I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week. My favorite season has quickly flown by with a newborn at home. My family doesn’t have a consistent list of traditional recipes we make every year for the holiday–in fact, we often don’t even do a turkey. But the one go-to recipe we do have is for classic pumpkin pie. It’s super simple (I don’t think pumpkin pie should be anything fancy) and not revolutionary, but it does have a special twist–a brown sugar and pecan crust that just takes it beyond the regular old version. It’s almost like two pies in one–pumpkin and pecan–and who’s going to complain about that? Plus, it couldn’t be any easier to whip up because we use store-bought pie crust–a perfectly acceptable kitchen cheat that saves precious time. Served with a bourbon-spiked dollop of whipped cream on top (my addition to the family recipe), and it’s hard to imagine a better tasting pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1 9″ frozen, unbaked pie shell
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 c. evaporated milk
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. mace
For the whipped cream:
1 c. cold heavy cream
2 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/2 tbsp. sugar
A splash of bourbon
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly dust a 9″ pie pan with flour. Unfold the pie shell into the pan, gently pressing the dough along the sides. Combine chopped pecans, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into the pie shell and bake 10 minutes; remove from oven and turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees. Combine eggs and pumpkin in a different bowl. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, flour, salt, spices and milk. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Pour pumpkin filling into the partially baked pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes.
Whisk cream and mascarpone in a chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and bourbon. Whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Seven weeks postpartum, looking back at our maternity photos and my bump brings a wave of emotion and fondness for those nine months preparing for Elsie’s arrival. I loved being pregnant and actually miss that phase a little bit now–I soaked up every part of the experience, watching in awe as my body grew and changed, bearing through the morning sickness of the first trimester and uncomfortable sleeping in the third, anticipating what our daughter would look like, mulling over what we’d name her, pouring energy into creating the perfect nursery.
We never planned to do a formal maternity photo session, much as we didn’t do engagement photos before our wedding. But when your father-in-law is a professional and offers to snap informal photos following your last baby shower, it’s hard to resist. I’m so glad we did. I meant to choose my favorites to share before E arrived, but with burning the candle at both ends preparing for maternity leave at work, my best-laid plans fell by the wayside. I’m almost happier to be looking at the photos though now that she’s here–with a fresh perspective on what this adventure of parenthood is all about and a thankfulness for images that capture the three of us at both the end and beginning of a special moment in time. These are photos I’ll cherish forever.
We finally invested in a Le Creuset dutch oven this summer, and it’s quickly become our favorite cookware in the kitchen. From making soups and stews to braising meat, it’s a game changer. We’ve been putting our dutch oven to good use this fall, and one of my favorite dishes is this braised chicken. The lemon, thyme and capers yield amazing flavor to chicken thighs–cooked long and slow. I love it served over pappardelle noodles to soak up the rich, flavorful pan sauce. It’s a delicious weekend meal.
Braised Chicken with Lemon and Capers over Pappardelle
8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (6 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large peeled garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 bay leaf
1 box of dry pappardelle pasta, cooked according to package directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a dutch oven or large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12-14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving it in the pan.
Add the garlic to the dutch oven or skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the pan to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
Return the pan to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving. Serve over cooked pappardelle noodles, spooning pan sauce over top.
*Recipe adapted from Food & Wine.
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