Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Raisins

photo by Romulo Yanes

yield
Makes 4 servings

A little bit of bacon and a handful of raisins add a smoky sweetness that balances the slightly bitter flavor of the little cabbages.Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Let cool. Coarsely crumble. (Make sure crumbled bacon is unreachable by children, or it will disappear before you need it again.)

While bacon cools, add brussels sprouts to drippings in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until well browned in spots and beginning to soften, 5-7 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add raisins, shallot, and butter; cook, stirring often, until shallot is soft, about 3 minutes. Add broth to skillet; increase heat and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until broth has evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and crumbled bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Churros with Mexican Hot Chocolate

photo by Lara Ferroni

yield
Makes 8 servings

Pastry chef Jennifer Jones of Topolobampo in Chicago shared this recipe as part of a Cinco de Mayo feature on Mexican desserts. Jones says that at the restaurant they use either water or milk to make their hot chocolate, adding that nonfat, low-fat, and whole milk all work beautifully. We're partial to the full-fat option, as it makes for a creamy and truly indulgent treat. If you like your cocoa with a little spice, Jones recommends adding one or two dried ancho or pasilla chiles when you heat up the milk or water—both peppers partner well with chocolate, and will impart their flavor in the short time it takes to melt the chocolate and steam the milk or water.Make the cinnamon sugar:
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. DO AHEAD: The cinnamon sugar can be made ahead and stored, in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 month.

Make the hot chocolate:
In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, combine the milk or water and the chocolate. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is almost completely dissolved (there will still be small pieces of chocolate) and the mixture is steaming. Transfer to a blender or use a handheld immersion blender and process until the mixture is foamy and fully emulsified, about 30 seconds (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return the hot chocolate to the saucepan. When ready to serve, place over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm.

Make the churro dough:
In a medium pot over moderate heat, whisk together the butter, sugar, salt, and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to melt the butter. Remove the pot from the heat and add the flour, stirring vigorously to fully incorporate it into the liquid. Return the pot to moderate heat and cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the dough is smooth and sticky, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner; cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Following the 15-minute resting period, add the eggs, 1 at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated after each addition. Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch star tip.

Fry the churros:
Line a large baking sheet with several layers of paper towels and place the cinnamon sugar in a small shallow bowl.

In a heavy large pot, heat 3 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 375°F. Working in batches (about 6 churros per batch), hold the pastry bag just above the surface of the hot oil and carefully and gently pipe 4-inch ribbons of dough directly into the oil, using a paring knife to cut the batter at the end of the star tip if necessary. Fry the churros, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked in the center, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer as done to the paper-towel-lined baking sheet and return the oil to 375°F between batches. Toss the churros in cinnamon sugar and serve warm with the Mexican hot chocolate.

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

photo by Chris Gentile

yield
Makes 16 sandwich cookies

active time
45 minutes

total time
1 1/2 hours

Pumpkin pie is, hands down, the most iconic Thanksgiving dessert. And something that predictable can get to be, well, a tad boring after a while. This year, you can tell your friends you're serving pumpkin pie, and you will be, but it will be in a new, much more fun incarnation: whoopie pies! Any kids at the table will be squealing with delight, and the adults will be, too, when they sink their teeth into the moist pumpkin cake layers and bourbon cream cheese filling. Reminders of that other icon, pecan pie, turn up as chopped bits of candied pecans around the edge of the filling.For cookie-cakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl.

Whisk together sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla in a separate large bowl until well combined, then stir in flour mixture.

Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or tablespoon measure, drop a scant scoop's worth of batter or 2 scant tablespoons of batter onto a lined baking sheet to form 1 mound. Make 15 more mounds, arranging them 2 inches apart until baking sheet is full (you will have batter left over).

Bake until springy to the touch, 12 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookie-cakes to rack to cool.

Form and bake remaining batter on the other parchment-lined sheet. You should have a total of 32 cookie-cakes.

Leave oven on.

For candied pecans:
Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper.

Stir together sugar, salt, and 1/2 tablespoon water in a small saucepan. Heat over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. Stir in pecans.

Spread mixture on lined sheet pan and bake until coating is bubbling and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cool completely on pan on a rack.

Coarsely chop candied pecans.

For filling:
While cookie-cakes are baking, beat cream cheese, butter, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and bourbon and mix on low speed until smooth.

Chill filling until firm enough to hold its shape when spread, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Assemble whoopie pies:
Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of filling each on flat side of half the cooled cookie-cakes, then top with other half of cookie-cakes. If necessary, chill whoopie pies just long enough to firm up filling again, about 30 minutes.

Gently press pecans onto filling around middle of each whoopie pie to help them adhere to filling.

Cooks' Notes: •If you want perfectly round cakes, a 1-ounce ice cream scoop is a worthwhile investment, because you can use it for so many other baking projects, in addition to ice cream.
•Cookie-cakes can be baked 1 day ahead, and kept on racks at room temperature, covered with a kitchen towel.
•Filling can be made 1 day ahead, and chilled, covered.
•Pecans can be candied 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Snapper Crudo with Chiles and Sesame

photo by Hirsheimer & Hamilton

yield
Makes 4 servings

active time
35 minutes

total time
35 minutes

This side dish is equally good with steak, broiled fish, or seared lamb chops.Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss cauliflower and 4 tablespoons oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and golden brown, 25–30 minutes.

Meanwhile, pulse parsley, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor until very finely chopped; season with salt and pepper. Toss cauliflower with lemon-parsley mixture and top with lemon zest.

DO AHEAD: Lemon-parsley mixture can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Per serving: 240 calories, 21 g fat, 5 g fiber

Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit

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