Turkey cranberry wreath

Can you believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving? My family and I will be spending it at my brother and sister-in-law's house. It should be a great time since my parents and my brother's in-laws will be there as well. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

This recipe is something that uses up some of your Thanksgiving leftovers. It's a meal that everyone in my family enjoys. And yes, I am fully aware that it uses refrigerated crescent rolls, but I just haven't had the time to experiment with an alternative yet. We only eat crescent rolls once or twice a year, so I don't feel too guilty about it. I've had this recipe since 2000, when I attended one of my first Pampered Chef parties. It was a hit back then, too.

My friend Joanna of Kosher Kitchen challenged the What's Baking gals to bake with cranberries this month, and this Pampered Chef recipe happens to use sweetened dried cranberries. Perfect. They add just the right amount of sweetness to this wreath, and the mayonnaise provides just enough moisture to keep the filling plump and juicy. If you wanted, you could add chopped walnuts into the filling for some extra crunch.

Addie originally wasn't a fan of this until we started calling them "pizza rolls." Once we started referring to the wreath as a pizza roll, then she gobbled it up.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Turkey cranberry wreath

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped (I like using rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 4 ounces (1 cup) Swiss or mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Unroll one package of the crescent rolls. Arrange them on a large pizza stone (or a lined baking sheet) into a circle - you will want the long points of the triangles sticking outward like the shape of a sun. The short, flat sides of the triangular roll pieces may overlap.

Unwrap the other package of crescent rolls. This time, arrange them so they fill up the center of the circle. The long points of the triangles should face in towards the center of the circle, and the wide ends should overlap with the first batch of crescent rolls you laid down.

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, black pepper, turkey or chicken, celery, cranberries and cheese. Mix well.

Scoop the filling onto the seams of the crescent rolls shape so that it forms a ring.

Using your hands, lift one end of a piece of dough over the filling and tuck it underneath. Alternate lifting from the outside and inside of the filling. Continue lifting and tucking until all the crescent roll ends have been used.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Yield: About 10 servings

Source: Slightly adapted from the Pampered Chef's Season's Best Recipe Collection, Fall/Winter 2000

Can you believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving? My family and I will be spending it at my brother and sister-in-law's house. It should be a great time since my parents and my brother's in-laws will be there as well. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

This recipe is something that uses up some of your Thanksgiving leftovers. It's a meal that everyone in my family enjoys. And yes, I am fully aware that it uses refrigerated crescent rolls, but I just haven't had the time to experiment with an alternative yet. We only eat crescent rolls once or twice a year, so I don't feel too guilty about it. I've had this recipe since 2000, when I attended one of my first Pampered Chef parties. It was a hit back then, too.

My friend Joanna of Kosher Kitchen challenged the What's Baking gals to bake with cranberries this month, and this Pampered Chef recipe happens to use sweetened dried cranberries. Perfect. They add just the right amount of sweetness to this wreath, and the mayonnaise provides just enough moisture to keep the filling plump and juicy. If you wanted, you could add chopped walnuts into the filling for some extra crunch.

Addie originally wasn't a fan of this until we started calling them "pizza rolls." Once we started referring to the wreath as a pizza roll, then she gobbled it up.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Turkey cranberry wreath

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups cooked turkey or chicken, chopped (I like using rotisserie chicken)
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 4 ounces (1 cup) Swiss or mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Unroll one package of the crescent rolls. Arrange them on a large pizza stone (or a lined baking sheet) into a circle - you will want the long points of the triangles sticking outward like the shape of a sun. The short, flat sides of the triangular roll pieces may overlap.

Unwrap the other package of crescent rolls. This time, arrange them so they fill up the center of the circle. The long points of the triangles should face in towards the center of the circle, and the wide ends should overlap with the first batch of crescent rolls you laid down.

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, black pepper, turkey or chicken, celery, cranberries and cheese. Mix well.

Scoop the filling onto the seams of the crescent rolls shape so that it forms a ring.

Using your hands, lift one end of a piece of dough over the filling and tuck it underneath. Alternate lifting from the outside and inside of the filling. Continue lifting and tucking until all the crescent roll ends have been used.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Yield: About 10 servings

Source: Slightly adapted from the Pampered Chef's Season's Best Recipe Collection, Fall/Winter 2000

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Homemade peanut butter

I know, I know. Why is the girl who doesn't like peanut butter making...peanut butter? Let me explain. You've all heard me rave about my local CSA. For our last box of the season, we received about 2 pounds of Virginia peanuts. Let's be honest here - I wasn't going to touch a bit of those peanuts since I don't like them. And what was my husband going to do with two pounds of them?  Plus, Stephanie from Brownies and Blondies challenged the What's Baking members to create a homemade version of a convenience item in February. That was the inspiration I needed.

