Cranberries, Corn and Pumpkin … Oh My!
Thanksgiving week wraps up here at Leah’s Thoughts with THREE, that’s right, three of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes for you. Are you ready? Hold on to your seats. We have Cranberry Zinfandel Sauce, Creamed Corn and Pumpkin Roulade Cake with Ginger Buttercream.
First up is cranberry sauce. But this is no ordinary relish. It’s Cranberry Zinfandel Sauce. This recipe is from Phyllis Carey’s Wine Country Thanksgiving class I took at Great News Cooking School. I love this twist on basic cranberry sauce.
1 3/4 cups red Zinfandel
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 (3? x 1?) strip orange peel
1 (12 oz.) bag of fresh cranberries
Combine all except cranberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugars. Reduce heat and simmer until reduce to about 1 3/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain syrup into large saucepan. Add cranberries to syrup and cook over medium heat until berries burst, about 6 minutes. Cool, cover and refrigerate until cold. Keeps one week in the refrigerator. I always make this the Monday or Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Cranberry Zinfandel Sauce
Next up: Creamed Corn. This side dish will knock the socks of of your dinner guests. Seriously it is incredible. Words cannot describe how good it is. I always double the recipe because it’s the first dish to run out. The recipe is from Diane Phillips’ Do-Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner class, also from Great News Cooking School.
1 pound frozen white kernel corn (defrosted)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream (use half-and-half or whole milk for a “lighter” version)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3 Tablespoons flour mixed with 3 Tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Butter or spray a baking dish. Sprinkle dish with 2 – 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, tilting the pan to distribute the cheese. Bring the cream to a boil. Reduce the heat and add corn. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in salt and sugar.
Make a paste with the butter and flour, and stir into the corn and cook until the mixture boils and thickens. Turn corn into the baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Refrigerate up to four days. Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
Creamed Corn
And finally, Pumpkin Roulade Cake with Ginger Buttercream for dessert. This recipe is courtesy of my cooking idol, Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa). I love this dessert because it’s a nice change from the traditional pumpkin pie. It’s unique and has a “light” taste to it. Don’t be scared off by the fancy looks of it either; it’s really easy and your guests will be so impressed.
Pumpkin Roulade Cake with Ginger Buttercream
Dessert Close-up
I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving Week! Don’t forget about crockpot stuffing and best brussels sprouts from earlier this week.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful friends and readers out there!
I am truly thankful for you!
Oh wow, these recipes look amazing, especially that cranberry sauce. I’m out of the country this year, so I am missing thanksgiving with my family for the first time. But your post is inspiration for what I have to look forward to next year…or maybe I’ll ask my family to make this for when I return to the States! =)
Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving away from the U.S. Just wait for your feast next year. I’m sure it will be better than ever!
I am so excited to find the cream corn recipe — something my grandmother used to make but I never got her recipe! Thank you so much! Delicious! Can’t wait to start cooking!
Did you try it? It was the first thing to go yesterday. I was lucky I got a few spoonfulls of it.
would love to make all 3 but I will definitely try the corn … today’s my Shopping day and I’m sure glad I saw your post in time to get the ingredients on my list 🙂
I will come back to the pumpkin roll recipe, too … delish.
Beautiful post, Leah!
MJ
Leah I prepared the corn last night and will cook it on Thursday … have to say that I did taste a bit before putting it in the fridge. OH MY – it was indeed KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF worthy… Thank you!! and Happy Thanksgiving 🙂 MJ
So was it worth it? I know what you mean about the uncooked batter. I could eat that all before baking. It was so good last night here too.
It was, in one word, SCRUMPDILLY-ICIOUS! So good … and now .. gone
Thank you!! MJ
I just went to an early Thanksgiving potluck and someone brought the pumpkin roulade cake from Ina Garten’s recipe. It is fantastic!
Isn’t it so good? I love that cake! Glad you got to experience it.
Leah you will be death of me! (At least I’ll die happy though). I just wrote a funny article about my obsession with cake pops ever since you unleashed the recipe on the world. I did not mention your name or blog specifically for privacy purposes. I will let you know when the article is released though so you can have a good laugh. Hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving. I appreciate your friendship very much. Elizabeth.
Thanks, Elizabeth. I appreciate your friendship too. I always look forward to your posts. And I can’t wait to read your article. Please let me know when it’s published!
That dessert looks fantastic. Yum! The cream corn oodles with cheese. Love the photo. Thanks for sharing all these great recipes!
You’re welcome. Hope your Thanksgiving was a good one!
I am making your cranberry souse for sure and Max will re-create your desert. It looks amazing.
Well how did they turn out?
I love all three of your choices! Yum yum yum!!
Thanks, Liz.
The corn looks amazing – creamed corn is one of my favorite things, though I admit, I’ve only had it out of a can before – I’ll have to try that!
OMG, you have to make this if all you’ve tried is the canned version!
Mouthwatering!!
I don’t know, Susan, your vegan feast looked pretty good!
Your house must smell heavenly at Thanksgiving. Thanks for sharing these 3 of your favorite recipes. I see why they’re you’re favorites, they make my tummy growl just looking at the photos and reading the recipes. 🙂
Thanks and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. And yes, the house did smell pretty darn good.
I am salivating for that cake right now!! 🙂
It is so good, Caryn! Think how good it would be while you watch the Macy’s Parade!
Oh, Leah! These are absolutely STUNNING! What terrific recipes! I’m absolutely drooling all over my computer with the cream corn recipe…..BRAVO!
Thanks, Ann. That creamed corn is amazing. Maybe I’ll see it on your blog as a “lightened up” recipe 🙂
I will definitely be adding the creamed corn to my Thanksgiving menu! Yum! Thanks for sharing! Barefoot Contessa is my idol too. Her recipes never disappoint!
Did you try the corn? We had it last night and it was gone in minutes. Isn’t Ina the best?
That creamed corn looks amazing. And you know I love Ina!! I have made that pumpkin roll and it is so dang good!
THanks, Leah, my fellow Ian fan! You have to try that dessert sometime. It’s so good!
Those recipes look SO yummy! Can I come to your house for Thanksgiving? The only creamed corn I’ve ever had came out of a can. Is that sad?
~FringeGirl
You’re the second comment about only eating creamed corn from a can. I don’t think it’s that uncommon. This version is easy and really good though. And yes, next year, you’re invited to Thanksgiving!
Now wishing it was Thanksgiving…