Mackinac Island is an oasis of nostalgia nestled in Michigan’s Lake Huron. To get there, hop on a ferry or small plane to arrive at the tiny little island, less than 4 miles in size. The island is a beloved tourist destination known for its beautiful landscape, quaint small town charm, great restaurants, and most notably – its fudge. Mackinac Island fudge remains a popular, beloved treat. It’s a confection that’s well over a century old, and those who’ve tried it absolutely rave about it.

While there are several fudge shops on the island, there’s one that continues to dole out its famous sweet treats well over one hundred years later. Murdick’s Fudge on Mackinac Island has a long history in the fudge business. On Mackinac Island, fudge making is truly an art form and no visit to the island is complete without sampling some of this famous fudge. We can’t make the exact same fudge as we find might find on Mackinac Island, but that won’t stop us from whipping up a batch on our own. Chocolate is irresistible in every form, and fudge is no exception.

Simple ingredients handled just the right way will result in a rich and creamy fudge. We don’t have quite the skill set that you’ll find in these Mackinac Island fudge shops, but what we do have is a great love for this chocolate treat. If you’re new to fudge making, this is an easy recipe to start with. Proceed with caution – when dealing with hot sugar it’s always important to practice patience, because a sweet reward awaits at the end of this candy making journey. We consider this our homage to the original, and boy does it taste good, but when have we ever turned down a good piece of chocolate?!

Mackinac Island Fudge

Yield(s): Serves 16-20, depending on size of slices/pieces

40 minutes

4.3

Rated by 501 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup granulated white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

1. Mix butter, milk, salt, brown and white sugars in a heavy pan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir continuously for 6 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and cool briefly, then add vanilla, cocoa powder, and confectioner’s sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until fudge is smooth and thick.
3. Pour onto a buttered baking pan. When cool enough to touch, use a spatula to help roll mixture into log form, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in freezer for 20 minutes.
4. Slice to serve. Enjoy!

Cinnamon and apple have a nice little friendship, don’t they? They lift each other up like only true friends do. And while they’re completely different things when they’re apart, together they’re their own flavor entity: apple-cinnamon. Just speaking that word brings to mind the combo of cozy, warm spice and tender, sweet apples. And that combo (with an added sidekick of chopped walnuts for a bit of crunch) is just the pair to flavor a simple everyday cake like this one.

We consider an “everyday” cake to be a cake that comes together in one bowl, takes less than 15 minutes to get in the oven, and doesn’t need any frosting. You know, the kind that would easily pass for a quick bread if it were baked in a loaf pan? That’s what this is. You can bake it in any kind of pan you like, and eat it as a snack or a casual dessert, or even sneak a piece in for breakfast… It doesn’t really matter. We just know it’s good!

This cake has a moist and tender crumb and is strong in cinnamon flavor. It isn’t overrun with apples – there’s just enough to keep it moist and flavorful – but make sure you chop them pretty well; you don’t really want big chunks here. It’s a straightforward cake. Simple to make, easy to enjoy, and flavored with a classic combination of sweetness and spice. It’s everything nice!

Cinnamon Apple Cake

Yield(s): Serves 8-10

1 hour

4.4

Rated by 800 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs and oil. Add the cinnamon, white and brown sugars, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder, and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Fold in the apples and the nuts and pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Savory Cabbage Rolls with Creamy Dill Sauce

Ingredients:
For the Cabbage Rolls:

1 whole cabbage
1.5 kg minced meat
15 g salt
7 g black pepper
2 eggs
100 g hard cheese, grated
350 g bacon, sliced
For the Sauce:

100 g cheese cream
120 g sweet cooking cream
7 g dill, chopped
5 g salt
70 g pickled cucumbers, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
20 g mustard

Directions:
Preheat the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F).
Prepare the Cabbage:
Core the cabbage and blanch it in boiling water until the leaves are tender and pliable.
Carefully separate the leaves and set them aside.
Prepare the Filling:
In a large bowl, mix the minced meat with salt, pepper, and eggs.
Form the mixture into rolls, wrapping each roll in a cabbage leaf.

