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INDIAN PUDDING

Start to finish: 2 hours (30 minutes active)

Servings: 12

7 cups milk, divided

1 cup molasses

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

2 teaspoons ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup packed cornmeal

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven, combine 6 cups of the milk, the molasses, sugar, butter, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Place the pot over medium heat. Scald the milk by heating it until it is just about to boil. The milk will appear curdled; this is normal.

In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining 1 cup of milk and the cornmeal. Whisk this mixture into the Dutch oven.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, for 20 minutes, or until nicely thickened. Be certain to scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 90 minutes, or until the pudding is set at the center. It may puff during baking, but will flatten while cooling. Let cool slightly before serving with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Alternatively, the pudding can be finished in the microwave for an English-style hasty pudding. After the 20 minutes of stovetop cooking, transfer the mixture to a 3-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Stir the pudding, the microwave on high another 3 minutes. Do this 2 more times, cooking the pudding for a total of 12 minutes. If the pudding splatters during cooking, it can be loosely covered with a paper plate.

(Recipe from Kathleen Curtin, food historian at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass.)

Best Pumpkin Pie

Be sure to let the pie cool completely before slicing. And for the cleanest cuts, use a knife briefly heated under hot water and wiped clean between cuts. The filling and crust can be prepared a day ahead, then assembled just before cooking.

If using a preformed crust (the kind sold in the foil pie plates) you will have about 1/4 cup excess filling (these crusts tend not to be as deep as homemade). The excess can be baked in a buttered ramekin for a snack-size pumpkin custard.

If you would rather make your own crust, try this foolproof recipe from Cook's Illustrated magazine. It uses vodka to create a dough that is easy to work with, but still light and flakey. Don't worry, the vodka cooks off.

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BEST PUMPKIN PIE

Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (15 minutes active), plus cooling

Servings: 8

9-inch deep pie crust

15-ounce can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

Heat the oven to 375 F. If using a homemade or unformed pie crust, arrange it in a pie pan and crimp the edges.

Place a sheet of parchment paper inside the pie crust, then fill it with enough dry beans, uncooked rice or pie weights to come nearly to the top of the pie. Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven to 350 F.

While the crust is baking, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Heat for 7 minutes, stirring often.

Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a blender or food processor. Puree for about 10 seconds. One at a time, add the eggs and egg yolk, pulsing the blender or processor briefly between each.

With the blender or processor running, slowly pour in the cream and puree until well mixed, about another 10 seconds.

Discard the beans and parchment paper from the pie crust. Slowly pour the filling into the pie crust, then bake for 1 hour, or until the edges are puffed and the center is set and jiggles only slightly.

Cool completely on a rack before cutting.

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PIE CRUST

Start to finish:

Makes 2 pie crusts

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup cold vodka

1/4 cup cold water

To make the crust, in a food processor, combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, the salt and sugar. Pulse several times to mix.

Add the butter and shortening and process until the dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 15 seconds. The dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour.

Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and redistribute it evenly around the processor blade. Add the remaining flour and pulse 4 to 6 times, or until the flour is evenly distributed through the dough.

Transfer the dough to a medium bowl, then sprinkle the vodka and water over it. Using the rubber spatula, mix the dough and liquid with a folding motion, pressing down on the dough until it is slightly tacky and sticks together.

Divide the dough into 2 even balls, then flatten each into a 4-inch disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes, and up to 2 days.

When the dough has chilled, on a well floured counter roll out each round to a roughly 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a pie pan, crimping any excess over the edge.

(Recipe from Cook's Illustrated magazine)

Dinner Biscuits
Kneading and rising not in your Thanksgiving repertoire?

Ditch the dinner rolls and do biscuits instead. You'll get the home-baked goodness of fresh bread minus most of the effort and time.

This easy recipe for savory buttermilk biscuits is seasoned with garlic powder, black pepper and chopped fresh chives, but you could substitute almost any herbs or spices. Grated Pepper Jack cheese and paprika make a fine Southwestern version.

Or add just black pepper to the dough and sprinkle the biscuits with kosher salt and sesame or poppy seeds just before baking.

If you want to prep these early, combine the dry ingredients and set aside until ready to bake. Mix in the butter and buttermilk only just before you are ready to bake.

The trick to getting the most height from biscuits is to use a clean cutter and press down smoothly and swiftly; don't twist the cutter.

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DINNER BISCUITS

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: 10

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

4 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, divided

Heat the oven to 450 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and chives. Add the butter and use knives or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse wet sand. Add 1 cup of the buttermilk and mix until the dough just comes together.

Alternatively, in a food processor combine the flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and chives. Pulse twice to mix, then add the butter. Pulse several times to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse wet sand. Add 1 cup of the buttermilk and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured counter and knead the dough 6 to 8 times. Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits and place them on the prepared baking sheet.

Use a pastry brush to brush the top of each biscuit with a bit of the remaining buttermilk. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 135 calories; 42 calories from fat; 5 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 14 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 0 g fiber; 446 mg sodium.

BEST CHEESE BALLS
To make these cheese balls their best:

-- When selecting cheeses, there's no need to reach for pricey artisanal stuff. But don't go bargain basement, either. Most mid-range goat and cheddar cheeses sold at well-stocked grocers are fine.

-- Make sure the cheese is firm but not hard before rolling.

-- Use latex gloves or plastic wrap instead of bare hands to minimize sticking. Serve them alone or with crackers or toasted rounds of thinly sliced baguette.

-- To prepare these cheese balls ahead, form the balls up to a day in advance. Arrange on a plate, making sure they don't touch, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, roll the balls in the coating.

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BEST CHEESE BALLS

Start to finish: 1 hour 20 minutes (30 minutes active)

Makes 20 to 25 cheese balls

1 cup neufchatel cheese, softened

1/2 cup goat cheese, softened

6 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced horseradish or horseradish mayonnaise

3/4 cup walnut halves

1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oven to 300 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the neufchatel and goat cheeses and 4 tablespoons of the butter. Use a rubber spatula to mix until well combined. Mix in the cheddar, garlic and horseradish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the mixture chills, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. In a small bowl, combine the butter and walnut halves, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle in the salt and cumin, then toss again.

Spread the walnuts over the prepared baking sheet and toast for 7 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and aromatic. Remove the nuts from the oven and transfer to a plate to cool.

When the nuts are cool, use a knife to finely chop them. The pieces should be small but not pulverized.

In a wide, shallow bowl or baking pan, mix together the chopped walnuts and parsley.

Once the cheese has chilled, put on latex gloves and use a measuring spoon or scoop to form 1-tablespoon balls. Gently roll the balls between your hands to smooth, then roll each through the nut and parsley mixture. Arrange on a serving platter.