November, 2012 | The Artful Gourmet :: Food Stylist | Photographer | Blogger

November 22, 2012March 6, 2020

Bourbon Vanilla Cream Pie with Oatmeal-Pecan Cookie Crust

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year – if only for the food! Of course, I am so thankful for my amazing friends and family, for doing a job that I love and am passionate about, and for living in a city full of life and new things to discover every day. It’s also a time for traditions, like pumpkin pie, turkey and stuffing and all the dressings to go with it.

This year for Thanksgiving I decided to make a Bourbon Vanilla Cream Pie with Oatmeal-Pecan Cookie Crust – to mix up tradition a little bit from the Pumpkin and Apple pies we always have on our table. Folks, hold on to your seats (or forks!)

The crust is made from an oatmeal cookie mixture crumbled with chopped pecans, butter and brown sugar. The pie filling is a luscious creamy custard filling made of sugar, brown sugar, cream, egg yolks, extra vanilla and a shot of bourbon – and just for a fun, a few more chopped pecans for some texture. It bakes into a lovely crumbly crust filled with a delicious creamy caramel-y filling like you have never tasted before. It reminds me of creme brulee inside an oatmeal cookie with a kick of bourbon to warm up your insides – not such a bad thing, and come to think of it, something to be VERY thankful for. One bite, and you’ll be hooked too. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving! (Now let the eating and thanks begin!)

—–

Bourbon Vanilla Cream Pie with Oatmeal-Pecan Cookie Crust

Add oats, flour, baking powder and soda, salt and beat until blended

Bake oat mixture at 350 until golden brown about 15 mins

Add pecans, butter and brown sugar to cookie crumbles and press into 9" pie dish — Add pecans, butter and brown sugar to cookie crumbles and press into 9″ pie dish

Place pie dish with crust on rimmed baking sheet

Whisk sugars, bourbon, salt and melted butter in medium bowl

Add cream, egg yolks and vanilla; whisk until blended well. Add chopped pecans.

Pour filling in crust; bake 30 minutes at 350. Reduce heat to 325; bake 20 mins more. Cool 2 hours and chill overnight.

Top with sifted powdered sugar. Serve chilled.

Bourbon Vanilla Cream Pie with Oatmeal-Pecan Cookie Crust

Prep Time: 50 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

OAT PECAN COOKIE CRUST
Nonstick baking spray
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
5 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup chopped pecans
CREAM PIE FILLING
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
1/8 cup chopped pecans
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

OAT PECAN COOKIE CRUST
Preheat oven to 350. Coat a rectangular metal baking pan (13x9x2 inch) with nonstick spray.
Combine 6 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl. Beat mixture with electric mixture until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes.
Add egg; beat until fluffy. Add oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat until well blended.
Spread oat cookie mixture onto baking pan and press into an even layer. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer baking pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Once cooled, break up cookie in pan and crumble into a fine mixture.
Add cookie crumbles to a large mixing bowl and add 3 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar and chopped pecans, mix well and transfer cookie mixture to a 9 inch glass pie dish.
Spread cookie mixture evenly into pie dish up to the sides and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
CREAM PIE FILLING
Whisk both sugars, salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add melted butter and whisk until blended.
Add cream, egg yolks, vanilla, bourbon and chopped pecans and whisk until well blended.
Pour cream pie filing into cookie crust and bake pie for 30 minutes until filling gets bubbly.
Reduce oven to 325 and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Cool pie for about 2 hours on a cooling rack.
Chill uncovered or loosely tented with foil in the refrigerator overnight.
Sift powdered sugar over the top of the pie. Cut pie into wedges and serve chilled.
Garnish with some bourbon infused whipped cream, if desired.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/11/bourbon-vanilla-cream-pie-with-oatmeal-pecan-cookie-crust/

November 21, 2012March 15, 2023

Pot of Gold: Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

I love coming home for the holidays, not only to spend some quality time with family and friends but for some of Mom’s cooking! With all this crazy weather lately I haven’t been feeling so hot and of course, just in time for Thanksgiving. I flew home to stay with my parents earlier this week, and Mom had the perfect remedy – a big ol’ pot of her homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. I could smell the delicious golden aroma brewing on the stovetop the second I walked in the door and knew I was home.

