Homemade fresh pumpkin pies are special, very special.
It's not every day I like to spend my entire day preparing for a holiday, but when it's a holiday, it must be done right, at least in our family.
Pumpkin pie is always made from fresh sugar pie pumpkins.
Every year we anticipate the arrival of those fresh little sugar pie pumpkins and can't wait to dive into the best tasting fresh pumpkin pie using those and mom's pie crust.
Sure it's a little work but the end results are fabulous in comparison to store-bought bar none!
It's really not that difficult, getting the pumpkin cooked is the first order of business and I do mine in a slow cooker overnight in water.
Another family favorite during Thanksgiving week we also make a delicious Classic Pumpkin Roll filled with cream cheese for dessert, it's a must on our holiday table.
Scroll through the many tips and suggestions before making a fresh pumpkin pie all these instructions is available to be printed in the recipe card below.
All I can remember growing up on Sunday mornings and for events was eating tomato pie at every christening, communion, anniversary, birthday party, and weddings.
My family and all other Italian families in Upstate Utica New York, always had a box of tomato pie from a local bakery.
Napoli, Devito, Salvatore, the list goes on and on who made Tomato Pie famous in our local home town, and so many delicious bakeries I never even had.
When I moved it became the number 1 priority to remake since it was the single most food I missed besides their awesome haddock fish fry.
What is tomato pie you ask?
There are a few cities in America known for the Best Tomato Pie, many have claims to be the best, and that's totally a matter of opinion because there are so many to choose from in Central N.Y bakeries.
First, you may need to know that tomato pie is not pizza and it's not that southern style quiche-like dish people make in a pie crust, nope nothing like it.
Nowhere is tomato pie celebrated more than in Utica, New York.
This is my mom's recipe version we make from that area and a Utica Style Tomato Pie.
Utica tomato pie is served at room temperature no mozzarella cheese just Pecorino Romano cheese and loads of it.
Our version requires homemade dough, homemade tomato sauce and a few tricks to the trade to get a great pie.
Living here in Florida now, we tried to perfect it until we can get home for a visit and this tomato pie is spot on delicious.
Scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
Deep-Fried Turkey, I have to tell you when I saw them pull this bird out of the fryer, all I can think of was the Griswald Family Christmas Turkey from Christmas Vacation movie!
I was so scared with no backup plan!
This turkey was so juicy and delicious I couldn't believe it and what was even more shocking 5 people devoured the whole 12-pound turkey faster than any bird we have ever made!
It was sure easier than expected.
I was so afraid it was going to be dangerous but my husband really made a great plan and it was easy and perfectly cooked.
If you never tried a fried turkey trust me it's time, a little more costly for the oil but so worth the taste.
It's better than chicken wings if you're a big fan of wings!
Cranberry Zucchini Muffins are bursting with the taste of fall with cinnamon spice and fresh orange zest.
These colorful muffins have a perfect blend of flavors that have such a wonderful taste and smell while baking it's hard to let them cool before devouring one.
Cranberries are a pretty nice addition to a holiday table not only with flavors but colors that are the perfect blending for a Christmas morning breakfast.
Lamb stew is an easy family favorite that Mom made often during the winter months.
This is a perfect comfort food filled with vegetables in a delicious sauce that was so good served with hard-crusted Italian bread to sop up the juices.
Although not everyone's a lamb fan, you can certainly substitute another meat you prefer, the sauce is delectable and will still make a great stovetop stew.
If you happen to ever have some leftover Meatballs (which is usually always the case in our house, because we make enough Sunday pasta sauce with meatballs to feed a small army) leftover meatballs crushed in the sauce is deliciously repurposed on a pizza during any weeknight.
Italian Meatball Pizza is one of our favorites and what can be better than a loaded pizza that is topped with tender and juicy sliced Italian meatballs!
Honestly, the kids love this pizza and it is super easy to make any weeknight if you use a store-bought dough, thawed frozen meatballs, and marinara sauce oh, and don't forget the mozzarella cheese.
Covered sandwiches and pizza are always the top two on the list of repurpose when it comes to meatballs from Sunday sauce for a pasta meal in our Italian home.
Starting with homemade long-simmered meatballs in Traditional Sunday Sauce, then making the fresh pizza dough, cheese, and meatball topping this becomes a whole meal in itself!
San Marzano's fresh sauce recipe is included below since this is just a glimpse of a recipe along with my fresh pizza dough!
We never let leftovers go to waste in our home, there is always another plan to recreate another way to use whatever we have in another meal!
If you would like to print off the instructions for this recipe, scroll to the bottom of the page for my recipe card and hit print.
