K1. Deep Dish Apple Pie

This recipe I am sharing with you right now isn’t just your ordinary apple pie it is a deep dish apple pie! This is an intermediate level making recipe and takes only one hour to cook and 45 minutes to prep. The ingredients you will need for this is: Granny Smith apples, lemon, orange, freshly squeezed lemon juice and orange juice, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, pie crust and egg beaten with water. How To:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Cut 4 pounds of the apple quarters in thirds crosswise and combine in a mixing bowl with 1 zested lemon and orange with 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oranges juice along with ½ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice.

Step 3: Now roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9 or 10 inch pie pan to extend about ½ inch over the rim. Then don’t stretch the dough! IT it’s too small, just put it back on the board and re rolls it.

Step 4: Next fill the pie with the apple mixture you just made. Then brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top of the crust will adhere. 

Step 5: Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1 inch over the rim. Next tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with a fork our fingers.

Step 6: Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar and cut about 4 or 5 slits.

To make the perfect pie crust:

Ingredients: unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, sugar, cold vegetable shortening, and ice water.

Step 1: Ice 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter and return it to the fridge while preparing the flour mixture.

Step 2: Place 3 cups of flour with 1 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix.

Step 3: Add the butter and 1/3 cup of shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas.

Step 4: With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball,

Step 5: Now dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Then wrap in plastic wrap and fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 6: Next cut the dough in half. And roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn’t stick to the board.

Step 7: Now fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with top crust.

This yields 2 (10 inch) pie crusts

K2. Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels

This week I’m going to teach you how to make Bacon-Cheddar Pinwheels. These delicious dinner rolls can go along with any type of meal. They are especially perfect for Thanksgiving! These pinwheels are a ranch dressing to perk up a crowd-pleasing, cheese crescent appetizer. The total prep time is 15 minutes and the total time is 35 minutes and is super easy to make! The rolls serve up to 16 people. To make these delicious bacon-cheddar pinwheels you’ll need Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls OR Pillsbury Crescent recipe creations, ranch dressing, real bacon pieces, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions. How-to:

Step 1: Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: If you are using crescent rolls: unroll the dough and separate into 2 long rectangles. Press them into 12x4 inch rectangle pans, firmly pressing perforations to seal. (you only need 1 can of the crescent rolls)

*If using dough sheet: unroll the rough and cut lengthwise into 2 long rectangles. Then press each into 12x4 inch rectangle

Step 3: Spread 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing over each rectangle to edges. Then sprinkle each with ¼ cups of cooked bacon pieces with ½ cup of shredded cheese and ¼ cup of chopped green onions. 

*for the bacon use about 4 pieces of bacon

Step 4: Then starting with one side, roll up each rectangle and press the edge to seal. And with a serrated knife cut each roll into 8 slices. Now place the cut side down on the ungreased cookie sheet.

Step 5: Next bake for 12 to 17 minutes or until the edges are deep golden brown color. Immediately remove from the cookie sheet. Make sure to serve them warm! 

NUTRIENTAL FACTS:

Serving size: 1 appetizer

Calories: 60

Total fat: 6 grams

Cholestoral: 5mg

Sodium: 180 mg

Carbohydrates: 6 grams

ENJOY!

J1. Green Bean Casserole

Looking for what to have alongside your turkey dinner? Well I got just the thing for you! Homemade green bean casserole. This is a famous side dish for a thanksgiving dinner. The total time it takes to make this is 2 hours with 1 hour and 15 minute cook time and 45 minute prep time. It serves between 4 to 6 people and is at an intermediate level recipe. This recipe calls for: medium onions, all-purpose flour, panko bread crumbs, kosher salt, green beans, water, unsalted butter, mushrooms, ground black pepper, garlic cloves, ground nutmeg, chicken broth, and half-and-half. How to:

FOR THE TOPPING:

Step 1: preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 2: Combine 2 medium thinly sliced onions with 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, 1/4 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Next coat a sheet pan with nonstick spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan.

Step 3: bake in the oven until golden brown, tossing every 10 minutes for about 30 minutes. When done remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use.

FOR BEANS:

Step 1: lower the oven heat to400 degrees Fahrenheit

Step 2: while the onions are cooking you can begin to prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8 quart saucepan. 

Step 3: Blanch for 5 minutes. Then drain in a colander and immediately plunge 1 pound of fresh green beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Then drain and set aside

.

