christmas eve

Citrus-and-Dill Gravlax recipe | Epicurious.com

dill,

grapefruits

lemons

salt

(packed) light brown sugar

Tbsp. black peppercorns

(3-lb.) boneless side of salmon

Bagels, bialys, pumpernickel

Such a treat on Christmas Eve or for any deluxe special occasion. The chips are gilding the lily, but why not?

Lobster thermidor

1x750 grams/1½lb lobster, cooked

grams/¾oz fresh parmesan, grated

butter

shallot, finely chopped

275 milliliters/10fl oz fish stock

55 milliliters/2fl oz white wine

110 milliliters/4fl oz double cream

½ tsp English mustard

parsley

½ lemon, juice only

salt and black pepper

potatoes,

vegetable oil,

An elegant take on sweet potato casserole made with whole eggs, spices, and brown sugar, and baked until light and puffed. 

How To Make the Best Sweet Potato Soufflé

potatoes

eggs

half-and-half milk

brown sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

all-purpose flour

baking powder

unsalted butter,

pecans

Heat the oven and prepare the sweet potatoes. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above that rack, and heat the oven to 350°F. Scrub 3 pounds sweet potatoes and pierce all over with a knife.

Bake the sweet potatoes. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack (place a sheet of aluminum foil onto a lower rack if you’re worried about drips). Bake until tender, about 1 hour. (Alternatively, microwave the sweet potatoes at 100% power for 12 to 15 minutes. Use tongs to flip halfway through cooking.) 

Scoop out the flesh. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool until you can comfortably handle them, about 30 minutes. Halve each sweet potatoes lengthwise, then scoop the flesh out into a bowl; discard the peels. At this point, you can refrigerate the sweet potato flesh up to 3 days before proceeding; let come to room temperature before proceeding.

Prepare the pecan topping. Place 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 100% power until melted, 20 to 40 seconds. Add 1 cup chopped pecans and toss to coat. Add 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and toss with a fork to combine.

Prepare the baking dish. Coat a 2-quart soufflé dish or 8-inch square, 2-inch high baking dish with butter.

Make the soufflé base. Place 4 large eggs, 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk, 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or blender. Process or blend until smooth and the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 30 seconds.

Blend in the sweet potatoes. Add the sweet potato flesh and process or blend until very smooth, about 30 seconds. 

Add the flour and baking powder. Add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder and process or blend just until combined, about 10 seconds. Do not overmix. 

Transfer to baking dish and top with pecan topping. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with the pecan topping. 

Bake 45 to 55 minutes. Bake until puffed and just set in the middle, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Beet and Feta Gratin with Fresh Mint recipe | Epicurious.com

red beets, trimmed, scrubbed

heavy whipping cream

mint mint (for garnish)

garlic clove, peeled, smashed Butter (for dish)

feta cheese

Linguine with White Clam Sauce recipe | Epicurious.com

olive oil

onion,

garlic cloves, finely chopped

hot red pepper flakes

oregano

dry white wine

clam juice

lb linguine

lb small cockles (up

flat-leaf parsley

Accompaniments: extra-virgin olive oil

These creamy baked mashed potatoes are loaded with two kinds of cheese and are make-ahead-friendly.

Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes

Butter spray,

Yukon gold potatoes (about 8 medium)

milk

unsalted butter

kosher salt,

black pepper

sour cream (8 ounces)

sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

Parmesan

chives

Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Coat an 8x8-inch or other 2-quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

Peel and chop 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place in a large pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and can be easily poked with a paring knife, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the milk mixture and grate the cheese.

Place 3/4 cup whole milk, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Gently warm, whisking constantly, until the butter is melted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1 cup sour cream.

Shred 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups). Finely grate 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 packed cup).

When the potatoes are ready, drain through a heatproof colander and place the colander over the pot. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, return to the pot, and mash with a potato masher until mostly smooth (a few lumps are fine). (Alternatively, pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill back into the pot.)

Pour the milk mixture over the potatoes and stir to combine. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and stir to just combine (the cheese won’t be completely melted). Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. 

Transfer the mashed potatoes to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the top in golden-brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. Garnish with finely chopped chives or parsley, if desired, and serve.

Ginger Cranberry Sauce recipe | Epicurious.com

cranberries,

sugar

water

orange juice

ginger

orange

This beautifully spiced crème brûlée pie is flavored with cardamom and vanilla and topped with a torched sugar crust.

Cardamom Crème Brûlée Pie

all-purpose flour,

fine sea salt

(8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

ice water, plus more as needed

granulated sugar, plus more as needed

heavy cream

cardamom pods, gently

vanilla bean,

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the cubed butter, tossing the cubes through the flour until each individual piece is well coated. ‘Cut’ the butter into the flour by pressing the pieces between your fingers, flattening the cubes into big shards. As you work, continue to toss the butter through the flour, recoating the shingled pieces.

