Every year, I treasure the holiday tradition of hosting my family and my fiancé’s family at our home for a joyful meal. Sometimes, I host for Thanksgiving; other years, I host for Christmas. I'm excited to share some wonderful recipes you can use to prepare for your Thanksgiving or holiday gathering.
Hosting a large family holiday dinner can be quite a lot! Those who have never done it might not realize how many details need to be managed in advance, especially on the big day. Reflecting on my first year of hosting, I know I didn’t plan adequately. I spent that day frantically working in the kitchen, hardly able to appreciate the company of my loved ones. As I enter my fourth year of hosting, I’ve learned from that experience.
Each year, I strive to prepare as many recipes as possible ahead of time, allowing me to enjoy the occasion truly. My fiancé might argue that I still feel some stress on the day, but I believe he would concede that I’ve made significant progress since that first year!
As a devoted foodie, my passion for cooking is intertwined with ensuring that my guests have a wonderful time and relish the food. It might sound unconventional, but making dishes in advance can enhance rather than diminish their flavors. Often, a dish tastes even better once the flavors have had time to meld together.
For instance, cheesecake is one of those desserts where making it ahead of time is beneficial (consider ordering one of our delectable cheesecake gifts if you’re short on time). Preparing it a day or two in advance reduces stress on the actual day since you can pull it out of the fridge when it’s time to serve.
One of my favorite dishes to make is a dessert, the Pear Cheesecake Trifle. This trifle, featuring seasonal pears, showcases the freshest fruit we receive daily from local orchards. I suspect it would also be delightful with apples.
Pear Cheesecake Trifle Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 large pears
- 1 cup caramel sauce
- 1 teaspoon unflavored powder gelatin
- two 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
- 3 cups cold heavy cream
- two teaspoons cinnamon
- two teaspoons vanilla bean paste>/li>
- splash of pure vanilla
- 8 oz. gingersnap cookies
Directions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the diced pears, cover, and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the pears soften, about 8 minutes. Add ½ cup of caramel sauce, cover, and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, for an additional 5 minutes. Scrape the pears into a plate or bowl and refrigerate until cool.
- Place two tablespoons of water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Then, microwave for 5 seconds until the gelatin is just melted. Transfer the gelatin mixture to an electric mixer's bowl and add the softened cream cheese and the remaining ½ cup of caramel sauce. Beat at medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- In another bowl, whip 1 ½ cups of the heavy cream with one teaspoon of cinnamon, one teaspoon of the vanilla bean paste, and a splash of vanilla extract until firm peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Spoon a quarter of the cream mixture into a medium-sized trifle bowl. Top with a quarter of the gingersnaps, then a quarter of the pears. Repeat this layering three more times, ending with a layer of pears. Cover and refrigerate overnight (can also be kept for an additional night).
- When you’re ready to serve, beat the remaining 1 ½ cups of heavy cream with one teaspoon of cinnamon, one teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, and a splash of vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Dollop the cream on top of the trifle and garnish with crushed gingersnaps.
Vanilla Bean Salted Caramel Sauce
Adapted from Food & Wine
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- Splash of pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon fleur de sel
Directions
- In a large saucepan, add the sugar, then pour the water all around it. Add the seeds you scraped from the vanilla bean, the vanilla bean pod itself, vanilla bean paste, and vanilla extract, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved. If you see any crystals forming on the side of the pan, use a wet pastry brush to wash the sides. Do not stir; cook until deep-amber colored caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Gently swirl the pan for even coloring.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream – this will bubble up quite a bit, so be careful! When the bubbling stops, boil and cook over moderate heat until everything is dissolved and smooth; don’t worry if the caramel initially appears hard. Discard the vanilla bean pod, stir in the fleur de sel, and let cool.