My husband tried eating a raw peanut and wasn't impressed. I told him that he needed to roast them at a minimum to bring out the flavor, and then I got an idea - I could make my own peanut butter. He likes buying all natural peanut butters and always supports a local peanut butter vendor at our farmer's market, so I thought it would be fun to try making some at home. Even better yet, I wouldn't have to taste test any so I wouldn't be inhaling any calories this time around. Sounded like a plan to me.

I found Alton Brown's recipe online and found this to be super easy. The hardest part was shelling all the peanuts. I think that process alone took an hour and a half, so let me know if there is a better way to do this!

My husband really loved this homemade peanut butter and was happy that he got to customize it to his palate. We used a local honey to sweeten it, but you can use any kind you like. Next time, I may pull out the lazy card and just buy some pre-roasted peanuts from the grocery store and make peanut butter that way.

Homemade peanut butter

• 15 ounces shelled and skinned roasted peanuts, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used canola)

Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, add the peanuts, salt and honey. Process for 1 minute. Stop the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Put the lid back on and process again while slowly drizzling in the oil. Keep blending until the mixture is smooth, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. If the mixture is still too chunky, keep processing. You may add a tad more oil if needed. Store the peanut butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Roasted peanuts

• 2 pounds in-shell raw peanuts
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used canola)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Roasted peanuts directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the peanuts in cold water to remove dirt and other grime. Pat the peanuts dry, place in a large bowl, and toss with the oil and salt until well coated.

Place the peanuts on 2 sheet pans and make sure that they are in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, and rotate the pans halfway through cooking.

Once the peanuts have cooled, remove shells and skins and discard.

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups of peanut butter 

Source: Alton Brown, via the Food Network

I know, I know. Why is the girl who doesn't like peanut butter making...peanut butter? Let me explain. You've all heard me rave about my local CSA. For our last box of the season, we received about 2 pounds of Virginia peanuts. Let's be honest here - I wasn't going to touch a bit of those peanuts since I don't like them. And what was my husband going to do with two pounds of them?  Plus, Stephanie from Brownies and Blondies challenged the What's Baking members to create a homemade version of a convenience item in February. That was the inspiration I needed.

My husband tried eating a raw peanut and wasn't impressed. I told him that he needed to roast them at a minimum to bring out the flavor, and then I got an idea - I could make my own peanut butter. He likes buying all natural peanut butters and always supports a local peanut butter vendor at our farmer's market, so I thought it would be fun to try making some at home. Even better yet, I wouldn't have to taste test any so I wouldn't be inhaling any calories this time around. Sounded like a plan to me.

I found Alton Brown's recipe online and found this to be super easy. The hardest part was shelling all the peanuts. I think that process alone took an hour and a half, so let me know if there is a better way to do this!

My husband really loved this homemade peanut butter and was happy that he got to customize it to his palate. We used a local honey to sweeten it, but you can use any kind you like. Next time, I may pull out the lazy card and just buy some pre-roasted peanuts from the grocery store and make peanut butter that way.

Homemade peanut butter

• 15 ounces shelled and skinned roasted peanuts, recipe follows
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
• 1-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used canola)

Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, add the peanuts, salt and honey. Process for 1 minute. Stop the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Put the lid back on and process again while slowly drizzling in the oil. Keep blending until the mixture is smooth, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. If the mixture is still too chunky, keep processing. You may add a tad more oil if needed. Store the peanut butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

Roasted peanuts

• 2 pounds in-shell raw peanuts
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used canola)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt

Roasted peanuts directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse the peanuts in cold water to remove dirt and other grime. Pat the peanuts dry, place in a large bowl, and toss with the oil and salt until well coated.

Place the peanuts on 2 sheet pans and make sure that they are in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, and rotate the pans halfway through cooking.

Once the peanuts have cooled, remove shells and skins and discard.

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups of peanut butter 

Source: Alton Brown, via the Food Network

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Homemade pizza dough

Yeast is an ingredient that induces fear into many beginning bakers and at-home cooks. I was one of them. I wanted to make cinnamon rolls but kept procrastinating and making excuses until I decided to overcome my fear. I successfully made two different overnight cinnamon roll recipes (my first attempt; and my second attempt - which was much better). My mom's large scallion pancake recipe also used yeast, and I have to admit that the ingredient wasn't quite as scary as people made it sound.

Many of my online cooking friends have successfully made their own pizza dough, and I figured it was time to join the bandwagon. There's nothing better than a freshly made pizza, and how cool would it be to make an entire one from scratch?

