Thanksgiving #2

               Maple butter turkey with gravy

           Every get tired of the same old turkey and wanna try something different? Well this should knock you socks off! When you put maple and butter in the same sentence,its a winner in my book everytime! Some things you could do to add a little extra punch in add some crunched pecans to the top, even think about maybe even candied pecans!! MMM, sounds like a winner to me!

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple cider or juice
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 turkey (14 to 16 pounds)
• 2 to 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

• For maple butter, in a small heavy saucepan, bring cider and syrup to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter, thyme, sage, marjoram, salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl; cover and refrigerate until set.
• With fingers, carefully loosen the skin from both sides of turkey breast. Rub 1/2 cup maple butter under turkey skin. Refrigerate remaining maple butter. Skewer turkey openings; tie drumsticks together. Place on a rack in a roasting pan. Cover with foil and bake at 325° for 2 hours.
• Brush top with 1/3 cup maple butter. Bake, uncovered, 1 to 1-1/2 hours longer or until a thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.) Remove turkey to a serving platter and keep warm. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes before carving.
• Pour drippings and loosened brown bits into a 4-cup measuring cup. Skim and discard fat. Add enough broth to drippings to measure 3 cups. In a large saucepan, combine flour and broth mixture until smooth. Stir in remaining maple butter. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with turkey. Yield: 14-16 servings (3-1/3 cups gravy).