Made-from-scratch Traditional Pecan Pie

The perfect ending to your Thanksgiving dinner

Classic and elegant, sinfully sweet and nutty, made-from-scratch pecan pie

Baking is a fundamental part of the holiday season ... just like wild shopping sprees, and singing along those Christmas songs on the radio. You just cannot do without it!
There are so many options when it comes to baking, that it can be a challenge to decide which recipe to approach. So here are a few of my favorite sweet recipes. Elegant, fun and delicious. Hopefully one of these will inspire your holiday baking.

Rose-shaped dessert made with soft and delicious apple slices, wrapped in sweet and crispy puff pastry

Almond tart with a moist almond filling over a buttery crust and  a little spread of apricot preserve for extra flavor

Homemade rustic crostata with sweet and juicy apples, a dash of cinnamon, over a buttery and flaky crust. 

And there is more! Today, I present you with a traditional, made-from-scratch pecan pie that cannot possibly miss from your Thanksgiving table.
Did I mention this is by far my favorite Thanksgiving dessert?!? And there is a good reason for it. This is not just any pie. But a deliciously sinful pecan pie. Classic and simple. Rich and nutty. Made with NO corn syrup. Yes, you heard me!! You can do a pecan pie without the guilt of using high-fructose  (maybe not-so-good for your health) sweetener. And still get the same super sweet, moist and chewy filling. Flavored with a touch of orange zest, and a dash of cinnamon which will make your kitchen smell like the holidays. And that's not all. This pie is topped with more golden, toasty and slightly crunchy pecans. All sitting over a flaky, crumbly and buttery crust.
Oh my... I just made myself hungry for more pecan pie!

I made the crust using my food processor. Very easy and super quick. You can also make it by hand, just like I did in my apple crostata recipe the other day. Similar idea, but a little more labor intensive. The recipe for the crust is your basic flour/salt/tiny-bit-of-sugar/cold butter and chilled water. Mixed together quickly until just combined. And stored in the refrigerator before rolling and placing in the pan. I decorated the edges with a pretty fluted pattern. You don't really have to, but when you see how easy it actually is, I'm sure you will try!

I used a plain, 9 inch pyrex glass pan. I love this pan, and especially foolproof baking. You can check the bottom of the pie through  the glass at any time. So there is no room for error and no guessing for readiness. I started with the pan in the middle of the oven and set my timer to 40 minutes. I moved the pie to the bottom of the oven for the last 15 minutes of baking to avoid over-cooking the upper edges. You can also cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil if the top crust starts to color too soon.

Make sure to check out my video recipe. Once you try it, I'm sure this will be your new favorite pecan pie recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients: to make a 9 inch (23 cm) pie
For the crust:

• 1.5 cups (225 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 gr) of sugar
• 4 oz (115 gr) of unsalted butter, cold
• about 6 tablespoons (85 ml) of chilled water 

For the filling:

• 2 oz (55 gr) of unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup (150 gr) of granulated white sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 1 orange, zest
• 2 cups (200 gr) of chopped pecans 
• plus around 1.5 cups (150 gr) of pecan halves for decorating (optional)

Preparation time: 30 minutes to prepare, plus two hours inactive
Directions:

1. In your food processor, add the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse a couple of times so that the dry ingredients are mixed together. If not using a food processor, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Add the cubed butter and pulse a few times until incorporated. You need the butter in little pea-size small clumps. If not using a food processor,  cut the butter in small pieces with the tip of a knife, mixing with the flour, until you get a  coarse mixture.

3. Add about 4 tablespoons of chilled water. I placed half glass of water in the freezer before starting with the recipe. Pulse only a few times, (or mix with a spoon if not using a food processor) and check the dough. You need to stop as soon as the dough comes together in a ball. Do not over-mix. Add a little more water if necessary. I added two more tablespoons of water (total of 6).

4. Pack the dough into a disc using your hand and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour or longer. You can prepare the dough the day before too, and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Roll the dough on a clean surface sprinkled with flour, into a circle of about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. Make sure the dough doesn't stick to the counter when you roll it, so flip it and move it around.

6. Transfer the dough to a 9 inches pie pan, helping yourself with the rolling pin. Cover the pan with the dough pushing gently the dough down to the bottom, without stretching it. Trim off the excess pastry around the edges, leaving about one inch  all around.

7. Fold back the edge, toward the outside of the pan, And if you like, make a fluted edge. Using your finger index on one hand, push the dough through the index and middle fingers of your other hand, as shown in my picture.

8. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, and place the crust back in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

9. Preheat the oven to 350º F (175º C). Melt 2 oz of unsalted butter in the microwave (about 30 seconds) or in double boiler. Let the butter cool.