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats and the dough was surprisingly easy to make. I followed the instructions to a T and froze half of the dough for later use. For our pizza, I made a barbecue chicken pizza with sliced grilled chicken, Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce and shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I baked mine in a 400 degree (Fahrenheit) oven on my pizza stone for 10 minutes and it was perfect. 

My husband was impressed with the dough and said that it tasted even better than the ones we used to buy at the farmer's market. Whoo hoo! Maybe homemade bread will be next on my list, but we'll see about that...

Homemade pizza dough

• ½ cup warm water
• 2¼ tsp. instant yeast
• 4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 1¼ cup water, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend.  Measure the room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture as well as the olive oil.  Mix until a cohesive dough is formed.  Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours. 

Press down the dough to deflate it.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball.  (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.)  Cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.

To bake, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes (I preheated my oven to 400 and left my pizza stone in there; I took the stone out as soon as the oven was done preheating).  Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Shape the dough with lightly floured hands.  Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil (I did not do this).  Top as desired.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes (my pizza baked at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes).

Yield: Two pizza crusts (each can be rolled out to about a 12-inch diameter)

Source: Annie's Eats; originally adapted from Baking Illustrated

Yeast is an ingredient that induces fear into many beginning bakers and at-home cooks. I was one of them. I wanted to make cinnamon rolls but kept procrastinating and making excuses until I decided to overcome my fear. I successfully made two different overnight cinnamon roll recipes (my first attempt; and my second attempt - which was much better). My mom's large scallion pancake recipe also used yeast, and I have to admit that the ingredient wasn't quite as scary as people made it sound.

Many of my online cooking friends have successfully made their own pizza dough, and I figured it was time to join the bandwagon. There's nothing better than a freshly made pizza, and how cool would it be to make an entire one from scratch?

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats and the dough was surprisingly easy to make. I followed the instructions to a T and froze half of the dough for later use. For our pizza, I made a barbecue chicken pizza with sliced grilled chicken, Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce and shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I baked mine in a 400 degree (Fahrenheit) oven on my pizza stone for 10 minutes and it was perfect. 

My husband was impressed with the dough and said that it tasted even better than the ones we used to buy at the farmer's market. Whoo hoo! Maybe homemade bread will be next on my list, but we'll see about that...

Homemade pizza dough

• ½ cup warm water
• 2¼ tsp. instant yeast
• 4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 1¼ cup water, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup.  Sprinkle the yeast over the top.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the bread flour and salt, mixing briefly to blend.  Measure the room temperature water into the measuring cup with the yeast-water mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, pour in the yeast-water mixture as well as the olive oil.  Mix until a cohesive dough is formed.  Switch to the dough hook.  Knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours. 

Press down the dough to deflate it.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form each piece of dough into a smooth, round ball.  (If freezing the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze at this point.)  Cover with a damp cloth.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.

To bake, preheat the oven and pizza stone to 500˚ F for at least 30 minutes (I preheated my oven to 400 and left my pizza stone in there; I took the stone out as soon as the oven was done preheating).  Transfer the dough to your shaping surface, lightly sprinkled with cornmeal. Shape the dough with lightly floured hands.  Brush the outer edge lightly with olive oil (I did not do this).  Top as desired.  Bake until the crust is golden brown, and cheese is bubbling, 8-12 minutes (my pizza baked at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes).

Yield: Two pizza crusts (each can be rolled out to about a 12-inch diameter)

Source: Annie's Eats; originally adapted from Baking Illustrated

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Large Chinese scallion pancake (蔥油大餅)

Ever since I was little, I've always loved scallion pancakes. My mom would make these from scratch at home, and we sometimes would order them at dim sum houses in Philadelphia. It was fun to judge the restaurants' versions because some of them would be too crispy, too oily, or too thick. In my mind, my mom's version was always the best.

Many years later, my mom was inspired by some of her friends and some of the restaurants in Taiwan. They made a very large scallion pancake called da bing (大餅).  She kept experimenting with the recipe to successfully recreate what she loved about this appetizer. It was crispy on the outside, fluffy like a bread on the inside, and contained the scallions and salt that she loved about a traditional scallion pancake. After many rounds of tweaking, she finally nailed the recipe.

I am fortunate that Mom gave me the completed recipe so I didn't have do all the trial and error myself. Having a toddler at home makes it hard for me to spend the time to experiment on my own, so I am glad that I didn't need to make any additional revisions for this da bing.

My husband and I recently joined a CSA, and in our very first box was a bunch of large spring onions. It was the perfect way to showcase this fresh produce while also tackling one of Mom's recipes. I found that I needed more flour than what my mom listed, but otherwise, the flavor and texture of the da bing is just as Mom makes it. My husband noted that this rivaled my mom's version, and I take that as the highest compliment.

