Readers share their Thanksgiving recipes

Oh, readers, how you are appreciated. Every year, we ask for your family recipes and every year you respond with delicious dishes and stories of your family Thanksgiving traditions.

Recipes in today’s Thanksgiving section are all over the cooking spectrum – from 1950s-era classics such as cranberry Jell-O salad to newfangled recipes with modern twists – jalapeno-pepper cranberry relish and caramel maple fondue, for instance. We also dipped into our recipe box to republish a few of my personal reader favorites.

Connie Tracy, from Tacoma, sent us her Grandma Fudgie’s recipe for applesauce cake. It’s a hearty dessert – the kind of dense cake that could carry you through a winter or be used as a tasty, but sturdy, kitchen weapon.

“This recipe has been in our family since the 1940s, used originally by my Grandmother Fudgie from Northern Idaho and then my mother in Eastern Washington and now by my sister and me,” wrote Tracy. “The cake is our favorite for birthdays and holidays, especially in the fall when we have made our homemade applesauce.”

We were lucky to get another recipe from a reader’s grandmother – a layered zucchini casserole that uses croutons as a savory foundation. “This recipe was passed down from my Nanny, who was the most amazing cook I have ever known. She managed the kitchen of a fine-dining restaurant in Spokane before it was a trendy thing to do, and she taught me to cook through taste rather than a recipe. Now that she has passed on, I have begun building a recipe collection to pass on to my children. This is a staple at all of our holiday dinners and sometimes in between when I am just craving an easy zucchini side dish. It’s even better the second day when the croutons have had a chance to absorb all the simple flavors,” wrote Lorie Lee of Tacoma.

And would Thanksgiving be complete without a Jell-O salad? We think not. Be sure to read the recipe from Sue Horton of Puyallup. Her aunt’s “Green Jell-O” reads straight out of a 1950s cooking magazine, complete with blended avocado. It was a family favorite at her Grandma Trout’s Thanksgiving dinner.

“The ‘dinner table’ would be a makeshift of tables, picnic tables, and a pair of saw horses with plywood on top. It became one long uneven table that went from the dining room into the living room. In lieu of a tablecloth, an array of floral bed sheets were used. When my aunties started putting food on the table, I always watched Aunt Frances to make sure she brought my favorite dish, a green gelatin salad in a cut glass bowl. My cousins and I called it ‘the good green stuff.’ ”

From their tables to yours, these recipes can become part of your family tradition, too.

Sue Kidd: 253-597-8270

sue.kidd@thenewstribune.com

7-UP BISCUITS

Yield: 9-12 biscuits

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7-Up lemon-lime soda

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.

Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and roll dough out, cut into small rounds. Add 1/4 cup melted butter to bottom of a 9-inch square pan. This also can be made in a larger baking pan if biscuits are cut into larger rounds. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Source: Kim Ochs, Graham

ORANGE-GLAZED SWEET POTATOES

8 medium sweet potatoes or yams

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups orange juice

1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/4 cup sliced almonds

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup light raisins

Peel and parboil sweet potatoes or yams until softened, but not fully cooked. Cool, then cut into one-half inch slices and arrange in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with salt.

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Blend in orange juice and orange peel. Add almonds. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook one minute. Add butter, sherry and raisins. Stir until butter melts. Pour over potatoes.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are well glazed.

Source: Kathi Kershul, Tacoma

EDAMAME WITH BACON

10-ounce package frozen shelled edamame (about 2 cups), thawed

2-3 slices of bacon

1/2 onion sliced

1 teaspoon garlic chopped

Salt and black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice or balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese Cook the bacon until crispy in a large sauté pan set over medium-low heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan, drain on paper towels, then dice. You should have about one tablespoon of fat left in the pan. Pour off any fat beyond 1 tablespoon. If not enough fat is left in pan, add olive oil or butter to the pan. Saute onions until translucent. Add edamame to onion mixture and saute over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes, or until edamame has reached desired softness. Add salt to taste. Add garlic and diced bacon and sauté another minute. Place in serving dish and sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper. Toss with lemon juice or vinegar, then sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Source: Michelle Galaz, Lakewood

PEPPERED CRANBERRY RELISH

12-ounce package fresh cranberries

1/2 cup lime juice and zest (about 4 limes)

1 1/2 tablespoons shallots

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bunch of cilantro

1 1/2 small jalapenos

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup cracked black pepper

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until the consistency of salsa. Blend together in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. Serve with dinner or as an appetizer. For an appetizer, serve chilled over a block of softened cream cheese with crackers for spreading.

Editors note: In the test kitchen, we used 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper and it made for a very peppery relish.

Source: Steve and Lourdes Collins, Olympia

AVOCADO GELATIN SALAD

1 package Lime Jell-O

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

4-ounces cream cheese, softened

1 avocado (mashed)

Dash of salt

Prepare Jell-O according to package directions and reserve (do not chill yet). In a blender, combine avocado, mayonnaise, cream cheese, dash of salt and two tablespoons of lime Jell-O liquid mixture. Blend until smooth. Mix Jell-O and avocado mixture, pour into a pretty bowl, chill until set. Serve.

Source: Sue Horton, Puyallup

MAMA'S APPLESAUCE CAKE

2 cups applesauce, warmed in microwave (can be canned or homemade)

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon each ground cloves and ginger

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup raisins

3 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Add soda to warmed applesauce, and set aside. It will increase in volume, so select a medium sized bowl.