Assemble the Dish:
Arrange the sliced bacon in the bottom of a baking dish.
Place the cabbage rolls on top of the bacon.
Prepare the Sauce:
In a separate bowl, combine the cheese cream, sweet cooking cream, chopped dill, salt, diced pickled cucumbers, minced garlic, and mustard.
Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls.

Bake:
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or a lid.
Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours, or until the rolls are tender and cooked through.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Calories: 350 kcal per serving
Servings: 6

Why This Recipe Works:

Our Cabbage Rolls are crafted with a mix of finely minced meat and aromatic spices, wrapped in tender blanched cabbage leaves, and baked to perfection with a slice of bacon. The rolls are then topped with a unique creamy dill sauce that adds a luxurious richness to the dish. The combination of these elements creates a balance of textures and flavors that are hearty yet refined.

Serving Suggestions:
Serve the cabbage rolls hot, with a side of mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables.
Garnish with extra chopped dill or parsley for a fresh touch.

Cooking Tips:
Ensure the cabbage leaves are pliable enough to wrap around the meat mixture without tearing.
For extra flavor, you can add finely chopped onions or garlic to the meat mixture.

Nutritional Benefits:
Cabbage is a low-calorie vegetable rich in vitamins C and K.
The meat provides a good source of protein.
Dill and garlic offer antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Two things to always remember when roasting a turkey on Thanksgiving: don’t forget to remove the giblets and be sure to keep the meat moist and tender. There are many more turkey-truths out there to follow, based on years of experience and personal preference when it comes to the prized Thanksgiving bird. We’ve tried many different methods over the years and one of our favorite roasting methods is to use a roasting bag.

A “turkey-size” roasting bag is what you’ll need, and at this time of year, it’s pretty easy to find. A roasting bag will be able to cook a turkey as small as eight pounds and as big as 24 pounds! Roasting bags have been around for a while, and one reason why they’re so amazing is that a bag helps to lock in moisture. No one wants a dry turkey on Thanksgiving! This saves the chef time too, as there’s no need to regularly open the oven to baste the turkey.

The process itself is super simple, and saves time on clean up – there’s no charred roasting pan to clean at the end of the day. Once the turkey has been prepared – neck and giblets removed and the whole turkey rinsed and dried – we can begin turkey prep. We place onions and carrots at the bottom of the bag; these will act as props to the bird as well as infusing the meat with great flavor.

Next, the seasoning mix: salt and butter are absolutely essential to a well-seasoned bird, followed by our own mix of seasonings: black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat, paprika, ginger, thyme, and some poultry seasoning. The bird gets a nice massage in all of this flavor and is then placed into the roasting bag to cook. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your turkey and you’ll also want to give the meat time to rest so those all-important juices can be reabsorbed into the meat. After 15 minutes, the turkey is ready for carving.

We spend so much time decorating our homes and our dinner tables for this grand holiday meal. The tablescape is intricately planned and adorned to match the festive theme and please all of our family and friends. From formal tablescapes to more casual dinner settings, and of course, a plethora of side dishes, our tables are made ready to show off the most important centerpiece to any Thanksgiving meal: the turkey. A roasting bag is a super convenient and accessible way to make this year’s turkey something truly special. A few essential ingredients all tossed together in one bag is an excellent way to ensure that the turkey is the true star of the show this Thanksgiving.

How To Cook A Turkey In A Roasting Bag

Ingredients

• 1 oven roasting bag, 19×23 ½-inch
• 1 turkey (8 to 24-pounds), thawed, giblets and neck removed, rinsed and dried
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and dried thyme until well combined. Set aside.
3. Shake flour inside the roasting bag. Place bag in a large 2-inch deep roasting pan.
4. Place onion wedges, garlic cloves, and carrot pieces in bottom of roasting bag.
5. Rub turkey with melted butter. Evenly spread and rub seasoning mix around whole turkey.
6. Place turkey into the bag, resting on top of onions and carrots. Roasting bag opening should face one end of the roasting pan and not open upwards.
7. Close and seal with cooking twine. Cut 4-6 slits in top of roasting bag.
8. Transfer roasting pan to oven and bake according to the weight of the turkey. (See weight and cooking times below)
9. When turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180°F in at the thickest part of the turkey thigh, remove from oven and rest in oven bag for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle back into the turkey.
10. Use a carving fork to lift turkey from bag and transfer to a carving board. Carve and enjoy!

