Welcome to the weekend, friends! Can you believe it’s Thanksgiving week already? We have family in town and I’m looking forward to lots of great food and games.
Want a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner? Find out what you can make-ahead and follow the timeline to get it all done on time! Are you a list maker? Do you love having a plan for everything and then checking things off? If so, this post is for you.
ON THE BLOG this week: Are you looking for the perfect pork roast recipe? Roasted all day, left falling apart and tender enough to cut with a fork; this Italian Pork Roast just might become your favorite pork roast with the very first bite.
These creamy, buttery, cheesy mashed potatoes are what food dreams are made of, I suggest making extra, to avoid arguments over who gets seconds.
Tasty and pretty these green bean bacon bundles with their buttery, sweet glaze and a hint of warmth are a dinner-time treat.
Savory, and sweet with a touch of heat comes together perfectly in this sausage and apple stuffed acorn squash. My friend Margaret told me about this recipe a while back and I’ve looked forward to trying it ever since. As soon as the winter squash hit the stores, this was on our meal plan. You’re going to love it.
From the crunch of the sugar crust on the bottom to the juicy cranberries to the flaky cake layer on top; Nantucket Christmas Cranberry Pie is cranberry dessert heaven.
Have you heard of Milk Punch? This old-school cocktail is made with bourbon, whisky, or brandy. It is a very lightly sweetened drink that starts with milk and half-and-half, it’s flavored with hints of vanilla and nutmeg.
Slightly chewy with a sweetly tart combination, cranberry oatmeal bars are full of cranberries and apples topped with brown sugar and oatmeal crumbs.
Smooth, creamy, and filled with the warm spices of the holiday season Eggnog Ice Cream is the perfect fireside treat. While ice cream is often considered a summer treat, eggnog ice cream is a winter favorite. This lightly spiced ice cream evokes a cozy feeling and we enjoy it through the holiday season.
What I’m CRAVING: My friend Maegan transformed a tube of crescent rolls into these absolutely irresistible cinnamon sugar cruffins and I can’t wait to try them.
Slightly chewy with a sweetly tart combination, cranberry oatmeal bars are full of cranberries and apples topped with brown sugar and oatmeal crumbs.
Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
Sometimes, not often, but sometimes desserts are just too overpoweringly sweet. Especially during the times of the year when we are surrounded by so many rich indulgent foods. Desserts with cranberries are the perfect answer to that.
I can’t be the only one feeling that way. I know, because if I make a dessert with cranberries to take to a gathering, it guaranteed that I will come home with an empty pan. I have a feeling that these easy cranberry oatmeal bars with fresh cranberries will meet a similar fate.
Cranberry oat bars loaded with cranberries and chopped apples bring just the right amount of sweetness to any dessert or snack time. Because they have fruit and oatmeal I would argue they could be considered for breakfast as well.
The layer of fruit between the crust and easy crumb topping is thickened by the cranberries and cornstarch and sweetened by the apples with a touch of sugar. The crust is a buttery oatmeal shortbread pressed firmly into the pan.
The topping is the remainder of the crust ingredients, just crumbled and loosely spread over the fruit. When baked the topping will brown and the cranberry and apples will bubble and smell amazing.
To serve, you can even top the bars with Brown Sugar Ice Cream or Eggnog Ice Cream for an unforgettable holiday dessert.
Cranberry Desserts
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There might actually not be anything better on the earth than a warm slice of homemade apple pie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Am I right? Or am I RIGHT?
When I was a little girl I was a cookie lover. Quite a few of my very first memories involve being in the kitchen with Dad to make oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies and with Mom to make Halloween sugar cookies. Which is funny because I never really liked those sugar cookies. I remember Mom rolling out that soft, delicious dough (the dough was yummers, it was the baked cookie that lost its appeal to me) and me stamping out as many spooky shapes as I could. But those things are fading because as I get older I’m finding that I enjoy a slice of pie more and more. Especially this homemade apple pie.
In my experience, you are either an apple pie lover or an apple pie hater. If you read about Cade’s apple pie you’ll learn that my mom HATED apple pie which is why I don’t have a recipe from her. But that seems to be common, a lot of people don’t like apple pie while others adore it. I’m an adorer. ADORER? Is that even a word?
What Do I Need to Make Homemade Apple Pie?
I think most people think apple pie is super complicated and involved, but it is really so simple and only takes a few simple ingredients. There are only 5 ingredients in the pie crust, and then for the filling, I love to use a blend of apples with some sugar, salt, spices and flour for thickening. It’s so easy! Anyone can do it! Here is what you will need…
Pie Crust: flour, butter, salt, sugar, and ice water
Pie Filling
- Apples: a blend of Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Spices: Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Cardamom
- Flour
- Milk
- Sprinkling Sugar (optional)
The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. I should also mention here that some people swear by adding a little lemon juice to apple pie filling. I feel like it messes with the pure apple flavor of the filling, but if you are fan of lemon in the filling, by all means