Thanksgiving can be a pretty brown-and-beige affair: turkey, gravy, potatoes, stuffing, biscuits, pumpkin and pecan pies. Only cranberry sauce and vegetables such as brussels sprouts and green beans add a splash of color. Sweet potatoes are a vibrant orange, but not every family serves them.

Think ahead, and you can add a splash of color to every course, whether as an individual food garnish or plate/platter decoration:

Do you have a favorite garnish? Let us know.

We don’t know what the chocolates tasted like when the company was founded in 1857; but Neuhaus Chocolates’s new “Haute Pâtisserie” collection is the best Neuhaus chocolate we’ve ever tasted, and stands on the podium with the finest chocolates in the world.

“Haut pâtisserie” means high-class pastry, a reference to the nine internationally-reknowned pastry chefs/chocolatiers who each contributed a unique piece to the collection.

A pâtissier typically creates a suite of sweets: biscuits (cookies) and macarons, cakes, chocolates, confectionery (caramels, dragées, fondant/nougat, fudge, hard candies, marshmallows, marzipan, pâte de fruit, etc.), ice cream and, of course pastries.

Neuhaus Haut Patisserie collection. Photo
courtesy Neuhaus.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOX FOR THE MOST EXQUISITE CHOCOLATES

The exquisite round gift box is a keeper. In pale green with textured gold accents, it is may be the nicest package from any chocolatier and evocative of the luxurious boxes that were used to package chocolates in earlier times. It holds 27 chocolates: three pieces from each of nine pastry chefs. It is available with an elegant coordinated bag and an illustrative booklet with the story of each praline for $45.00, at NeuhausChocolate.com.

The pralines—what Belgians call bonbons (here’s an explanation of the difference between Belgian and French chocolates), are thick shells of wonderful chocolate. Each pastry chef was guided by his own creative, cultural and gastronomic inspiration. The initials of each chef are worked into the design patterns on the top of each chocolate.
In alphabetical order of surname, the pastry chefs are:

Christophe Adam
Paris, France
Adam achieved fame as creative director at Fauchon, and currently focuses on sweet delicacies in his own business. He bonbon is dark chocolate with a ganache of Sicilian pistachios and oranges from Valencia, enriched with black raisins from Chile. The orange flavor prevails, and we love it.
Dominique Ansel
New York, New York
Ansel is originally from Paris, but is one of the best (if not the best) pâtissiers in New York right now. His awards include “Best New Pâtisserie of New York” and “Top 10 Pastry Chefs in the United States.” We voyage to his pastry shop as often as we can. For this collection, he created a milk chocolate shell filled with ganache inspired by childhood memories: roasted peanuts on a layer of caramel “à l’ancienne.” The sensation begins with savory peanuts and finishes with sweet milk chocolate.

Joost Arijs
Ghent, Belgium
Arijs eventually became Chef Pâtissier at the three-star Michelin restaurant Hof van Cleve. In 2012 he and his bakery’s co-owner were awarded the title of “Best Pâtisserie in Belgium”—which says something, given the high standards in that country. Chef Arijs enjoys combining chocolate with fresh notes of fruit and citrus. For Haute Pâtisserie he has created a dark chocolate shell with a crumble of cacao nibs. The couverture is 70% Ecuadorian cacao ganache wit a layer of Indian mango coulis. We also detected a hint of citrus—perhaps some exotic lime.

Oriol Balaguer
Barcelona & Madrid, Spain
Balaguer’s honors include “Best Dessert in the World” and “Best Pâtissier in Spain.” His piece is a milk chocolate shell filled with popping sugar on a layer of praline (using the world’s finest Piedmont hazelnuts) and passion fruit. We don’t generally go for hazelnut praliné, but we’d gladly take a few boxes of these. They are perhaps the best praline ever. Website. In the U.S. you can purchase his chocolate at Borne Confections.

Martin Chiffers
London, England
Chiffers is president of the U.K. Pastry Team, which won the European Pastry cup in 2012. Inspired by berries and flowers from Cornish gardens, his milk chocolate piece features rose on a layer of praline “à l’ancienne,” made with hazelnuts and fresh raspberries. The raspberries dominate, deliciously. The burst of fresh raspberries makes this perhaps our favorite piece in the collection.

Raphaël Giot
Namur, Belgium
This Belgian pâtissier is known as “the goldsmith of pastry.” His dark chocolate piece is a salted caramel “à l’ancienne” on a layer of velvety praliné, enriched with pieces of hazelnuts and enrobed with dark chocolate. We—previously noted, not generally a hazelnut chocolate fan—really liked it. Website.

