Daily Archives: October 18, 2021

How to Carve a Turkey Breast

When it comes to carving, a turkey breast is easier to handle than a whole bird. There’s no need to worry about removing the wings, or if you should slice the drumsticks off the bones. Watch the video below to learn how to carve a turkey breast, and read along for a few bonus tips.

After the turkey breast comes out of the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, skin side up, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. Resting the meat gives the muscle fibers time to relax, and lets the juices settle in. That means that they’ll stay in the meat once you start slicing. If you skip this step, delicious juices will run right out of your bird as soon as you touch it with a knife.

Place your chefs knife on one side of the breast bone. Working along the bone, cut down and past the ribs. Cut the breast completely away from the bones. Repeat on the other side. Some meat will be left, but that’s not a bad thing. The breast bone, meat scraps and all, can be saved and used to make broth. 

Once off the bone, place the breasts skin-side up on your cutting board. Slice crosswise. Don’t saw back and forth, use long knife strokes to cut cleanly through the meat. This will help keep the skin in place.  Repeat with the remaining breast.

Tips for cooking a turkey breast 

a carved turkey breast
Beautifully carved and ready to eat

Season your turkey the night before cooking. This gives you a change to season the inside of the meat. Over night, the salt will be drawn into the meat, ensuring flavorful turkey all the way through. Store in the refrigerator. 

Let the meat come to room temperature before cooking. Take the seasoned turkey out of the refrigerator about an hour before it should go in the oven. This will help the meat cook evenly 

Before roasting, thoroughly coat the turkey with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. This will help the skin brown in the oven. 

How long to cook a turkey breast 

Roast until the turkey is browned and cooked through. A turkey breast will need to roast for 65 to 80 minutes in a 425°F oven. If your turkey is close to 5 pounds, cook for 65 minutes. If your turkey is close to 5.5 pounds, cook for 70 to 75 minutes. If your turkey is closer to 6 pounds, cook for 80 minutes.  Save any drippings from the sheet pan to add to your gravy. 

Your Blue Apron Thanksgiving turkey breast comes from Diestel Family Ranch, a family-owned farm that’s been in business since 1949. 

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Add some warming spices to your cookie plate this year to stay extra cozy. These pumpkin spice-inspired snickerdoodles are flavored with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. Try this spicy take on a nostalgic favorite. 

How to make homemade pumpkin spice

It may get a lot of seasonal buzz, but at its heart pumpkin spice is simply a blend of the spices that typically flavor pumpkin pie. You can make your own pumpkin spice at home by blending together dried ground spices in a jar. These are the spices we used to make the flavoring for our snickerdoodles.

  • 2 Tbsps ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves

For this recipe we created a spin on pumpkin spice by adding cardamom. For a more traditional version, substitute ground ginger in for the cardamom.

Why do snickerdoodles use cream of tartar?

Cream of tartar isn’t creamy at all. This powdery substance is a byproduct of winemaking. It’s made from tartaric acid, and has a tart flavor. Acid reacts with baking soda, as you know if you’ve ever created a homemade vinegar and baking soda volcano. When these two ingredients are combined they work together to create a light and fluffy cookies with a slightly tangy kick.

How do you know when snickerdoodles are done?

Our snickerdoodles spend 12-14 minutes in a 350°F oven. They don’t change color drastically, so it can be slightly tricky to tell when snickerdoodles are done. Be sure to set a timer, and check in after 12 minutes. The cookies are done when the center looks dry and set, the edges are slightly wrinkly, and the bottom is a light golden brown.

pumpkin spice snickerdoodles
Pumpkin spice snickerdoodles make an excellent holiday care package

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles Recipe 

Makes 20 cookies 

  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 Tbsps ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well on medium speed until incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in 2 additions, beating on low speed until fully incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds.

3. Scoop dough into roughly 3 tablespoon portions, and shape into 20 balls. Roll balls in spice mixture until coated. Arrange balls 3”  apart on prepared baking sheets.

4. Bake until outer edges start to set and wrinkle slightly, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating pans between top and bottom racks halfway through bake time. Remove from the oven; let cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely, about 15 minutes.