10. In a large bowl mix the brown and white sugar  with the eggs until creamy.

11. Add the melted butter, the salt, the orange zest, the vanilla extract and the cinnamon. Mix again.

12. Fold in the chopped pecans, and pour the mixture onto the crust. If you'd like decorate with the pecan halves, making circles starting from the  edge, moving in.

13. Bake at 350º F (175º C) for 55-60 minutes in the middle of the oven, until the crust is slightly brown, and the filling is mostly set. I placed the pie in the middle of the oven for the first 40 minutes, and moved it to a lower rack after that. Make sure to check the pie. If the edges start to brown you can also wrap the pie with aluminum foil, after the first 30-40 minutes.

I know it will be hard, but wait for the pie to cool down and set a bit before cutting yourself a big slice.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Cranberry Muffins

Enjoy the inviting aroma of just-baked cranberry muffins, fresh from your oven.

Moist and soft. Every delicious bite filled with the fresh flavor of cranberries and a hint of sweet oranges

Do you have half a bag of leftover cranberries in your fridge after making your Thanksgiving cranberry sauce? Yes, I'm sure at least some of you do. Just like me.
Cranberries are not the type of fruit you can have in the refrigerator and eat like that. They are a little rough on the palate when raw. But they are simply delicious when baked in muffins, scones or pies.
So this weekend I baked. I know. Only one day after cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I baked some more. That shows you how much I love cooking, and well... eating sweets. Anyways, I used all the cranberries left and made these soft, moist and buttery muffins, with a hint of orange zest and juice. Cranberries and oranges are really perfect together.
And to make you feel better about these muffins, did you know that cranberries are super healthy? With their vibrant red color, cranberries don't just make these muffins look beautiful. They are considered superfruits, packed with tons of nutrients and anti-oxidants, and very low in calories. After all the eating this holiday weekend, I should not really be counting calories. But anything helps!
I almost forgot. Here is a picture of me enjoying one of these muffins.

He clearly had his eyes on me :-)

Ingredients: to make 12 muffins

• 4 tablespoons (half stick, 55 gr) of unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of white sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 orange, zest and juice (about half cup)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup  of milk
• 2 cups (300 gr) of all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1.5 cups (150 gr) of fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon of pure cane, raw sugar, for decoration

Preparation time: 45 minutes (20 minutes, plus 25 minutes baking)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375º F (190º C). Melt the butter cut in pieces in the microwave checking every 10 seconds. In a large bowl, blend the melted butter with the eggs, brown and white sugar.

2. Blend in the salt, vanilla extract, milk, orange zest and orange juice - no seeds please :-),

3. Whisk in the flour and baking powder until all well combined.

4. With a spoon, fold in the cranberries. If you'd like, save a handful of cranberries to place a couple on top of each muffin before baking (so that the muffins will look beautiful).

5. Line a 12 muffin pan with cupcake liners, or grease with spray or butter. Spoon the batter evenly in the 12 cups. Add a couple of cranberries on top of each, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes.  Check with a toothpick. If inserted in the middle should come out clean 

 Enjoy!

Grilled Turkey and Gravy Sandwich

Best way to use Thanksgiving leftovers: scrumptious turkey and gravy sandwich. 

Melted and broiled to perfection. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Mine was really great. And all the cooking went perfectly. I was especially proud of my turkey. Flavorful, moist and crispy on the outside. And I was really surprised, given that it was my first Thanksgiving dinner. So yes, I pulled it off. And this was for sure one of many more to come.
And today, here is my lunch: an amazing sandwich with leftovers from yesterday.  This is inspired by a croque monsier sandwich. You know the amazing French grilled cheese and ham. Just with turkey (not ham), and gravy (not white sauce). With lots of cheese and mustard and broiled to perfection.
It tastes at least as good as it looks. Believe me! It was so hard to look at the bubbling cheese and gravy right out of the oven, not being able to take a bite. Not until I took all the pictures for this post! The good thing, I'm a quick photographer. I truly took at least 100 shots of this sandwich in less than 5 minutes. So by the time I was finished, it was still warm and delicious.
Follow my directions and transform a plain turkey sandwich into a delicious meal, that you will think about the next time you cook a turkey.

Ingredients: to make one sandwich

• 2 slices of bread, I used freshly baked French loaf
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons of gravy
• 2 tablespoons of Gruyere cheese
• 2 slices of roasted turkey breast

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Directions:
1. Warm up two tablespoons of gravy in a small pan and preheat the broiler. Toast the slices of bread sprinkled with the olive oil, until slightly golden on both sides.

 2. Arrange the bread on parchment paper on a baking sheet or oven rack. Spread both slices with a thin layer of mustard.

 3. Drizzle one slice with one tablespoon of gravy, and sprinkle with one tablespoon of shredded Gruyere cheese.

 4, Top with the slices of turkey breast. Close the sandwich, and spread the remaining gravy and Gruyere cheese on top.

5. Place in the oven, and broil until golden and melted. Cut the sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Enjoy!