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  4. Midwest Living November December 2019 Recipes

Midwest Living November December 2019 Recipes

Hannah Agran Author Headshot
By Hannah Agran
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Box of Christmas Cookies
Credit: Blaine Moats
Our holiday issue brings you heritage Midwest cookie recipes, fresh ideas for sweet potatoes, a post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich and more.
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Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky

Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This tender pastry cookie, a cousin to Jewish rugelach, has Polish origins. In her book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, Shauna Sever's apricot filling nods to Hungary.

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Mascarpone

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Mascarpone
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

A pat of butter and a sprinkle of black pepper is all it takes to crown this rich and creamy sweet mash.

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The Poinsettia

The Poinsettia
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Caitlin Corcoran, of Kansas City's Ca Va bar, says, "We found this cranberry juice and Grand Marnier cocktail in an old recipe book. People gush because  the rosemary sprig looks like mistletoe. Plus a lower ABV cocktail means you can have a couple of drinks. Holiday parties are a marathon, not a sprint."

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Cracker Toffee

Cracker Toffee
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, Shauna Sever describes this kitschy, candy-like classic as "the unicorn of the cookie tin" —irresistible, elusive, and mysterious.

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Gramma's Sugar Cookies

Gramma's Sugar Cookies
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Shauna Sever grew up thinking this beloved recipe was special to her family with its unique additions of vegetable oil, confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. So you can imagine her bewilderment when she found this exact recipe in a vintage Illinois state cookbook. This recipe is in her book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland as well.

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Sausage-Sweet Potato and Cider Soup

Sausage-Sweet Potato Soup
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Sweet potatoes contribute their sweet taste to this hearty weeknight soup which is balanced by tart apple cider.

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Champagne Cocktail

Champagne Cocktail
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Feeling creative? Caitlin Corcoran, of Kansas City's Ça Va bar, likes to substitute a favorite spirit, such as mezcal, for the bitters.

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Peanut Better Blossoms

Peanut Better Blossoms
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

In her book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, Shauna Sever ramped up the nuttiness and opted for a creamy ganache filling in her take on this Midwest favorite.

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Honey Vinegar Pie

Honey Vinegar Pie
Credit: Blaine Moats
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It's all in a name, right? That's what Lou Ginocchio of Cincinnati's O Pie O discovered when Honey Vinegar Pie sent customers' heads spinning. "No one was expecting a pie with vinegar in its name to be this luxurious."

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Cheater's Fudge

Cheater's Fudge
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab
  • This shortcut fudge—from Shauna Sever's cookbook Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland—gets a 21st-centery boost with bittersweet chocolate and flaky sea salt. If you want to streamline a little, use high-quality chocolate chips, such as Ghirardelli.

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Mustard-Dressed Roasted Vegetables with Cranberries

Mustard-Dressed Roasted Vegetables with Cranberries
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This pretty dish is perfect on a holiday table or alongside any roasted meats.

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Lebkuchen

Lebkuchen
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

The secret to perfect lebkuchen is in the resting phase after glazing. An apple wedge in the storage container provides moisture that softens the cookies. This German classic is from Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland.

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County Cork

County Cork
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

"This is one of Ça Va's most popular drinks. I use Jameson, honey and yellow chartreuse, a botanical liqueur that's more mellow than its green cousin. It's easy to drink, so that's dangerous," says Caitlin Corcoran of Kansas City's Ça Va bar.

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Anisette Buttons

Anisette Buttons
Credit: Blaine Moats
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"Anisettes feel so Italian because it's about abundance," says Chicago food writer Shauna Sever of these deliciously soft, cakey cookies with a licorice flavor. "Small bites, but a huge yield."

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Turkey Cubano

Turkey Cubano
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Swap turkey for roast pork in this Thanksgiving spin on a Cuban sandwich. (Or file this recipe for Christmas and pair leftover ham with deli turkey.)

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Sandbakkels

Sandbakkels
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Sandbakkels means "sand tarts" because the cookies (which, flipped over, can double as tiny shells to hold cream and fruit) have such a fine, crisp texture. Find them in Shauna Sever's book Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland.

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Polvorones

Polvorones
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Polvorones are Mexico's crispy, airy answer to shortbread (you may know them as Mexican wedding cookies). Food writer Shauna Sever coats them in cinnamon sugar for a churro-like effect.

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Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potato Bites

Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potato Bites
Credit: Blaine Moats
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These sweet and salty caramelized bites are so good, you may not even want to dip them. But be sure you do for a tangy, creamy finish.

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Ca Va Punch

Ca Va Punch
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

"You look like an amazing host with punch at a party, but people serve themselves—so easy. This one has dark berry notes from crème de cassis, which is a black currant liqueur. It goes great with a cheese board," says Caitlin Corcoran of Kansas City's Ça Va bar.

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Spiced Apple Shrub

Spiced Apple Shrub
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Tingling with fennel and allspice and infused with a pound of apples, chef Jonathon Sawyer's shrub (an old-timey drink mixer) evokes the taste of spiced cider in a sourful new-old way. The recipe comes from his cookbook House of Vinegar.

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By Hannah Agran

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    1 of 20 Apricot and Orange Blossom Kolacky
    2 of 20 Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Orange and Mascarpone
    3 of 20 The Poinsettia
    4 of 20 Cracker Toffee
    5 of 20 Gramma's Sugar Cookies
    6 of 20 Sausage-Sweet Potato and Cider Soup
    7 of 20 Champagne Cocktail
    8 of 20 Peanut Better Blossoms
    9 of 20 Honey Vinegar Pie
    10 of 20 Cheater's Fudge
    11 of 20 Mustard-Dressed Roasted Vegetables with Cranberries
    12 of 20 Lebkuchen
    13 of 20 County Cork
    14 of 20 Anisette Buttons
    15 of 20 Turkey Cubano
    16 of 20 Sandbakkels
    17 of 20 Polvorones
    18 of 20 Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potato Bites
    19 of 20 Ca Va Punch
    20 of 20 Spiced Apple Shrub

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