Turkey Cooking Times

• 1.5-2 hours for 8-12 lb turkeys
• 2-2.5 hours for 12-16 lb turkeys
• 2.5-3 hours for 16-20 lb turkeys
• 3-3.5 hours for 20-24 lb turkeys

Clean and Sugar-Free Banana Walnut Cookies

Prepare to enjoy guilt-free cookies with just two wholesome ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 2 ripe bananas
• Lemon juice (optional)
• Ginger (optional)
• Tangerine peel (optional)
• Cinnamon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C (380°F).
2. In a food processor, add 1 cup of walnuts and blend until they reach a coarse, crumbly texture.
3. Mash 2 ripe bananas in a mixing bowl until they are smooth and creamy. You can add a splash of lemon juice for extra flavor if desired.
4. If you like, you can add optional ingredients like a pinch of ginger, tangerine peel, or a sprinkle of cinnamon to enhance the flavor.
5. Combine the blended walnuts with the mashed bananas in the mixing bowl and mix well until you have a thick cookie dough.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. Drop spoonfuls of the cookie dough onto the parchment paper, shaping them into cookie-sized portions.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the cookies turn golden brown.
9. Once done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.
10. Enjoy your clean, sugar-free banana walnut cookies guilt-free! 
11. These cookies are a healthy treat that’s easy to make and delicious.

Enjoy! 

Pecan pie is a family favorite throughout the year, but it’s especially nice during the holidays. It’s a Thanksgiving and Christmas staple, but every once in a while we like to switch it up a little bit, tweaking things here and there, so that we get a unique dessert that breathes new life into a classic, and that offers a little surprise to our hungry friends and family. Here we took an “island” approach and added coconut and pineapple to our pie – it was so good, you have to try it!

The addition of coconut and pineapple, while seemingly random, was totally amazing and our family raved about how much they loved it! We ended up having to bake ours for a little longer than you would typically, but the extra bake time was worth it in the end.

Feel free to also make a traditional pecan pie, but don’t ignore this tropical version – it’s a game changer. Guests just might like this version even better!

Island Pecan Pie

Yield(s): Serves 8

1 hour 20 minutes

4.3

Rated by 471 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300º F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, cornstarch, flour and salt until thoroughly combined and incorporated.
3. Mix in melted butter, then fold in pecans, pineapple and coconut.
4. Place pie crust in a round baking dish, then pour pecan mixture over the crust. Crimp edges of crust.
5. Place baking dish in oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until almost set.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 15-20 or until center is just set.
7. Remove from oven and garnish with whipped cream and toasted coconut. Enjoy!

I have always loved Thanksgiving and that might be because it’s a holiday that revolves around all my favorite foods (and, ya know, thankfulness and family and all that). Warm spices, root veggies, and plenty of butter– what more could I want? While I think the magic of the Thanksgiving dinner plate is the combination of different flavors, I cannot deny my love for sweet potato casserole. It’s a side you rarely see the rest of the year, but come Turkey Day, it’s an absolute must. And this is my go-to recipe for it.

You’ll notice right off that this recipe does not include a layer of marshmallows. Nothing against mallows, but I think the crunchy pecan topping can hold its own without them. Plenty of brown sugar and a splash of half and half make the sweet potato layer as rich and creamy as can be. Pop the dish in the oven for just over half an hour, then let it sit and firm up before serving.

This side dish couldn’t be more delicious alongside some cranberry sauce and a mountain of mashed potatoes. I even love a bowl of it with my morning coffee (if I’m lucky enough to have leftovers). Give this southern twist a try for the holidays and it’s sure to win everyone over!

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Yield(s): Serves 12

10m prep time

35m cook time

4.8

Rated by 356 reviewers

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Ingredients

• 4 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup half and half
• ⅓ cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup flour
• 1 1/3 cup pecan pieces
• ½ cup butter, melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, add sweet potato, brown sugar, half and half, butter, egg, vanilla, and salt. Beat with mixer until completely smooth.
3. Transfer sweet potato mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
4. In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, pecan, and melted butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.
5. Bake for 35 minutes, then allow dish to cool for a minimum of 20 minutes before serving.