My Grandmother used to make this recipe with a secret ingredient called George Washington Golden Seasoning, a powdered chicken soup base with chicken fat and seasonings that gives an extra savory, golden chicken-y flavor to the soup broth, developed by a distant relative of George Washington. I’m not sure if this is even around anymore, but my Mom uses Lisa Marie chicken base (a brand from Syracuse, NY). If you can’t find this brand, use a few tablespoons of any quality chicken bouillon or chicken soup base to bump up the flavor of the chicken broth – you can find plenty of these at your grocery store or at Amazon online. Make sure to add plenty of fresh veggies (carrots, celery and onion) and let the soup simmer to it’s shimmering, golden delicious state for at least a few hours to let the flavors meld.

One tip: we always keep the egg noodles and cooked, pulled chicken separate from the broth to avoid the broth getting cloudy – this also ensures the noodles don’t get soggy and you are left with an absolute pure and delicious golden broth that will warm your bones and lift your spirits.

All I can say is three words: Pot. Of. Gold.

A Pot of Gold: Mom’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6 quarts

Ingredients

1 (5-6 pound) whole stewing chicken
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2-3 tablespoons Chicken Soup Base seasoning (or quality chicken bouillon)
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds
4 stalks celery, halved length-wise, sliced thin
2 small onion, diced
1 handful fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
1 package dried wide egg noodles

Instructions

Wash and drain chicken, put in large soup kettle. Cover with water, heat to a boil.
Remove scum before complete boiling starts and add seasonings.
Let simmer until chicken is half cooked, about 1 hour.
Add vegetables and cook until tender, another 2 hours.
Remove chicken and take all white and dark meat off the bone, set aside in a separate bowl.
Boil noodles separately according to package directions and drain.
Ladle soup broth over chicken and noodles, garnish with fresh parsley and additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve with crackers or fresh crusty bread.

Notes

This recipe makes a double batch which serves 8-10. Cut recipe in half for a smaller crowd.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/11/pot-of-gold-moms-chicken-noodle-soup/

Other Chicken Soup recipes you may enjoy:

Pioneer Woman’s Chunky Chicken Soup

How Sweet Eats Healthy Harvest Soup

Kalyn’s Kitchen Chicken Barley Soup

Tyler Florence’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Ina Garten’s Chicken Noodle Soup

November 13, 2012December 10, 2012

Good Irish Food for a Good Cause: Good Food Ireland makes a U.S. Debut with Authentic Irish Food Products

Good Food Ireland, the first-ever, all industry network driving food tourism in Ireland, kicks off its international debut in the U.S.. Seeking to promote innovations in contemporary Irish cuisine and the country’s commitment to sustainable, authentic products, the organization also hopes to inspire Americans to travel to Ireland to experience and engage with its citizens and culture.

Good Food Ireland was established by Margaret Jeffares to link the agri/food sector with the hospitality industry. It was her philosophy that by supporting Irish farmers and producers, she could establish a healthy business environment where commercial opportunities for agriculture could be promoted through tourism and visa-versa.

“It is my mission to grow Ireland as a food tourism destination and to establish the ‘Good Food Ireland’ brand as the brand of choice for good food lovers everywhere,” says Jeffares. “One of Ireland’s greatest secrets is its locally produced ingredients and Good Food Ireland aims to set the standard for quality across a variety of industries – agriculture, food, manufacturing, tourism and hospitality.”

The premise is that by creating trusted and authentic Irish food experiences, Good Food Ireland will drive business to the hospitality sector and that, in turn,

inspires consumer purchase of more Irish food from farmers and purveyors,

contributing greatly to the local Irish economy.

Good Food Ireland’s U.S. launch includes:

They have kicked off the debut of Good Food Ireland Approved Provider foods at Dean and DeLuca’s flagship store in NYC, featuring the highest quality food the island has to offer. The foods available for sale in the Dean and DeLuca Store include:

Good Food Ireland’s Kilbeggan Organic Porridge,

Ditty’s Oatcakes,

Irish Farmhouse Cheese,

Ballymaloe Relish,

Burren Smoked Irish Salmon,

Seymour’s Traditional Irish Shortbread and more. For those living outside the NYC area, there is the opportunity to purchase products from Good Food Ireland’s online shop.