Stovetop Merlot Roasted Chestnuts are a soft nut we make around the Christmas holiday.
Back in the late 1980s, Dad and I made up this recipe kind of by accident because of his love of Chianti, which is the original wine used in his recipe.
I preferred a Merlot, and you can use any kind of wine you like.
The story is quite amusing since these became a favorite stovetop chestnut recipe.
The recipe is easy, I even made a quick video clip with tips for doing this on the stovetop.
Original, mom made an X on the top of the chestnuts, put them on a cookie sheet with a pinch of salt and slow roasted them until tender.
There really wasn't much of a recipe, but check out this easy stovetop method and if you love red wine you're in for a real treat along with how perfect these are adding to any kind of stuffing for your holiday turkey dressing.
Of course, I added that chestnut stuffing recipe below for you as well and you can make that with any leftover chestnuts!
Whether you roasted your chestnuts in the oven, microwave them or stovetop method, these are a unique way to make them thanks to my dear dad may he rest in peace.
I hope you enjoy this style of making this old recipe that brings me great memories.
Scroll down to the recipe card for this easy printable method on making Stovetop Merlot Roasted Chestnuts.
Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, are flavorful and easy to make for Christmas and fall when cranberry season is upon us,
This cookie just shouts fall flavors and with oatmeal a bonus
There is something about fresh cranberries to kick off the cookie-baking season that is so festive with color, fall flavors, and just how pretty they are.
The white chocolate offsets the tartness of the cranberries perfectly for that perfect bite!
These are a nice addition to make a festive cookie tray throughout the season and Christmas cookies are always a tradition in our home.
This cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookie is in the top 10 most loved!
Believe it or not, we have a delicious appetizer using cranberry sauce in a slow cooker for a meatball appetizer that's perfect for holiday entertaining!
Scroll down to get the printable recipe for these festive cranberry oatmeal cookies!
Cranberry Holiday Baking
I just love the fall, the fruits and pumpkin spice, cinnamon and all the fragrant flavors of the season.
Print off the recipe card below for the quantities
brown sugar
butter
flour
oatmeal
eggs
salt
baking soda
fresh chopped cranberries blotted dry
white chocolate chips
optional: Garnish with cinnamon and sugar mixture
shredded coconut
dark chocolate chunks instead of white chocolate
Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Pin For Later
Cranberries and Some Tips
do not use frozen cranberries because as they thaw there is a high water content
oatmeal keeps them from getting soggy which is the reason for this addition
any chocolate chips or raisins can be added
you can use dried cranberries but the brilliance of freshness during the season makes them special
added some grated orange zest for another flavor enhancer and a pinch of cinnamon to the batter
any nuts you prefer can be added
these cookies after baked do not freeze well
for a little sugary topping add cinnamon and sugar combined before baking them
Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: 32
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 8 Mtotal time: 18 M
Fresh cranberries and oatmeal with white chocolate in them are the perfect match for flavors. Festive and delicious to kick off the holiday season with a colorful easy cookie for some holiday fun and baking.
ingredients:
2/3 brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh chopped cranberries blotted dry
2/3 white chocolate chips or other chocolate you prefer
Optional: Garnish with cinnamon and sugar mixture
instructions:
How to cook Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and butter together for around 2 minutes. Add the eggs, salt, and baking soda. Stir in oatmeal and flour.
Fold in cranberries.
Bake at 375-degree hot oven on a parchment paper-lined or Silpat mat cookie sheet 10 to 12 minutes until set.
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar while still warm.
Note: These cookies are wonderful warm or cold, they aren't overly sweet, feel free to bake a few first to see if they are sweet enough to your taste then add more sugar to your recipe if you like.
If you are looking for a recipe on how to make a copycat half-moon cookie from Upstate New York, you came to the right blog!
Upstate Utica NY is famous for these and where I grew up.
Half Moons or as some other states and areas, refer to them as (Black and Whites), but not as we call them half-moons period, in Upstate Utica, New York they are totally different.
The origin of the black-and-white cookie in New York City is commonly traced to Glaser's Bake Shop in Yorkville, founded in 1902 by Bavarian immigrants.
Half-moon cookies, however, can be traced to Hemstrought's Bakery in Utica, New York, around 1925.
The cookies have fluffy buttercream not that pasty type of thick icing and the cookies are light and delicious not dense we also have a tip to keep them shining with a glossy look.
Sure there is always a debate about something, but I can tell you after over 30 + years of making this cookie recipe, you are going to smile with a cherished memory if you live anywhere near Utica.
These half-moons are fabulous and if you're a black and white fan you're on the wrong page!
