The holidays are upon us, which means entertaining season is in full swing. This November, GCM hosted cooking classes for kids, teens, and adults focused on two main staples of any good holiday meal — pies and sides. Thanks to the generosity of The Fresh Market, class participants made showstopping pies and crowdpleasing sides featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients from The Edible Schoolyard and our local Fresh Market stores.
As you plan your menu for your upcoming dinner, check out these inspiring dishes to make and enjoy with your loved ones this holiday season. Many thanks to The Fresh Market for their continued support of The Cooking School at GCM.
Brown Butter Apple Hand Pies
Ingredients:
1 full batch pie dough (enough dough to make two 9″ pies)
4 medium apples peeled, cored and thinly chopped
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 egg, for egg wash
1 tablespoon Water for egg wash
Directions:
- Make pie dough, form into two disks and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a couple sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Toss the apples, sugars, flour, and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
- Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Butter will initially foam up and then settle down. Continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the solids begin to separate and brown, and the liquids turns a light brown color. It should have a nutty, toasty aroma. Remove from heat.
- Add brown butter to apples and toss to coat.
- Working with one dough disk at a time, keeping the other chilling in the fridge, roll out to 1/8″ thick on a lightly floured surface. Using a 4″ ring cutter or 4″ tartlet pan, cut out circles, re-rolling scraps (if they start to get warm, refrigerate then roll in 15-20 minutes).
- Whisk together egg and water. Brush dough circles with egg wash. Pile about 1/4 cup of apples in the center of the circle, and then fold over and pinch to seal edges.
- Place hand pie on lined sheet pan, brush top with egg wash, and score with a knife if desired. Repeat to fill sheet pan, placing hand pies at least an inch apart.
- When sheet pan is filled, place in oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden. While first pan bakes, continue rolling, filling and folding remaining dough.
- After finished baking, allow to cool for 15 minutes and serve.
Kiddie Slaw
Ingredients:
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt
½ Napa Cabbage
2 medium carrots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
Directions:
- Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and salt in a large bowl.
- Using hand grater, grate the cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper.
- Add the grated vegetables to the bowl with the dressing and mix.
Crispy Cornmeal Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
4 tablespoons cormeal or polenta
1 teaspoon sea salt
Extra flavor options: garlic powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, dried parsley, cinnamon
Directions:
- Scrub the sweet potatoes well under running water. Slice them into long sticks (between ¼ inch and ½ inch).
- Place them in a bowl of water, swish around a few times, then drain (this helps to remove some of the starch from the potato). Place them on a clean towel and dry completely. Let them air dry while you prepare everything else.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On low heat, melt coconut oil, if using. Place cut potatoes in a plastic bag, seal and shake the bag vigorously to coat. Add cornmeal and salt to the bag and toss well to coat.
- Place fries on a lined baking sheet, making sure that they are not overlapping. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp (no need to flip them).
For a complete list of GCM’s cooking classes, visit mbcmuseum.com.