In addition to bringing both providers and products to New York City, Good Food Ireland seeks to increase awareness for its hub at www.goodfoodireland.ie.

Here consumers can book a food journey via “My Food Trip,” a feature that is supported by a host of information including locations and details about Irish tours and holidays, farmers and producers, cooking schools, restaurants and cafes, food shops, festivals, markets, and Irish bars and pubs, as well as an ongoing calendar of events.

In addition, there’s the opportunity to meet the people behind the products. Special offers and recipes are also available online, and I’ve included a few below.

Salmon Fishcakes

Ingredients

2 shallots finely chopped
1 lb salmon, filleted and skinned
1 Tablespoon Kerrygold butter
5 fl oz dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Mashed Potatoes – no cream no butter

For the Coating:

2 tablespoons plain flour
2 eggs
2 oz soft white breadcrumbs

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200c/400fgas 6

Butter and season a tray. Sprinkle with the shallots and sit the salmon on top. Drizzle with white wine and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 8- 10 minutes – the salmon should be firm to touch but still pink in the middle .

Sit the salmon in a colander over a pan to collect all the juices.

When all the juices have drained, place in a small pot and reduce on a stove to a nice syrup consistency.

Break up the salmon into flakes, add the syrup and chopped parsley, then fold in the potato until you have a binding texture. Check for seasoning and roll into 12 to 18 ball shaped cakes.

To Breadcrumb – Lightly pass through the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs, repeat the process again.

To Cook – Deep fry at 180c/ 350f for 4-5 minutes drain well.

Serving suggestion: Serve 3 per portion on a bed of steamed baby spinach and lemon butter sauce.

—–

Irish Porridge

Ingredients

2 oz Porridge Oats
7 fl oz Milk

Heat the milk, add porridge oats and cook for 1 min serve with honey or salt.

—–

Bircher Muesli made with Irish Porridge Oats

5 oz porridge oats
1 oz Irish honey
20 fl oz milk
14 oz natural yogurt
4 oz sultanas (raisins)
1 whole Banana, chopped
1 apple, grated
4 oz blueberries

Combine ingredients and devour!!

—–

Good Food Ireland sets strict criteria for Approved Provider status based on a core commitment to using local Irish ingredients and operating at a standard that is “best in class” and its branding on packaging of authentic Irish products is already recognized as the standard bearer of the industry. Beyond food products, the Good Food Ireland brand can also be used by hotels, restaurants & cafes, cookery schools and markets that meet Good Food Ireland standards. To date there are 450 Approved Providers that ensure consumers that all products and services bearing the brand meet the strictest “best in class” standards. All products and service standards are independently assessed.

Since Good Food Ireland was founded approximately five years ago, almost 70% of its Approved Providers have increased their business profile or heightened their awareness of local food. As a result, 92% have increased their purchasing of Irish food over the last 3 years, directly contributing close to 50 million euro to the local economy. (Source: Grant Thornton Survey – April 2012).

VOTE IN THE GOOD FOOD IRELAND FOOD LOVERS’ CHOICE AWARD 2012!

The Good Food Ireland Food Experience Awards celebrates excellence in food experience, the Food Lovers’ Choice Award lets you have your say. Simply vote for your favourite shortlisted GFI Approved Provider from the list below. The provider that gets the most votes will be announced on November 20th in the Shelbourne Hotel and presented with an award from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D.

About Good Food Ireland:

Good Food Ireland is a grassroots industry network aimed at promoting innovations in Irish food, the country’s commitment to sustainable, authentic products across food, hospitality and travel industries – incorporating farmers, chefs, hoteliers and outposts of cultural interest. The organization seeks to promote its authentic products in the U.S. and to inspire Americans to travel to Ireland to experience the contemporary cuisine and engage with its citizens and culture. The cross section of agriculture, food & culinary, production/manufacturing and tourism industries seek to grow and sustain the Irish economy.

