Taste of Home October/November 2022

When I think of preparing holiday recipes, my mind instantly conjures the image of my mom’s weathered pastry mat. That giant piece of thick plastic—no matter how many times it was washed—always seemed to have a light coating of flour across it. But that’s just a sign of how well-loved it was. During the holidays, it held near-constant residency on the kitchen counter, waiting for the next pie crust or cutout cookie dough recipe to begin on its surface. I inherited that pastry mat, and although I have a sturdier silicone version at home, I always reach for my mom’s when baking. Mom’s pastry mat is the definition of a holiday essential—that tool or gadget that helps churn out brilliant brownies, a perfectly golden turkey or the creamiest mashed potatoes…

Wendelene Kluesner, Evansville, IN “My holiday baking essentials are my grandma’s rolling pin and her patterned mold for making German springerle cookies.” Nancy Mock, Colchester, VT CC “I would be lost without my French-style tapered rolling pin! I use it for so many holiday treats, including pie crust, gingerbread or sugar cookie cutouts, crescent rolls to go with roast turkey, and cinnamon rolls to treat overnight guests for breakfast.” Shawn Barto, Palmetto, FL CC “My cookie scoops! I have them in multiple sizes, from a tablespoon to a half cup. I make approximately 1,000 truffles between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the idea of hand-rolling that number of truffles is absolutely daunting. I know I wouldn’t get as many made without my trusty scoops!”…

[We Tried It!] Birdy Bonbons cont’d. Who says chocolate-dipped strawberries should be reserved for Valentine’s Day? Our cute-as-can-be look-alikes upgrade the dessert to a Thanksgiving classic! Assemble sweet-and-salty drumsticks with marshmallows and pretzels, affix ’em to juicy strawberries, then dunk the whole bird in a blend of melted chocolate and coconut oil. Trust us—your crew can’t help but trot to these one-bite turkeys. Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Turkeys These chocolaty turkeys are too cute. The white chocolate is the finishing touch that takes them over the top. —Audrey Rompon, Milwaukee, WI Prep: 45 min. • Makes: 12 turkeys 12 pretzel sticks24 miniature marshmallows1½ cups milk chocolate chips2 tsp. coconut oil, divided12 fresh strawberries, hulled¼ cup white baking chips 1. Snap pretzel sticks in half; slide a marshmallow onto each of the tops…

Slide a mini marshmallow onto the top portion of each of 24 pretzel halves. Because of the marshmallows’ stickiness, they’ll stay in place. For best results, attach the drumsticks to strawberries straight from the refrigerator. The colder the strawberry, the faster the chocolate will set. We recommend using a wooden dowel or skewer when coating the prepared berries in chocolate. Compared with a toothpick, it is sturdier and longer, minimizing the chance of a mess. Adding coconut oil to the two types of melted chips gives the chocolate a silky smooth texture and touch of shine without the hassle of tempering.…

Frico In batches, sprinkle ¼ cup shredded Parmesan, aged cheddar or Manchego cheese into a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook until melted and edges start to brown, 3-4 minutes. Flip; cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a paper towel-lined cutting board to cool. Sun-Dried Tomato Frico Stir 2 Tbsp. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes and ½ tsp. dried thyme into shredded Parmesan cheese before adding it to skillet. Prepare the frico as directed. Apple-Pepper Frico Stir 2 Tbsp. finely chopped dried apples and ½ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper into shredded aged cheddar cheese before adding it to skillet. Prepare the frico as directed.…

Easy entertaining is back on the table with these acrylic trays designed to fit a slew of fun reversible inserts. Pick your pattern, then serve snacks and sippers in style during the next cocktail hour, for scary-movie night or on game day. Jack of All Trays Tray: $55; Insert: $25 ea. statementhome.com HIDDEN OBJECT Spot this croissant in this issue, and you could win a Taste of Home cookbook. (In our last issue, the honeydew melon was on page 26.) Go to our website to enter and to read the complete guidelines. tasteofhome.com/hiddenobject…