Koji Tsuchija
Tokyo, Japan
Koji Tsuchija has seven luxury chocolate shops in Tokyo, called Théobroma. His dark origin chocolate ganache infused with yuzu is a perfect marriage between the bittersweet chocolate and refreshing acidity of the citrus. We can never get enough of tart-yet-sweet yuzu. It’s another winner. Website.

Bernd Sierfert
Michelstadt, Germany
Sierfert held the title of “Best German Pâtissier” for five years running. His milk chocolate piece, called “Chinese Girls,” is chocolate ganache infused with Chinese jasmine tea on a thin layer of crunchy praline with Oriental ginger. The flavors are subtle, the crunch is lovely, the overall chocolate is sweet happiness. Website.
Louie Ye
Shanghai, China
Ye is the executive pastry at the world’s tallest hotel, the Park Hyatt in Shanghai, and has represented China in the World Pastry Championships. His piece represents Asian cuisine and combines sweet and savory flavors. An herb-accented caramel, lush and lovely with a hint of salt with dark origin chocolate from Ecuador. The finish of the chocolate goes on and on. Hotel website.
 
CHOCOLATE TERMS

What the French call bonbons and Americans call filled chocolates, Belgians call pralines. It’s a confusing because in France, praline is a caramelized almond and in the U.S., it’s a brown sugar patty with pecans. In fact, Belgian chocolatier Jean Neuhaus started the confusion in 1912, when he developed a process for creating hard shell filled chocolates that he called pralines.

Find more sweet potato recipes from the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.

RECIPE: FLUFFY SWEET POTATO BOURBON PIE
WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND TOASTED PECANS

Ingredients

 
For The Ginger Whipped Cream

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Wash and dry sweet potatoes. With a fork, prick the sweet potatoes all over about six times. Set sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet or baking pan. Roast until soft and you can see bits of sugar bubbling where you pricked the potato, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375°F.

2. COOL, peel and measure out 2 generous cups of cooked sweet potato. Remove flesh to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the “s” blade; purée until smooth. While the motor is running, add the butter to soften the sweet potatoes. Add the eggs. You will notice that the sweet potatoes will start to take on a lighter, almost peachy color.

3. COMBINE the cream, bourbon and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Add to the potato purée as the food processor is running. The mixture will look light and fluffy at this point.

4. SCRAPE the sides and add the sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt and cloves. Purée to combine. The sugar and spices will darken the color a bit but the texture will remain very fluffy.

5. SPOON the filling into the prepared crust and place on a cookie sheet. Bake until filling is set, about 40 minutes. To test, shake the pie; the center of the pie should jiggle slightly. If you aren’t sure, stick a toothpick or a butter knife in the center; if it comes out clean, the pie is done. Let cool and then chill thoroughly before serving. Serve with ginger whipped cream and toasted pecans.
 
Preparation: Ginger Whipped Cream

1. COMBINE cream, sugar and ginger in a mixing bowl.

2. WHIP with an electric mixer or a whisk until cream is thick and stiff.

Here are two special gift items for a serious cook: new ways to enjoy the classic Le Creuset French ovens.

Designed to look like a trio of French ovens, this tree ornament announces that a cook is in the house.

The artisan-blown and hand-painted glass ornament is three inches wide by four inches high. It’s available in red, green and orange for $25.00.

Not into tree ornaments? How about candles?

The Holiday Mini Cocotte Candle is a gift-within-a-gift.
A miniature cocotte holds a candle; when the candle is used up, it turns into a small dish for condiments, olive pits or whatever.

The Holiday Mini Cocotte Candle is $40.00.
 
Both items are available at LeCreuset.com or at Le Creuset Signature Stores.

Instead of garlic powder and pepper, expand your seasoning palette. This recipe from Spice Islands dishes up a Moroccan flair.

The recipe is given for a 5-6 pound turkey breast; for a whole turkey, multiply the proportions accordingly.

You can also use the recipe on a chicken or duck.

RECIPE: MOROCCAN TURKEY RUB

Ingredients

Preparation

1. COMBINE garlic, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, turmeric and sea salt in a small bowl. Mix well and reserve 1 teaspoon of seasoning.

2. RUB remaining seasoning over turkey breast. Roast according to turkey breast package directions.

3. COMBINE reserved seasoning with honey and butter; mix well. Brush over turkey last 30 minutes of baking time.