All Star Celebrity Chef Thanksgiving

AIDA MOLLENKAMP
“I definitely like to incorporate seasonal ingredients. The mushroom fennel bread pudding really
allows you to use any mushrooms that are seasonal. Any time you add fall herbs to anything you're
making, be it a roast or a soup, it really puts the exclamation on the fact that it's that season. I really
like using sage and thyme through the fall and really underlying my dishes with those herbs.”
-- AIDA MOLLENKAMP of Ask Aida.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Spiced Maple Sauce

Ingredients:
2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
3 pounds sweet potatoes, cut into large dice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees F and arrange rack in the middle.

While oven heats, place pecans on a baking sheet to toast until they smell nutty and are slightly
darker, about 5 minutes (watch carefully). Remove from oven and set aside.

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil. Season well with salt and pepper, and toss to
coat. Roast until golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, stir in maple syrup
and cayenne and let cook briefly, about 1 minute. Serve sweet potatoes with a drizzle of maple
butter and a scattering of pecans.
 Double Apple Sidecar
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons apple cider
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
8 to 9 tablespoons apple brandy, less or more if desired
Ice

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker. Shake for a few seconds then pour into glasses over ice.
Serve immediately.

Mushroom and Fennel Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion
12 ounces coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms (about 4 cups)
2 cups coarsely chopped fennel (from 1 medium bulb)
2/3 cup finely chopped celery (from 2 medium stalks)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 large eggs
12 ounces ciabatta or other country-style bread, medium dice (about 8 cups)
1 cup coarsely grated aged pecorino (about 3 ounces), such as Gran Pecorino (not Pecorino
Romano)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When butter foams, add onion, season well with
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms,
fennel, celery, and season well with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook until
softened and mushroom juices have reduced, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from
heat and let cool slightly in pan, at least 10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with
butter and set aside. Whisk together cream, chicken broth, and eggs in a large bowl until smooth.

Add bread, cooled vegetables, cheese, and herbs to cream mixture, and stir until bread is well coated.
Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then turn into the prepared baking dish.
Allow bread to soak until well saturated, at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring about 10 cups water to a simmer over high heat in a large pot.

Once bread has soaked and water is simmering, set the baking dish in a large roasting pan and add
enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until custard is set and top
is lightly browned, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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 Brown Butterscotch Pie
For the Basic Pie Dough:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Combine flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl and stir briefly until mixture is aerated. Using a pastry
blender or your fingers, cut butter into dry ingredients until it is in pea-size pieces that are slightly
yellow in color, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Drizzle in 4 tablespoons ice water and mix just until dough comes together. (Add the last tablespoon
of ice water if necessary, but do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)

Shape dough into a flat disk, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then use in
the pie or tart recipe of your choice. The dough can be made and baked up to a day ahead of time.

If you’re running short on time, you can make this dough in a food processor. Combine all
ingredients except the ice water and pulse until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Drizzle in 3
tablespoons ice water and pulse again. Add more ice water if the dough seems too dry, shape into a
disk, wrap, and refrigerate.

For the Pie:

1 recipe Basic Pie Dough, refrigerated
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, seeds reserved (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
9 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out into a round approximately
10 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Line a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate with the dough and trim
off excess. Pierce the base of the crust with a fork, line with a piece of parchment paper, and fill
with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake until it starts to set, about 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper, and
continue to bake until dry and slightly brown, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and
keep oven at 350°F.

Combine vanilla bean and seeds (or vanilla extract, if using) with whole milk and heavy cream in a
medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, remove from
heat.

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Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter and add 1/2 cup of the dark brown
sugar. Mix briefly and cook until mixture bubbles and there is a toasted smell (the butter should be
brown but not burnt), about 5 minutes. Carefully whisk in hot milk mixture and remove from heat
to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Whisk together 1/4 cup dark brown sugar with egg yolks and cornstarch until it is well blended and
whisk leaves a trail when lifted out of mixture, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl and, whisking
constantly, slowly pour in 1/3 of milk base to egg yolks until well combined. Add egg mixture back
to remaining milk and return the pot to stovetop over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly,
until mixture coats back of a spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. (If custard filling is done
before crust is ready, place in a clean bowl and set over an ice water bath to cool.)

Fill parbaked pie crust with the butterscotch mixture and bake until edges are set and middle still
moves slightly, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack until room
temperature. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Drain potatoes and return pot to heat. Add remaining butter and melt over medium heat. Peel and
slice banana and add potatoes to the pot. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper and a few dashes
hot sauce. Mash potatoes and banana to combine, adjust seasoning. Top the meat with the potatoes.
Cover potatoes with cheese and set in oven. Bake to melt cheese, 5 minutes.

Whisk together 1/4 cup dark brown sugar with egg yolks and cornstarch until it is well blended and
whisk leaves a trail when lifted out of mixture, about 3 minutes. Scrape down bowl and, whisking
constantly, slowly pour in 1/3 of milk base to egg yolks until well combined. Add egg mixture back
to remaining milk and return the pot to stovetop over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly,
until mixture coats back of a spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside. (If custard filling is done
before crust is ready, place in a clean bowl and set over an ice water bath to cool.)

Fill parbaked pie crust with the butterscotch mixture and bake until edges are set and middle still
moves slightly, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a cooling rack until room
temperature. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Pecan and Salt Caramel Cheesecake

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the cheesecake:

2 pounds (4 [8 -ounce] packages) cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 whole large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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For the caramel:
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 large pinch sea salt

For the crust:

Heat the oven to 325ºF and arrange the rack in the middle. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch
springform pan; set aside. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium
bowl until thoroughly combined. Evenly press the mixture into the bottom of prepared springform
pan; set aside.

For the cheesecake:

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle and mix over medium speed
until light, airy, and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Add
the vanilla extract and mix until blended.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the
cake comes out clean and the center of the cheesecake is just set, about 40 minutes. Turn off the
oven, leave door slightly ajar, and let cheesecake cool completely.

For the caramel:

Stir together sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and
bring to a boil. Let boil until amber in color, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter and stir to
incorporate. Remove from heat, add cream, and mix well. Set aside and let cool to room
temperature.

Assembly:
Pour the caramel over the cooled cheesecake then scatter the pecan pieces and sea salt over the top.