Most people prefer their thanksgiving desserts after the main course while some do want to taste something sweet before the turkey. No matter what your personal tastes are, it is a guarantee that you also want desserts during this traditional holiday family meet-up and that is why we should talk about some that are simply delicious. Do not stay focused only on the Thanksgiving turkey and make sure that you also allow yourself enough time to prepare desserts.
Pecan Pie
The pecan pie is ready in a little over 4 hours but 3 of those hours are inactive time. It is recommended to start cooking the day before thanksgiving so that you will not be bothered much. The ingredients quantities mentioned below are enough for 12 servings. Make sure that you adjust accordingly so that everyone can taste this great classical thanksgiving pie.
Ingredients for the pie crust:
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 egg – it has to be beaten lightly
- 3 cups of flour
- 3 quarters of a cup of lard or vegetable shortening
- 3 quarters of a cup of butter – salted and cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar – distilled
Ingredients for the filling:
- 3 tablespoons of sugar – preferably brown
- 1 cup of regular granulated sugar
- Half a tablespoon of salt
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 1 third of a cup of salted butter – melted
- 1 cup of corn syrup
How to prepare:
Obviously, the pie crust is first. Mix salt and flour in a regular bowl. Add the lard or vegetable shortening and then the salted butter. Use a dough cutter to mix. Continue until the entire mixture looks like pebbles. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, white vinegar and the egg. Stir. Divide your dough in 2 equal parts and then chill. Half of the dough is necessary for the pecan pie. You can use the rest for another thanksgiving dessert or for another occasion.
It is now time to make your filling. Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a regular bowl. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take out the dough (half of what you made) and roll it on a flat surface that was lightly floured. Make sure that you roll until the result fits the pie pan. Add the pecans on the pie shell’s bottom. Add the entire syrup mixture and cover everything with foil.
Put the pie in the oven and bake for half an hour. Take it out, remove the foil and then put it back in for twenty more minutes. Pay close attention to not burning the pecans or the crust. When you will remove the pie, it has to not be too jiggly. If that is the case, add foil again and bake more, a maximum of 20 minutes. Although it is a little confusing, it is normal to have baking time that varies.
When you are done, allow the pecan pie to cool overnight (recommended) or for some hours. This is one of the Thanksgiving desserts that tastes great but is a little confusing to make. You might want to try it out before Thanksgiving.
Classic Apple Crisp
Out of the different thanksgiving desserts, the apple crisp we present here is one that is really attractive as it is really easy and fast. You just need 1 hour and 20 minutes to make it and just 20 minutes have to be spent on actually cooking. If you do not know what dessert to make and you are in a hurry, this is the one to try out.
Necessary Ingredients:
- 1 grated orange zest
- 1 grated lemon zest
- 5 pounds of apples (preferably McIntosh or Macoun)
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of orange juice (both freshly squeezed)
- Half a cup of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
Ingredients for the topping:
- 3 quarters of a cup of brown sugar – light
- 3 quarters of a cup of granulated sugar
- 1 and a half cups of flour
- 1 cup of oatmeal
- Half a cup of salt
- Half a pound of unsalted butter – must be diced
How To Prepare
Your oven has to be preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take a baking dish (preferably oval) and butter it. Cut, core and peel the apples into wedges. Add the juices, the zests, spices and sugar. Put the mixture into the dish.
For the topping, combine the sugars, oatmeal, salt, flour and cold butter with an electric mixer. Use the paddle attachment and a bowl. Mixture should happen at low speeds until everything is crumbly and butter is similar in size to peas. Add everything over the apples.
The crisp should be placed on a sheet and then baked for 60 minutes. The top has to be brown and the apples bubbly. It is best to serve warm.
Extra Recommendations For Thanksgiving Desserts
It is a very good idea to consider the personal preferences of the guests when picking what thanksgiving desserts to cook. The two that are recommended are great and will be appreciated by most people but there is always the possibility that, for instance, someone does not like apples. In order to have a perfect Thanksgiving dinner, it is a very good idea to cook at least two desserts. That will allow people to choose exactly what they like and will increase the likelihood that everyone enjoys the experience.
One more thing should be said about the available time. Do not stay focused too much on the dessert if you do not actually have time to cook it. Sometimes it is better to order Thanksgiving desserts than to risk not having a really well cooked turkey. After all, the main dish is the priority and this is what you need to stay focused on.
Have a lovely 2013 Thanksgiving and share your desserts related tips to everyone in the comments section below.