Cream butter and sugar. Add spices and eggs and mix. Add flour one cup at a time to the mixture and stir until a batter forms. Stir in raisins. Add walnuts, if desired.

Pour into a greased, floured pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. You can use layer cake pans (reduce cooking time) or a bundt pan (about 45 minutes).

Source: Connie Tracy, Tacoma

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE TRIFLE

For the cake:

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

6 large eggs

2 1/2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons almond liqueur

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake glaze:

1/4 cup almond liqueur

6 tablespoons butter melted

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup powdered sugar

For the pumpkin mixture:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

15-ounce can of pumpkin

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cream cheese mixture:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

8 ounces whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, softened

For the whipped cream:

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

For the sugared pecans:

1 egg white, whisked

2 cups pecan halves

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Note: To save time, you may substitute your favorite prepared boxed cake instead of making the almond cake for this recipe.

For the glaze: Combine all ingredients and heat until mixture boils. Let cool to warm.

For the cake: Preheat oven to 325. Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add sugar, liqueur and vanilla and mix. Add flour in small batches and stir until incorporated. Pour in a 13x9 pan bake for 50 to 55 minute or until toothpick comes out clean. Brush warm glaze all over top of cake. Let cool and cut into cubes.

For the sugared pecans: Combine egg white, pecan halves and sugars. Toss to coat. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes, stirring once. Cool completely. These can be made in advance.

For the pumpkin mixture: Whip together softened cream cheese, pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses and cinnamon until smooth and airy. Set aside.

For the cream cheese mixture: Whip together softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Fold in softened whipped topping . Set aside.

For the whipped cream: Beat whipped cream with ½ cup powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Set aside.

To assemble: In a trifle bowl or decorative bowl, layer one-third of the cake and top with the pumpkin mixture. Next, add another third of the cake and top with vanilla cream cheese mixture. Then add remainder of cake and finish with whipped topping. Top with sugared pecans (optional).

Source: Michelle Galaz, Lakewood

CARAMEL-MAPLE FONDUE DIP

1/2 cup real butter

1 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon molasses

3/4 cup maple syrup

14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon real vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

In saucepan melt butter. Add brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup and condensed milk, stirring to combine. Increase heat. Stir (don’t stop) until mixture boils (color will be light amber) then remove. The longer you boil the thicker it becomes) Take off heat and mix in vanilla and salt.

To serve, place caramel in fondue pot or small crock pot. This will keep it ready until you are ready for dinner. Serve with fresh apples slices tossed with lemon juice, ginger snaps, graham crackers, fresh strawberries and pretzels.

Source: Michelle Galaz, Lakewood

THANKSGIVING TURKEY COOKIES

For the Rice Krispie balls:

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 cups Rice Krispies cereal

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups peanut butter

1 pound chocolate candy coating chips

For the turkey body:

1/2 pound Reese’s peanut butter cup, mini size

For the turkey tails:

1 package Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies

For the beak:

1/2 pound candy corn

For the Rice Krispies balls: Combine the melted butter, powdered sugar, Rice Krispies and peanut butter. Mix thoroughly, then roll into four dozen balls.

For dipping the turkey bodies: Dip Rice Krispie balls into melted chocolate candy coating. Set aside to firm up on wax paper. Can be done a day ahead. Next, take the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups minis and dip into melted chocolate and press bottom of Reese’s mini against the Rice Krispie balls until the two pieces adhere into a sturdy body. Allow to set until firm.

To assemble: Place one Keebler Fudge stripe cookie flat on an even surface, being sure the stripes are vertical to the cookie. Using the rest of the melted chocolate, dab the cookie with some of the melted chocolate and set the body on top of the cookie, holding firmly until the two pieces adhere and set. Place a small dot of chocolate on the candy corn and adhere to the Rice Krispie ball to make a beak.

Source: Jeanette Haapala, Gig Harbor

EASY PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE

4 eggs

l large can evaporated milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

l/2 teaspoon nutmeg

l teaspoon cloves

l teaspoon ginger

l pinch salt

15-ounce can pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

l box yellow cake mix

l cup margarine or butter, melted

Mix first nine ingredients and pour into greased 9-by-13 inch pan. Sprinkle one box yellow cake mix over pumpkin mix.Drizzle melted margarine or butter over cake mix. Cover with chopped walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Best served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Source: Melody Sword, Tacoma

MAPLE CHEESECAKE

For the crust:

2 cups toasted pecan halves

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 ounces unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

6 ounces pure maple syrup

1 1/4 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a 9- or 10 -inch springform pan, spray with pan spray and line bottom with parchment paper. Wrap bottom of pan in foil and place in a baking pan deep enough to hold one inch of water.

In a food processor, chop pecans into coarse meal. In a medium bowl mix sugar, flour, salt, and pecan meal. Add melted butter and mix well. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

Clean the food processor bowl and process the softened cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl. Add the salt, vanilla, sour cream and maple syrup. Process until smooth. Pour into the springform pan.

Fill the baking pan with enough water to cover an inch of the springform pan. Cover the entire baking pan with foil, poke a few holes for the steam to escape.

Bake in the 300 degree oven. Check after 50 minutes. Continue baking until the middle is set (in our test kitchen, it took an additional 30 minutes). The cheesecake should jiggle like jello, not wiggle like a wave. Cool at room temperature for one hour, then refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Source: Erin Powell, Tacoma