Visit Good Food Ireland on Facebook
Follow Good Food Ireland on Twitter
Visit Dean and Deluca on Facebook
Follow Dean and Deluca on Twitter

November 12, 2012January 19, 2021

My Favorite Roasted Squash Recipes

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite Fall veggies to make is Squash. I absolutely love the buttery, savory smell of it roasting in the oven and it’s so easy to make.

There are plenty of different varieties of Squash, but one of the most popular ones to make for the holidays is Butternut Squash, which has a sweet, creamy, buttery flesh. Other popular Squash varieties include Kabocha, Acorn, Spaghetti, Long Neck and Cheddar Cheese squash. There are different ways to prepare squash but the easiest and most flavorful way is by roasting it in the oven on a sheet pan for about 30 minutes to an hour. Simply cut the squash in half (or peel and cut into medium chunks or slices), scoop out the seeds and fibrous flesh and drizzle with olive oil or butter, some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt, and sprinkle on some brown sugar or drizzle with honey or maple syrup for a luscious, buttery, sweet and savory dish.

You can also sprinkle on some fresh herbs (parsley, sage, thyme, chives, tarragon) and garlic or add a dash of cayenne or cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves for some spicy layers of flavor. Some ideas for the squash leftovers are to add the roasted squash to Macaroni and Cheese, Wild Rice or Orzo, or make a healthy salad by adding it to some spinach, chard or kale, apples, some toasted walnuts or pecans, cranberries or pomegranate seeds, tossed in a light herb vinaigrette dressing. However you make it, it’s simply delicious; and perfect as a Thanksgiving side or Fall vegetarian side dish.

Check out the different types of squash on Saveur.com website and enjoy my favorite squash recipes below!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar Butter and Herbs

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon sea salt (Pink Himalayan or Fleur de Sel)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Fines Herbes (parsley, chervil, tarragon, chives)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the squash in half cross-wise and remove top and bottom stems. Scrape out all the seeds and fibers inside; discard. Peel the squash and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Place squash on a large baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Dot with small chunks of butter and sprinkle nutmeg, salt and pepper, brown sugar and herbs over squash. Mix together and place sheet in preheated oven.
Bake for about 15 minutes, stir the squash around the pan. Bake for another 15 minutes and remove from oven.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/11/my-favorite-roasted-squash-recipes/

Roasted Acorn Squash with Cayenne Maple Syrup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

2 acorn squash
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

Heat oven to 400F. Cut the squash in half with a large knife and scoop out the seeds and insides with a large spoon; discard.
Place squash halves on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and rub on both sides of squash. Dot squash with butter and season with salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar. Drizzle maple syrup over the squash. Add some water to the bottom of the baking sheet (about an inch) and place in oven.
Roast squash for 45 minutes to an hour, until flesh is soft and caramelized. (You may want to check on the squash half way through and brush some of the butter and syrup over the tops of the squash as it's baking to keep it from drying out.)

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/11/my-favorite-roasted-squash-recipes/

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Toasted Pinenuts, Sage and Parmesan

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Pine Nuts, Sage and Parmesan

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

1 small spaghetti squash (about 2-3 pounds)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6-8 sage leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.
Pierce squash all over with a knife and roast spaghetti squash for 1 hour. When squash pierces easily with a knife, remove from oven; let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove and discard seeds. Use a large fork to scrape the squash into long 'spaghetti-like' strands.
Toast the pine nuts in a sauté pan over medium heat until golden for about 5 minutes. After the nuts are toasted, remove them from the pan and add the olive oil, a tablespoon of butter, and sage leaves. Sauté mixture until the sage leaves are crispy. Add the minced garlic and saute for another minute.
Crush the sage leaves in the garlic oil mixture, and then pour it over the warmed squash. Add the additional tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper and top with toasted pine nuts and shredded parmesan cheese.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2012/11/my-favorite-roasted-squash-recipes/

—–

Other Squash Recipes you may enjoy:

The Kitchn’s 10 ways to eat an Acorn Squash

Cooking Light Butternut Squash Recipes

Taste of Home Spaghetti Squash Recipes

Food 52 Butternut Squash Recipe Contest

Brown Eyed Baker’s Butternut Squash and Bacon Mac & Cheese