For a flaky crust, continue cutting the butter into the flour just until the pieces of butter are about the size of walnut halves. 

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the amount of ice water listed in the recipe to the well, but have more on hand. Use a tossing motion with your hands to start to mix the two together (this begins to combine them without creating too much gluten). As it begins to become hydrated, you can start to use more of a kneading motion – but don’t overdo it: this will make the dough tough.

Add more water about 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is properly hydrated: it should be uniformly combined and hold together easily, but it won’t look totally smooth. Dough that is too dry may have sort of a “dusty” appearance, or pockets of un-hydrated flour. It will not hold together and will appear crumbly. Dough that is too wet will feel sticky or tacky to the touch, and is often smoother and/or lighter in color.

Form the dough into an even disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to a round about 1/2-inch thick. Brush/scrape away any excess flour from the dough and work surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough and the work surface with the sugar and roll the dough out about 1/4-inch thick. Line a 9-inch pie plate (not deep dish) with the dough. Use scissors to trim away the excess dough, leaving about 1/2-inch excess all the way around the outside edge of the pie plate. Tuck this excess dough under itself, pressing gently to make it flush with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges as desired. Chill for 30 to 40 minutes.

This dough is best baked at 400°F. To parbake, dock the dough with a fork. Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than the diameter of a pie plate, and press it into the base of the pie plate. Fill with pie weights to the top inner rim of the pie plate. Bake for 16 to 19 minutes, until the crust is beginning to turn pale golden around the edges. Remove the weights and bake for 4 to 6 minutes more, until the crust is lightly golden. Let cool completely.

For the caramelized pie crust:

In a small pot, bring the cream, cardamom, vanilla pod, and vanilla bean seeds to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the cream steep for 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center (preferably with a Baking Steel or stone on it).

Strain the steeped cream into a medium bowl; discard the cardamom pods and vanilla bean. Add the granulated sugar, egg yolks, and salt and whisk well to combine.

Place the parbaked crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pour in the custard. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the custard appears set around the edges (it may still be a bit jiggly in the center—that’s OK), 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 36 hours.

When ready to serve, sprinkle an even layer of superfine sugar over the surface of the pie. Brûlée the sugar with a kitchen torch until evenly melted and caramelized. Let the pie sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

For the filling:

Chess pie is perfect for winter months when fresh fruit is slim. The creamy pie is the perfect vehicle to incorporate your favorite citrus, like blood orange. 

Blood Orange Chess Pie

unsalted butter (6 ounces)

granulated sugar,

apple cider vinegar

Ice water

Heavy cream

sugar,

cornmeal

blood orange zest

lemon zest

blood orange juice

lemon juice

vanilla paste

Cut 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and toss to combine.

Press the butter between your index finger and thumbs using a slow snapping motion to create large shards of butter. Rotate through all the pieces of butter until they have all been flattened out and semi incorporated in flour. The mixture should look lumpy. There will be time to incorporate the flour further into dough later.

Add 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, then add ice water 1/2 tablespoon at a time while tossing the flour mixture to absorb each addition. Add just enough water until the dough comes together when squeezed, about 2 1/2 tablespoons water total. Lightly dust the counter with more flour and gently bring the dough together just until it forms a ball. It will require a small amount of kneading, about 2 to 3 turns. Avoid using too much bench flour and over kneading. Add a few sprinkles of ice water if the dough is too dry.

Roll the dough gently into a rough 2 1/2 x 5-inch rectangle. Brush off any excess flour. Using a bench scraper, fold the dough in thirds like folding a letter. Repeat rolling and folding once more to create an easy lamination. At this point you should still be able to see dots and streaks of butter in the dough.

Lightly press a rolling pin into the dough to help form it into a round that’s about 1-inch thick. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Make the pie dough:

Let the pie dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Fold gently in half and transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. Leaving a 1/2-inch border for a decorative crust, trim and reserve any excess dough.

Prick the bottom of the pie with a fork, then transfer to the freezer while you make the decorative wreath. Wipe the rolling pin clean and scrape any excess flour from the work surface. Generously dust both sides of all the dough scraps with flour and roll between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick. If needed, re-roll scraps once. Cut 1-inch squares out with a fluted pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or knife.

Transfer the squares to a baking sheet or plate with an offset spatula. Dust the squares with flour to ensure they do not stick together and freeze for a few minutes.

Prepare the pie shell:

Beat 1 large egg with a little water. Lightly brush the edges of the pie crust with the egg wash. Shake off excess flour from the dough squares and lay the squares in an overlapping fashion around the rim. Overlap each piece by half with the corner of each square pointing in one direction, it will create a diamond-like pattern. Press down on the corner of the square attached to the rim to secure it, don’t worry, any messiness will be covered with the next square.