FOR SAUCE:

Step 1: melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. 

Step 2: Add 12 ounces of mushrooms to 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and cook while stirring occasionally; until the mushrooms begin to release some of their liquid. Cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes. 

Step 3: Next add 2 cloves of garlic and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 4: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the mixture and continue to stir. Cook for one minute only! 

Step 5: Then add 1 cup of chicken broth and simmer for 1 minute. Then add 1 cup of half-and-half and cook until the mixture thickens, for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Step 6: remove from the heat and stir in ¼ of the onions and all of the green beans. Now top with the remaining onions. Then place into the oven and bake until it becomes bubbly which will be around 15 minutes.

Step 7: remove and serve immediately 

ENJOY! 

J2. Southern Biscuits

To add to your Thanksgiving feast Southern Biscuits go well with turkey and gravy! These biscuits are super easy to make! It makes one dozen and takes a total of 40 minutes to make and 20 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook. Now that is what I call easy fast cooking! This type of recipe calls for: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, shortening, and chilled buttermilk. How to:

Step 1: First preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

Step 2:  Then in a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups of flour with 4 teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ tablespoons of baking soda, along with ¾ tablespoons of salt.

Step 3: Using your fingertips rub together 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of shortening into dry ingredients until the mixture is crumb like.

*The faster the better, you don’t want the fats to melt

Step 4: Next make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup of chilled buttermilk. Stir until the dough comes together. 

***TIP: the dough will become very sticky

Step 5: Turn the dough onto a floured surface, dust the top with a little bit of flour and gently fold the dough over itself for either 5 or 6 times. 

Step 6: Keep pressing into a 1 inch thick round. Cut out the biscuits with a 2 inch cutter (being sure to press through all the way) 

Step 7: Place biscuits on a baking sheet so they just barely touch. Reform scraps dough working it as little as possible and continue cutting.

***TIP: the biscuits the second time around will not be lighter from the first round

Step 8: Bake the biscuits for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on top and tall.

 NUTRITONAL FACTS

 Per biscuit:

Calories: 121

Total fat: 4.5 grams

Protein: 3 grams

Carbohydrates: 17 grams

Sugar: 1 gram

Fiber: 0.5 gram

Cholesterol: 6 milligrams

Sodium: 331 milligrams

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is just right around the corner. After all the delicious foods you have eaten you need some sort of yummy dessert to top it off just right. And I have just the right type of Pumpkin Pie recipe just for you right here! It’s not too hard to make but it’s also not super easy. It serves up to 6 or 8 people and takes 30 minutes to prep and 1 hour and 55 minutes to cook. For the pie dough you’ll need: all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, unsalted butter, egg yolks, and milk. For the filling you’ll need: canned pumpkin, brown sugar, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground clove, salt, eggs, egg yolk, and a 9 inch pie pan. How to: 

FOR PIE DOUGH:

Step 1: In a standing mixer, combine 2 cups of flour with 1 tablespoon of sugar, and ¼ tablespoon of salt and mix to combine. 

Step 2: Then add 1 cup of unsalted butter (cut into cubes) and continue to mix until the mixture hold together when you clump it. The lumps have to be pecan sized with the butter still visible.

Step 3: Whisk together 2 egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of milk in a small mixing bowl

Step 4: Now add the yolk mixture you just made to the flour mixture and mix until the dough forms. Then transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, make sure to wrap well and store in the refrigerator for several hours. 

*The dough will keep for several days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.

Step 5: Lightly flour a work surface and roll half of the dough into an 11 to 12 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Line the pan with the dough and crimp the edges. 

Step 6: Chill the pie shell for about 30 minutes.

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 8: line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake the shell until golden brown for about 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and beans.

FOR THE FILLING:

Step 1: lower the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Then in a medium size saucepan, mix together 1 ½ cups of canned pumpkin with ½ cup of brown sugar. 

Step 3: Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until reduced and thick. 

Step 4: Remove from the heat and whisk in 2/3 cups of heavy cream with ¼ teaspoons of vanilla extract, 7 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, 6 ½ tablespoons of evaporated milk, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground ginger, 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, a pinch of salt, pinch of ground clove, 2 eggs and one egg yolk.

Step 5: now pout the filling into the pie shell and bake until set for about 45 to 55 minutes.

Step 6: Cool and Serve

ENJOY!