You can serve this plain, or like my husband, dip it in some Asian sweet chili sauce for an added kick. The da bing will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Just make sure you wrap it tightly with tin foil or put it in an air-tight container. You can reheat in the microwave (about 30 seconds or so for a wedge) or in the oven (350 for about 5 min).

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water or milk (Mom and I use milk but she says water could work too)
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups of all purpose flour (I probably used up to 4 or 5 cups)
• 1 packet of yeast (not the instant kind)
• Sugar (about 1/2 tsp)
• Salt
• Scallions, chopped
• Oil

Directions

Warm the milk in the microwave so that it's no longer cold. Do not scald or boil the milk.

Add the sugar to the milk and stir. Then add the yeast and let it proof for about 5 minutes.  You should see the top get foamy.

Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix until just incorporated. Set it aside and let it rise for about 10 minutes.

Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Then, using a brush, coat the top of the dough with some oil. Sprinkle the surface with salt and chopped scallions.

Roll, jelly-roll style into a long rope. Coil the rope into a circle and flatten/roll out with a rolling pin. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise for another 2 hours. Your da bing should end up being about 10 inches in diameter and at least 1 inch thick.

Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or pan. On LOW heat (do not turn this to medium or high heat!), slowly pan fry the dough. Once the bottom starts to get crispy and the dough looks done on one side (about 10 minutes later), flip the pancake over and brown the other side. This pan-frying step should take about 20 minutes total - 10 minutes on each side. Remember to go low and slow!

Once done, the top and bottom of the pancake should be crispy and the inside should be fully cooked. Cut into pie-sliced wedges and serve.

Recipe featured on the Family Challenge

on Very Good Recipes

Source: My mom (original source unknown)

Ever since I was little, I've always loved scallion pancakes. My mom would make these from scratch at home, and we sometimes would order them at dim sum houses in Philadelphia. It was fun to judge the restaurants' versions because some of them would be too crispy, too oily, or too thick. In my mind, my mom's version was always the best.

Many years later, my mom was inspired by some of her friends and some of the restaurants in Taiwan. They made a very large scallion pancake called da bing (大餅).  She kept experimenting with the recipe to successfully recreate what she loved about this appetizer. It was crispy on the outside, fluffy like a bread on the inside, and contained the scallions and salt that she loved about a traditional scallion pancake. After many rounds of tweaking, she finally nailed the recipe.

I am fortunate that Mom gave me the completed recipe so I didn't have do all the trial and error myself. Having a toddler at home makes it hard for me to spend the time to experiment on my own, so I am glad that I didn't need to make any additional revisions for this da bing.

My husband and I recently joined a CSA, and in our very first box was a bunch of large spring onions. It was the perfect way to showcase this fresh produce while also tackling one of Mom's recipes. I found that I needed more flour than what my mom listed, but otherwise, the flavor and texture of the da bing is just as Mom makes it. My husband noted that this rivaled my mom's version, and I take that as the highest compliment.

You can serve this plain, or like my husband, dip it in some Asian sweet chili sauce for an added kick. The da bing will stay fresh in the refrigerator for about 5 days. Just make sure you wrap it tightly with tin foil or put it in an air-tight container. You can reheat in the microwave (about 30 seconds or so for a wedge) or in the oven (350 for about 5 min).

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water or milk (Mom and I use milk but she says water could work too)
• 2 1/2 - 3 cups of all purpose flour (I probably used up to 4 or 5 cups)
• 1 packet of yeast (not the instant kind)
• Sugar (about 1/2 tsp)
• Salt
• Scallions, chopped
• Oil

Directions

Warm the milk in the microwave so that it's no longer cold. Do not scald or boil the milk.

Add the sugar to the milk and stir. Then add the yeast and let it proof for about 5 minutes.  You should see the top get foamy.

Add the milk mixture to the flour and mix until just incorporated. Set it aside and let it rise for about 10 minutes.

Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1 cm thick. Then, using a brush, coat the top of the dough with some oil. Sprinkle the surface with salt and chopped scallions.

Roll, jelly-roll style into a long rope. Coil the rope into a circle and flatten/roll out with a rolling pin. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rise for another 2 hours. Your da bing should end up being about 10 inches in diameter and at least 1 inch thick.

Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or pan. On LOW heat (do not turn this to medium or high heat!), slowly pan fry the dough. Once the bottom starts to get crispy and the dough looks done on one side (about 10 minutes later), flip the pancake over and brown the other side. This pan-frying step should take about 20 minutes total - 10 minutes on each side. Remember to go low and slow!

Once done, the top and bottom of the pancake should be crispy and the inside should be fully cooked. Cut into pie-sliced wedges and serve.

Recipe featured on the Family Challenge

on Very Good Recipes

Source: My mom (original source unknown)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad