GOAT CHEESE PECAN TARTLETS WITH CRANBERRY TOPPING

I found this recipe by Chef Alex Guarnaschelli in a magazine advertisement and loved it! I will bring this to Thanksgiving dinner this year as it can be served as an appetizer OR savory dessert.  Using a regular size muffin tin, I found these tartlets to be bite item....made in a mini muffin tin, I would suggest rolling out the pie crust thinner to allow more room for filling.

CRUST: 1 package refrigerated pie crusts

CRANBERRY TOPPING:
2 cups fresh cranberries (8 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

TARTLET FILLING:
3 Strips bacon, uncooked
3 large eggs
4 oz. fresh goat cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch kosher salt
1/4 tsp. Tabasco
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped pecan halves, toasted & divided
chives, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Spray the insides of muffin pan. Unroll the piecrust and cut with a 3.5" biscuit cutter. (or smaller if using the mini-muffin size). Line the inside of the muffin pans and refrigerate until ready. The crusts won't go all the way to the top of the cups, this is fine.

Cook the cranberries: Combine the cranberries with the next 4 ingredients in a medium pot. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer 8-10 minutes (some will have burst, some will remain whole) and mixture has thickened. Transfer to bowl and set aside to cool.

Cook the Bacon: GREAT WAY OF 'BLANCHING' BACON, MAKING IT CRISPIER!). Lay bacon flat in medium skillet with 1/4 cup water. Bring the water to a simmer and cook the bacon over medium heat until it completely evaporates and the bacon gets crispy, 8-10 minutes. Drain on paper-towel-lined plate. Crumble and set aside.

Tartlet filling: Combine eggs, cheese, cream, milk, salt, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce in a blender. Blend on lowest setting until smooth.
Sprinkle in a less than a teaspoon of pecans and evenly divide the bacon inside each cup in the muffin pan. Fill each cup to about 1/4 below the top of the crust with the goat cheese mix and carefully place pan in center of the oven.
Bake until filling sets, about 12-14 minutes Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Place a cookie sheet over the top of the pan and invert. Shake gently to loosen the tartlets.

Serve: Arrange tartlets on serving platter. Strain any excess liquid out of the cranberries and spoon a scant tablespoon of the berries on top of the tarts. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of pecans and cut chives.

SQUASH SOUFFLE

I got this recipe from my friend Joanie J.  She made it for our "Happy Wanderers Trashcan Turkey" weekend last month, and I loved it!!  I am definitely bringing it to our family Thanksgiving, but with 23 going to the Newington Ouellette's this year, I will surely need to double the recipe!

1 package frozen butternut squash, defrosted
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar (I used less)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
3 Tablespoon Apricot Jam
1/2 stick butter, melted

Mix all ingredients together, pour into an oven-safe dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Easy and delicious!!