French Butter Croissants

I’ve chosen to NOT endure the laborious process of making croissants from scratch. I mean, why bother when the internet serves up beautiful light fluffy puffs of buttery goodness without any of the fuss? Get on with it. Visit WilliamsSonoma.com for full or mini-sized croissants. All that is required by you is a baking pan and an overnight thaw. By morning, they’re ready to pop into the oven and “voila”, perfect little pastries. Oh, and if you can’t believe that they’re that good, just ask Oprah.

Classic Bread Dressing with Sage and Thyme

Classic Bread Dressing with Sage and Thyme | Adapted from Cooks Illustrated | Makes 12 to 16 servings

I found this recipe in a newspaper several years ago and noticed that it originated from Cooks Illustrated. If you’re not familiar, that’s the magazine and culinary team that tests and tests recipes until they are perfected. When I scanned the ingredients list, I knew this must be a winner. The fresh herbs are essential. I’ve been making it every year for Thanksgiving, but have also made it to serve with all sorts of pork and poultry dishes throughout fall and winter.

Hear are some helpful tips and hints: This recipe can easily be halved and baked in a 9-by 13-inch baking dish for a smaller crowd. You can substitute three 14-ounce bags of plain, dried bread cubes for the homemade dried bread cubes, but you’ll need to increase the amount of chicken broth to 7 cups. When I serve with pork, I add a handful of pecans and dried cranberries to the halved version.

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the dish

4 ribs celery, chopped fine

2 onions, minced

½ cup minced fresh parsley

3 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried

3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried

3 pounds high-quality white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes and dried

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

Method

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, sage, thyme and marjoram and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a very large bowl. Tip: You will need a VERY large bowl to handle all the dried bread cubes.

2. Add the dried, cooled bread, broth, eggs, salt and pepper to the vegetables and toss to combine. Turn the mixture into a buttered 10- by 15-inch baking dish.

3. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To make ahead: The stuffing can be assembled in the baking dish, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To bake, let the stuffing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and proceed to bake as directed in Step 3.

Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake

Apple Bourbon Bundy Cake | by Melissa Clark of The New York Times

The spice-filled cake made with toasted nuts and grated apples bakes beautifully and the whiskey syrup really packs a punch! The boozy syrup keeps the cake fresh, so it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert– even by a day or two. Perfect served warm with a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream. This hearty cake is now a holiday favorite at our home. Note: Although the recipe calls for Granny Smith Apples, use whatever variety you have at hand.

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter (226 grams), at room temperature, plus more to grease pan

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (315 grams), plus more to dust the pan

3 tablespoons (30 grams) plus 1/2 cup (80 grams) bourbon or rye whiskey

1/2 cup (90 grams) candied ginger, chopped

1 3/4 cup (330 grams) light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons (3 grams) ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon (5 grams) fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 cup (227 grams) sour cream

1 tablespoon (15 grams) vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoon (5 grams) finely grated lemon zest

2 medium Granny Smith apples (about a pound, 454 grams), peeled, cored, and coarsely grated

1 cup (120 grams) finely chopped, toasted pecans

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon (20 grams). 

Method

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons bourbon and the candied ginger. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and remaining butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Pour in the bourbon from the ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in zest.

4. With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating between the two. Fold in the ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes. (Check for doneness at 1 hour) Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake; cool, flat side down, on a wire rack.

5. While the cake cools, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup whiskey in a small saucepan. Over low heat, gently stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lemon juice and take off the heat.

6. While the cake cools, make 10 slits on top with a paring knife and pour half the bourbon-sugar mixture on the still-warm cake. When the cake is fully cool, flip it and pour the rest of the glaze on the other side, then flip again to serve.

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins

Rhubarb Streusel Muffins | adapted from Smitten Kitchen | makes 12 muffins

Baking and I have a very complicated relationship. Sure, we’re very attracted to each other, but not very compatible. Still, we haven’t completely given up on each other. “We’re working on it,” as they say. So when I saw the recipe for Rhubarb Streusel Muffins by Smitten Kitchen, I knew we’d have another go round. And this time I wasn’t disappointed. This barely sweet muffin is perfect for breakfast or as an anytime snack. It’s cakey, moist and tender. The contrast of the tart rhubarb against the sweet streusel topping strikes a perfect balance on the palate– in other words, not too sweet. 

Streusel Ingredients 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Muffin Ingredients 

1 large egg

1/4 cup light or dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced rhubarb, in 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 to 8 ounces of stalks)

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 12 muffin cups.

Make streusel: In a small dish, stir together flours, sugars, spices and salt. Stir in butter until crumbly. Set aside.

Make muffins: Whisk egg in the bottom of a large bowl with both sugars. Whisk in butter, then sour cream. In a separate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder and baking soda and stir them into the sour cream mixture, mixing until just combined and still a bit lumpy. Fold in rhubarb and 1/3 of the streusel mixture.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with remaining streusel, then use a spoon to gently press the crumbs into the batter so that they adhere. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean. Rest muffins in pan on cooling rack for two minutes, then remove muffins from tin to cool them completely.