Lightly brush the rim with more egg wash if it dries out. Tuck the last square under the first square to create an infinity circle of pastry squares. Freeze pie shell for 15 minutes or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

Assemble the crust:

Place a rimmed baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven, then heat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange 2 large sheets of crinkled parchment paper perpendicular to each other over the crust, making sure they cover the entire pie shell and crust (this prevents over browning during the final bake). Check if all the squares are attached securely, if not dab the pieces with heavy cream, otherwise they might slide off during baking.

Fill the pie shell with granulated sugar until it reaches the rim  – gently push the sugar towards the edges, it won’t be exact, but it will help the border maintain its shape and keep the walls from shrinking.

Bake on the heated baking sheet for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment with sugar (keep the sugar for future use). Prick the bottom of the crust again with a fork. Bake until the bottom is set, 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Par-bake the pie shell:

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Place 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup cornmeal, 1 tablespoon blood orange zest, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

Melt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter. Add to the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Whisk in 5 large eggs one at a time, incorporating each egg before the next. Add 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2/3 cup blood orange juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and whisk to combine. Pour into the cooled par-baked pie shell.

Bake directly on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes. Rotate the pie and bake until the filing is puffed and golden and the center has only a slight wobble (it will continue to cook as it cools), 20 to 30 minutes more. Watch carefully to prevent overbaking or it may crack. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely, 4 to 5 hours.

Prepare the filling:

Simple Hot Cocoa for One recipe | Epicurious.com

cocoa powder

vanilla extract

A citrus-kissed cranberry filling provides tangy contrast to the sweet, buttery crumble topping in this festive pie.

Cranberry Crumb Pie

(1 stick) cold unsalted butter

oats

dark brown sugar

cranberries, divided

cornstarch

coriander

orange zest

Place 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar,  1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Place 1/4 cup ice water and 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar in a measuring cup or a small bowl and stir to combine.

Cut 1 stick cold unsalted butter into 1-inch cubes. Add to the flour mixture and toss to gently coat them. Use a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut the butter into the flour. You should have various-sized pieces of butter, ranging from sandy patches to pea-sized chunks, with some larger bits as well.

Drizzle in about half of the ice water mixture and stir lightly with a fork until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add a little more ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The dough will still look a bit shaggy at this point. If you grab a small piece of dough and press it slightly with your hand, it should mostly hold together. 

Dump the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and gather it together into a tight mound. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough a little at a time, pushing it away from you and working your way down the mass of dough to create flat layers of flour and butter.

Gather the dough back together with a bench scraper, layering the clumps of dough on top of one another. Repeat the process once or twice more; the dough should still have some big pieces of butter visible. Shape the dough into a disk and flatten it. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Lightly flour a work surface. Place the dough on it and roll with a rolling pin into a 12-inch round that is 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough into a 9-inch pie dish, and relax the dough into shape of the pie dish, leaving a 2-inch overhang around the edge of the dish.

Crimp the crust: Start by folding the extra dough under itself. Use your index finger and thumb of one hand to crimp to create a letter C and push the thumb of your opposite hand against it, pushing gently into the pie dish as you crimp, working your way all around the edges of the crust. Make sure that your crimp is resting on the outer edge of the pie plate.

Freeze the crust for 10 to 15 minutes, and then define your crimp again so that it will hold its shape when baked. Freeze the crust while you make the topping and filling.  

Melt 1 stick unsalted butter. Place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg in a medium bowl and stir with a fork until completely blended.

Pour in the melted butter and toss with your hands until the butter is incorporated, creating a crumble texture from small to medium-sized clumps. Once the mixture will hold different sized clumps in your hand when squeezed, it’s ready! Scatter the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes to ensure it will hold its texture when it bakes.

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375 °F.  Place a parchment paper-lined baking sheet on a lower rack to catch all the juices that fall when the pie bakes. 

Make the crumb topping:

Place 3 cups of the cranberries in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment or a blender. Pulse a few times until lightly crushed. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup whole cranberries, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, and 1 tablespoon orange juice. Gently toss until combined. 

Pour the filling into the chilled crust. Top pie with the crumble, making sure you have various sized chunks on top to create texture. Bake on the middle rack until the crust is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Let the pie cool on a wire rack 2 to 3 hours before serving. 

Make the filling:

Green Bean Casserole recipe | Epicurious.com

green beans

can condensed cream of tomato soup

horseradish

Worcestershire sauce

paprika

Dry bread crumbs

per cup)

Cheddar, Romano, or Parmesan

Butter

can condensed cream of mushroom soup

onion

Salt and black pepper

Gordon Ramsay's beef Wellington recipe looks so impressive but takes just 20 minutes to prepare, made with beef fillet, mushrooms and readymade pastry.

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