Fresh takes on dessert for the Thanksgiving spread

By Susan McClanahan

Last week we talked about side dishes and vegetable options for your Thanksgiving table. This week we will look at a few classic flavors but packaged a little different into a new look for your gathering. I am a cranberry lover, so I am anxious to try both of the cranberry recipes here today.

Dessert can be as simple or elaborate as you desire it to be. Don't forget the children and what they would enjoy as a dessert or as a snack while they play during the day. Cookies, whoopie pies, mini pies or tiny tartlets, or slices of quick breads make for a good grab and go snack for children of all ages.

Cranberry Nut Pie

Tart cranberries provide a delicious contrast to the rich, sweet, nutty filling in this pretty and delicious Thanksgiving dessert.

• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry dough to a 1/8-inch thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond rim of plate; flute edge.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, molasses and salt; stir in cranberries, walnuts and pecans. Pour into pastry.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 8 servings.

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches): Combine 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cut in 1/2 cup cold butter until crumbly. Gradually add 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Note: To toast nuts, spread in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Or, spread in a dry nonstick skillet and heat over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Caramel-Apple Skillet Buckle

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Topping:

• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cold butter
• 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled Gala or other sweet apples (about 6 medium)
• 18 caramels, unwrapped
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• Vanilla ice cream, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour into a greased 12-inch ovenproof skillet, such as cast iron.

For topping, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans and oats; sprinkle over batter. Top with apples. Bake 60-70 minutes or until apples are golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

In a microwave, melt caramels with buttermilk; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Let stand until set. If desired, serve with ice cream. Yield: 12 servings.

Citrus Cranberry Pie

To showcase abundant fall cranberries, make this beautiful lattice-topped pie. A dollop of orange cream complements the slightly tart flavor.

• 3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 small navel orange, peeled, sectioned and chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Additional sugar

Orange Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon orange extract, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together first eight ingredients.

On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of pastry dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim. Add filling.

Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle; cut into strips. Arrange over filling in a lattice pattern. Trim and seal strips to edge of bottom pastry; flute edge. Brush lattice with egg; sprinkle with additional sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees. Remove foil; bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining ingredients; beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with pie. Yield: 8 servings.

Ginger-Streusel Pumpkin Pie

Your family and friends will surely enjoy this pie with a delicious streusel topping.

• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
• 3 eggs
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 /2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Streusel:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup finely chopped candied or crystallized ginger

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry. Transfer pastry to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, cream, sugars, cinnamon, salt, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts and ginger. Gently sprinkle over filling.

Bake 15-25 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 8 servings.

Apple Crumble Pie

The crumb topping on top of a chunky apple filling in this apple crumb pie recipe is delicious, which may explain why this dessert always disappears quickly. For a larger group you may choose to make two pies.

• Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)

Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

Filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 5 cups chopped peeled tart apples (about 5 medium)

Preheat oven to 400 degree. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry dough to a 1/8-inch-thick circle; transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing topping and filling.

For topping: in a small bowl, mix sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly.

For filling: in a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add apples and toss to coat. Transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 375 degrees. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until topping is browned and apples are tender. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 10 servings.

Pecan-Pie Cheesecake

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for the pan
• 9 chocolate graham crackers (about 1 sleeve)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Pinch fine salt

Filling:

• 4 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Special equipment: A 9-inch springform pan

For the crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter the inside of the springform pan.

Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter, sugar and salt, and pulse until the mixture comes together and holds its shape when squeezed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and press it into the bottom to make an even layer. Bake until the crust is just firm, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely. Place the pan on a large piece of foil, and fold the foil up the sides of the pan. (This helps seal the pan, to keep water out while baking.)

For the filling: Wipe out the food processor. Pulse the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until completely smooth, without any lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Add the eggs and vanilla, and pulse until incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust, and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to go halfway up the sides of the springform pan (but not above the foil).

Bake the cheesecake until the edge is set but the center jiggles slightly (when you gently shake the pan, the cheesecake should move in a cohesive wave motion), 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Turn the oven off, and open the door for a few seconds to let out some heat. Close the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven until cooked completely through, 1 hour more.

Transfer the springform pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge, and let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. Wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet, and bake until they turn a few shades darker and are nicely toasted, about 15 minutes. Let cool, then halve each pecan lengthwise.

Meanwhile, heat the cream, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat until just steaming. Reduce the heat to low to keep the cream mixture warm.

Cook the sugar in an even layer in a medium skillet over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to melt. Gently swirl the pan as needed as the sugar continues to melt and begins to caramelize and turn lightly golden in spots. Keep cooking and swirling until the caramel is a uniform deep amber. Remove from the heat, and slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture (watch out for ferocious bubbles). Return the caramel sauce to medium heat, and cook to reduce slightly, about 2 minutes. Let cool. To see if the sauce is ready for topping the cheesecake, dip a spoon into it and let the sauce drop off; it's ready if it easily and slowly drips off the spoon. (The sauce can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat in the microwave.)

To assemble: Spoon the sauce into the center of the cheesecake, and let it ooze to the edge. If needed, swirl the sauce with the back of a spoon to help it along. Sprinkle the pecans in a generous layer over the sauce. The cheesecake can now be served or refrigerated for up to 4 hours.

To slice the cake, dip a sharp, heavy knife into warm water, wipe the knife dry and slice into the cake. Wipe the knife clean and repeat.

Pecan Pumpkin Crunch

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for baking dish
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon bourbon, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Bourbon Whipped Cream, recipe follows
• Ice cream, optional

Bourbon Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.

Combine the pumpkin, cream, eggs, sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, bourbon (if using), ginger, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk until evenly combined and pour into the prepared baking dish.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to a medium bowl. Stir in the pecans, flour, and the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and mix until it holds together somewhat but still crumbles. Scatter the topping over the pumpkin mixture and bake until the edges are puffed and the filling is set in the center, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove to a rack to cool to room temperature. Serve with the Bourbon Whipped Cream and/or ice cream.

Bourbon Whipped Cream:

Add the heavy cream to a medium bowl. Beat the cream with a hand-held mixer until thick and frothy. Add the sugar and bourbon and beat until medium peaks form.

Have a great week and, until next time, happy cooking.