe, especially good at a Thanksgiving meal. This is one of Zelia's recipes and is as tasty as any sweet potatoes I've tried. --Mark

Ingredients:

6 sweet potatoes, cooked

1/2 cup orange juice

2 T lemon juice

1 T corn starch

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

walnuts

Instructions:

Add all ingredients except potatoes and walnuts and boil until sauce looks clear. Place potatoes in buttered casserole dish and top with walnuts. Pour sauce over potatoes and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Roast Potatoes

These Portuguese potatoes are a regular side dish at our Thanksgiving meals, and have been at Stacy's since she was a girl. One way to make sure they taste absolutely fantastic is to roast them to the point that they are just about burned. We won't tell the story about how Zelia burned them one year and Stacy went on and on about how great they were and kept asking why they were so good that year. Oh, would you look at that. I just told it. --Mark

Ingredients:

potatoes, peeled

onions

crushed red pepper

garlic, crushed

1 small can tomato sauce

red wine

2 T oil

water

salt

Instructions:

Oil the bottom of a baking pan and pour in the onions, red pepper, garlic, tomato sauce, and red wine. Cut the peeled potatoes into roughly uniform chunks and place them in the pan. Add about 1-2 cups of water and sprinkle with salt. Cover. Bake for about 45 minutes at 350. Continue to check on the potatoes and uncover for the last 15 minutes for browning. If you are cooking a turkey or other meat you can baste the potatoes with the meat drippings.

Turkey - Portuguese Style

This is how I've always eaten turkey at Thanksgiving time (thanks, Mom!). It's basically turkey made with the classic Portuguese seasonings. It also makes it VERY moist and tender and so so so delicious. It may not be traditional and it may not be what the Pilgrims served, but man oh man is it good. -- Stacy

Ingredients:

A Turkey
Onions
Red Pepper
Garlic
Small can tomato sauce
Cooking wine
2T oil
1-2 cups water
Salt

Instructions:

Combine ingredients in roasting pan. Clean the turkey -- neck cavity, between the legs, etc. Place the turkey in the pan with the ingredients. Cover with top or aluminum foil. Bake for 2-3 hours. Baste it. (Measure time by poundage - see label on turkey). Continue baking - baste every 20-30 minutes. Bake according to timetable and golden-brown appearance. For last 1/2 hour, uncover it to brown.

Notes:

We stuff our turkeys with chouriço. Looks funny, but tastes good.

Apple Pie (Grandma Foley Style)

This recipe takes me back to my childhood Thanksgiving dinners, and most years it ends up on our Thanksgiving table as well. --Mark

Ingredients:

6-8 tart apples, peeled and sliced
¾ cup sugar
2 T flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
2 T butter
2 soft pie crusts, favorite recipe

Instructions:

Toss apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fill pie crust. Dot with butter. Cover with second pie crust. Cut slits for steam to escape. Crimp crusts together. Optional: Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 ˚F for 50 minutes.

Notes:

We use this pie crust recipe for our crusts, alWe usually place the pie pan on top of a cookie sheet since we always over pack the crust with apple filling and it oozes everywhere. If you invite me over to eat this pie, you’ll need to make 2.