There is so much focus on the basics of Thanksgiving dinner – turkey, dressing and dessert – that hors d’oeuvres are sometimes overlooked. Ideal appetizers should be light and made days or weeks in advance.
Chef and cookbook author Virginia Willis has combined traditional Southern dishes with techniques she learned in France in “Bon Appétit, Y’all” (Ten Speed Press, May 2008, $32.50 hardcover). Here are two sure-fire winners.
Dede’s Cheese Straws
Makes about 6 dozen
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste
½ pound sharp Cheddar cheese, at room temperature, freshly grated
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions:
Position the oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Butter 2 baking sheets.
To make the dough, in a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cayenne. Set aside. In a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth and well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until smooth. (The dough can also be made in the bowl of a large food processor: grate the cheese with the grating blade, then transfer the cheese to a bowl and insert the metal blade. Pulse the dry ingredients to combine, then add the butter and cheese. Process until smooth.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to rest for about 15 minutes.
To shape the dough, work it in your hands; it should be soft and pliable (like Play-Doh). Shape the dough into a cylinder and pack it into a cookie press fitted with the serrated ribbon disk.
Holding the cookie press at an angle to one of the prepared baking sheets, press the trigger twice, dragging the press away to make a long straw the length of the baking sheet. Repeat until you’ve covered the sheet, spacing the ribbons of dough 1 inch apart. Using a butter knife or offset spatula, cut each ribbon into 1- to 2-inch pieces. Repeat with the remaining dough and the other baking sheet. (If your cookie press extrudes the dough in fits and spurts, simply pick up the dough and reuse.)
Bake the cheese straws, rotating the baking sheet once, until lightly browned on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheets to a rack to cool slightly. Using an offset or slotted spatula, remove the individual cheese straws to cool completely.
Making ahead: Store the cheese straws at room temperature in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. They will keep for 2 to 3 weeks.
Thyme Toasted Pecans
Makes 4 cups
Ingredients:
4 cups pecan halves 2 teaspoons coarse salt or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Intructions:
In a large, dry skillet, toast the pecans over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and olive oil.
Add the warm toasted pecans to the thyme-oil mixture. Stir well to combine and evenly coat the pecans. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Making ahead: Once the seasoned nuts have cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring them to room temperature before serving.
