Thanksgiving Recipes: Old and New

This year the Thanksgiving menu held some old favs and some new favs as well.  Thought I’d share the recipes so you could stick em in your box for next year, or for later this holiday season.

My mom’s apple pie is by far my most favorite apple pie in the world.  In fact, I am an apple pie snob and won’t eat any other pie but her recipe.  Because, once you’ve had this one, no others compare in my opinion.  So this is a staple at Thanksgiving and anytime you want apple pie at the circus.

Apple Crumb Pie

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6-8 tart apples, pared, cored and sliced (6 cups)
• 1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter

Combine first three ingredients; stir into apples. Turn into pastry shell.  Combine remaining flour and sugar; cut in butter till crumbly.  Sprinkle over apples.  bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes or until done.  If pie browns too quickly, cover edge with foil.

This year, we also tried two new recipes in addition to our old stand bys. 

Last week we read Cranberry Thanksgiving for school thanks to the 5 in a Row curriculum.   The book has a recipe in the back for Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread.  My son made it at his tutorial with his class last week and he decided that we must include it at our feast this year.  So, he and Grandma made it Wednesday night.  I must say, it is the best cranberry bread I’ve ever had and I think it will be a new Thanksgiving staple for the circus crew. 

Grandmother’s Famous Cranberry Bread

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups light raisins (we used crasins instead)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Add egg, orange peel, and orange juice all at once; stir just until mixture is evenly moist.  Fold in raisins and cranberries.

Spoon into a greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from pan, cool on wire rack.

I also made Sarah’s Sweet Potato Casserole.  It was delicious!  And also deemed a repeat for future years.  Or as Scott suggested, why wait till Thanksgiving, couldn’t we eat it other times throughout the year too?  I say sure,why not?

As we sat down at the table filled with delicious food, my son declared, “We forgot something.”  I couldn’t figure out what it was and he said, “We need to go around the table and say what we’re thankful for.”  And you know what he was thankful for?  School.  Bless his heart, I love that boy.

How about you?  What are you thankful for this year?