Thanksgiving Series: Pumpkin Spice Pecan Cookies

The Thanksgiving countdown has begun! We are just 4 days away from the big day! For the past week, we have been sharing our Thanksgiving Series with you, showing you how to create the perfect meal from drinks to dessert. Today we are sharing our first dessert recipe with you, Pumpkin Spice Pecan Cookies. These are a perfect addition to any Thanksgiving spread and really switch things up from the same old pumpkin pie.

These cookies are moist and chewy with lots of pecan pieces and a hint of cinnamon. The pumpkin spice adds a rich pumpkin flavor that is irresistible! They can easily be made vegan by substituting a few things, which are listed in the ingredients below. Also, these cookies turn out best when the dough is chilled so it is best to make these the day (or at least a few hours) before you plan on serving them to allow time for the dough to cool. Enjoy!

Click the link below to follow along as I show you, step-by-step, how to make these delicious, cookies!

Thanksgiving Series: Cranberry Sauce with Fresh Orange and Cinnamon

Hi readers! Today we continue our Thanksgiving Series. As we work our way through the meal, having already shared our Pomegranate Mule and Twice Baked Potato Casserole, it is almost time for the star of the show- the turkey! While we won’t be sharing a turkey recipe with you this year (who has time for that?!?), we are sharing our favorite homemade cranberry sauce that is sure to be a most-loved accompaniment to your main dish- turkey or tofurkey! Personally, I love this sauce so much that I even use it as a spread for biscuits, why not? So ditch that sketchy can of cranberry “relish” and whip up this super easy sauce that uses fresh oranges and a touch of cinnamon. I cannot tell you enough how easy this is, and best of all, it can be made several days ahead of time- yay! That leaves more time for enjoying the company of your guests on Thanksgiving rather than slaving over the stove the whole day!

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CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH FRESH ORANGE AND CINNAMON

(VEGAN)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag (12 oz) of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 6-7 medium oranges)
• zest of one orange

Directions:

First, juice the oranges until you have 1 cup of juice. Pour the orange juice and 1 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. Then, reduce the heat  and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Next, stir in the cranberries. How gorgeous are those!?!

Simmer the cranberries over medium-low heat until the cranberries start to pop. They will first look like this…

Continue to stir the cranberries to avoid burning. They will keep popping and the sauce will thicken.

Once the sauce looks like this (above), add the zest of one orange and the cinnamon.

Once most of the cranberries are popped and it has a sauce-like consistency, remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. I like to leave a few whole cranberries for texture so don’t worry if all of them have not popped and reduced. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to eat. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Garnish with fresh orange zest (optional). Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Series: Twice Baked Potato Casserole

I’m so excited to share quite possibly my favorite dish ever! I grew up eating the omnivorous version of this every Thanksgiving and requesting it for any special event. When I first went vegan 4 years ago I was surprised and delighted at how easily this dish was made vegan. This is a great replacement and step up from the standard mashed potatoes and gravy. It’s creamy, cheesy, salty and just delicious.  All of the ingredients can be adjusted to your taste; increase any ingredient you feel is lacking. You can also choose to serve this as stuffed potato skins instead of a casserole. I think the skins are great as an appetizer or snack before dinner. Depending on how many people you’re serving (and/or your love of leftovers!) you may want to double the recipe. This dish can easily be made the day before Thanksgiving and reheated right before dinner.

In case you missed it, on Sunday we started Thanksgiving Series off with a Pomegranate Mule. We have 3 more delicious recipes to share over the next week, so stay tuned! Also check out last year’s Thanksgiving Series where we shared vegan Green Bean Casserole, Nikki’s Mac and Cheese, and a vegan Pecan Pie!

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

(VEGAN)

Ingredients:

• 6 russet potatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
• 2 tablespoons vegan sour cream
• 1/4 cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds
• 2 slices of veggie bacon, cooked and chopped in small pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• sprinkle of pepper

I know faux meat and cheese vegan products can be pretty polarizing. I’ve tested just about everything out there in this recipe, and these are my favorites. Sometimes I leave the bacon out, especially if I can’t find a brand I like.

Preheat oven to 400. Wash potatoes well, and poke several deep holes in them with a fork. Bake at 400 for 1 hour.

Remove potatoes and allow to cool or use an oven mitt to handle. Lower oven temp to 350. Slice the potatoes in half and scoop the insides out into a casserole dish or mixing bowl. If you’re making potato skins or restuffing the potatoes preserve the skins.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork. Mix in all ingredients well. If you’re serving right away evenly spread the mixture in a casserole dish and put back in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. Optionally, you can add extra cheese and bacon to the top before baking.

If you’re going the twice baked potato/potato skin route restuff the potato skins with the mixture and add extra chopped bacon and green onions to the top. Pop back in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with a side of vegan sour cream or ranch.

Thanksgiving Series: Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

For the third and final part of our Thanksgiving series, we’re experimenting with an all-American classic: macaroni and cheese. This is a Thanksgiving staple in our house but can easily be enjoyed all year round. Nothing screams comfort food like a luscious bowl of mac and cheese. We grew up on Kraft (cringe) but lately have been venturing into more complex (and natural) recipes. Apologies to our vegan readers, but this week’s recipe includes three different cheeses and a from-scratch cheese sauce, obviously not vegan friendly. A vegan mac and cheese recipe is coming soon! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We are thankful to all of our readers who have been super supportive of the blog thus
far. Enjoy!

 

Click the Continue Reading link below to get started!

Thanksgiving Series: Pecan Pie

Every foodie’s favorite holiday is coming up already! We’ve started getting our Thanksgiving menu together and stocking up on the essentials. For the next week on Bacon and Brussels, Jess will be sharing her favorite vegan Thanksgiving recipes, mostly vegan takes on classic Thanksgiving dishes. Nikki will be sharing one of her favorite Thanksgiving recipes that is delicious all year around, as well as DIY name cards. Because you should always eat dessert first, we’re starting it off with a true Thanksgiving tradition, Pecan Pie. This pie is gooey and decadent and sure to please vegans and omnivores alike.

Click the continue reading link below to get started on this easy, delicious dessert!