The Runaway Spoon

Creative recipes with a Southern slant

Holiday Cooking

Bourbon Rosemary Pecans

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  I love a flavorful toasted nut, but I have always found it difficult to get enough flavor into nuts without burning them, or the seasonings just fall right off.  My solution has become to soak the nuts in a flavorful liquid then toast them until perfect.  My Lemon Garlic Cashews were my first foray into this method, and these salty-sweet bourbon soaked pecans are … [Read more...] about Bourbon Rosemary Pecans

Sweet Potato Cobbler

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I’m going to go all Southern on you again with this delicious, old-fashioned, homey dessert perfect for the autumn table.  I’m not, however, going to get into a discussion on what exactly a cobbler is – biscuit top, crumble top, pastry top, whatever.  This is how I make cobbler, and that’s good enough for me. But really, is there any more comforting dessert than a cobbler, … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato Cobbler

Autumn Sangria

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It’s always nice to have a special something to welcome your guests.  And on a day like Thanksgiving, with lots of family and lots of work and lots of noise and lots of food, it helps if that little something special involves wine. The idea of making sangria with dried fruit and sparkling soda came from friend whose family is from Nicaragua.  She brought a summer version to … [Read more...] about Autumn Sangria

Cranberry Ginger Compote

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I would hazard a guess that the cranberries on the Thanksgiving table are one of the more polarizing dishes.  You can’t have Thanksgiving without cranberries, but the divide between sweet and savory, jellied or chunky, canned or homemade is probably the source of mnay under-the-breath comments and drive-to-grandma’s complaints. I have never been a fan of the cranberry sauce … [Read more...] about Cranberry Ginger Compote