Hook'd Staff: Favorite Holiday Recipes!

Check out our staff's most beloved holiday foods: from family recipes, to newly discovered favs, we have a variety of tasty apps, desserts, and entrees that we enjoy around the holidays. Which one would you want to try? What is your favorite holiday recipe? Drop it in the comments!

Lex's Favorite: Baked Brie

"This baked brie is a holiday staple. I can't go to a single gathering in the fall or winter without being asked to bring this! The flavors are incredible, the colors of this appetizer are the ultimate Christmas vibe, and even onion haters (cough, cough: Ryan), crave this dish! If you give it a try, I'd love to hear how you liked it in the comments!!"

Ingredients

• 2T butter

• 1 medium onion, cut into fourths & thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1T brown sugar

• 1T balsamic vinegar

• 1 round of brie cheese (15oz.)

• ¼ cup coarsely chopped pistachios

Step by Step

1. Preheat your oven to 350.

2. Melt your butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.

3. Cook your sliced onions in the butter for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in the dried cranberries, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until everything is caramelized and thick.

5. Cut a few surface-level slits into the brie. Place the brie in the center of a round, oven-safe dish and bake for 10 minutes or until partially melty.

6. Remove the brie from the oven and spoon the onion mixture over the top.

7. Serve with bread, crackers, or veggies!

Ryan's Favorite: Ma's Apple Pie

"This recipe is my favorite because it is a good, delicious treat after a holiday meal. The apples are always soft, and you put vanilla ice cream on top...it's so good. It's yummy and it's made with love."

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2C flour

• 1/2t salt

• 1/2C shortening

• 4-5T ice cold water

Filling

• 5-6 apples (courtland or macoun), peeled + thinly sliced

• 1 3/4C sugar

• 2T flour

• pinch of salt

• 1T cinnamon

• 1/2T nutmeg

Crumb Topping

• 1C flour

• 1/3C packed brown sugar

• 1/4t cinnamon

• 1/4t salt

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

Step by Step

1. Preheat your oven to 400.

Filling

1. Mix sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and sprinkle over apple slices.

2. Let apples sit while you make the crust.

Crust

1. Sift dry ingredients.

2. Cut in shortening to the dry ingredients until pea-sized granules form.

3. Add cold water gradually to form the ball of dough.

4. Cut in half and roll out.

5. Place crust in 8-9" pie pan.

6. Fill crust with apple mixture and dot with butter.

Crumb Topping

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Rub butter into the mixture with your fingers until no longer floury and crumbs form.

3. Sprinkle over top of filling.

4. Bake for 50 minutes.

Jocelyn's Favorite: Compound Butter & Turkey

"I found this turkey and compound butter recipe/idea while scrolling mindlessly on social media, and couldn't wait to try it. Now, it's the most delicious and juicy turkey I've had to date, and so flavorful that you don't even need that gravy (but let's be real, the gravy is also ALWAYS necessary)."

(NOTE: I prepared 2 turkey thighs for the purpose of this blog post, but this recipe can apply to any size turkey with SKIN ON)

Ingredients

Turkey

• Turkey

• 1/2 c coarse salt

• 2 TBSP baking powder

Compound Butter

(NOTE: this is my preference, but measure with your heart and if you're not a fan of spicy, then just remove what you don't like)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)

• 1.5 TBSP grated garlic cloves

• 1.5 TBSP finely diced shallots

• several sprigs of rosemary

• several sprigs of thyme

• roughly 1/2 TBSP of each

  • salt

  • pepper

  • onion powder

  • red pepper flakes

  • hot honey

Step by Step

Dry Brine - For Full Turkey

1. Start by spatchcocking your turkey (google if directions unclear)

   1. Remove back bone with shears (or sheer muscular force - jk)

   2. Flip turkey over so skin is facing up

   3. Press firmly down on turkey to flatten turkey (you may hear some bones 'breaking')

2. Separate skin from flesh by pulling an edge and sticking your hand between along the turkey's surface

3. Mix the salt and baking powder together in a small bowl

4. Dry brine turkey by spreading salt/BP mixture all over skin side (you might have extra, that's okay)

5. Let rest in the fridge, uncovered, overnight

Compound Butter

• Place sticks of butter into a medium-large size bowl (ensure they are room temp for an easier time later on)

• Grate (or finely dice) your fresh garlic cloves using a citrus zester or a very fine cheese grater onto the butter (picture shows both grated and diced)

• Finely dice your shallot and add to mixture

• Strip your herbs into the bowl

• Add all dry ingredients, and your hot honey into the bowl

• Use the damn muscles you've been building every day and MIX. IT. UP!

(Store in the fridge if making night before)

• If making day of: add compound butter evenly under skin of turkey (use a thicker layer than you think - you want that butter to soak into the meat)

Cooking - For Full Turkey

(NOTE: cook times and temperature will vary based on size of turkey)

1. Preheat your oven to 400.

2. Place Turkey on a baking rack

3. Spread a thin layer of oil over the skin of the turkey

4. Place turkey in preheated oven, and cook until the internal temperature reaches between 150-165F

5. Take turkey out and let it rest for 15 minutes

6. Carve to your liking and enjoy!

Pro tip! Save the butter that melts out of the turkey and pour over slices when ready to eat!

Chris' Favorite: Cranberry Honey Gold Rush Cocktail

"Chrissy Cocktails loves a good bourbon beverage, and the holidays are the perfect time to enjoy this delicious favorite from the Yankee Cowboy on Instagram. You can make this syrup for cocktails this holiday season, and keep it in the fridge for weeks!

Ingredients

Cranberry Honey Syrup

• 1c Cranberries

• 1c Honey

• 1c Water

Cocktail (for single serve or batch)

• 2 parts bourbon

• 3/4 parts cran honey syrup

• 3/4 parts fresh lemon juice

• Garnish: cranberries from syrup, lemon peel

Step by Step

Cranberry Honey Syrup

1. Bring honey and water to a boil in a small pot on medium heat

2. Once boiling, add cranberries and immediately remove from heat

3. Allow cranberries to steep for 2 hours

4. Remove cranberries from mixture and pour liquid into a container to store

5. Roll cranberries in a light dusting of sugar and store

Cocktail (for single serve or batch)

1. Combine bourbon, lemon juice, and cranberry honey syrup into glass with ice and STIR.

2. Strain into glass with a fresh ice block

3. Garnish with 3 sugared cranberries and a small lemon peel, on a toothpick