Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

This day of all days - let’s do dessert the right way - something really wonderful that no one will forget anytime soon. We’ve got three that will fill the bill. And they’re make ahead of time, easy to do, and so good you won’t believe it!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake - there’s no way to describe how good this is.

Holiday Apple Crisp is a classic recipe that we prep and refrigerate, then bake while dinner is being served.

Grand Marnier Sundaes start with fresh fruit marinated in the cognac, then served parfait-style in champagne glasses.

As a kid, I never liked pumpkin much - until Gramma served it with chocolate. Love at first bite. Years later we perfected this cheesecake and technique for catering, but I still remember that first bite at her table.

Portions/Servings

This recipe will feed 12 people, and will easily double or more. Read about Party Food Quantities and how to plan for the right amounts.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe Shopping List
for 12 People:

The Crust:

___2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (from crackers)

___1/2 cup butter (not margarine)

___1/4 cup white sugar

The Filling:

___24 ounces of cream cheese

___1 cup of white sugar

___1/2 cup brown sugar

___2 eggs

___1 pound (16 oz) canned pumpkin

___2/3 cup evaporated milk

___2 tablespoons cornstarch

___1 teaspoon cinnamon

___1 teaspoon nutmeg

___1/2 teaspoon allspice

___4 ounces chocolate chips

The Topping:

___16 ounces sour cream

___1/2 cup brown sugar

___1/4 cup white sugar

___1 teaspoon vanilla extract

___1 milk chocolate bar, shaved/cut

Procedure:

The Day Before the Party:

The Crust:

Grind up your own crumbs from crackers. We’re not sure what’s in the pre-made crumbs - but it’s a huge difference from making your own.

We put them into zip locks and beat away. Good for those when nothing has gone all that well. Smash!!

Mix with the butter and sugar, then press into a 9 inch springform pan.

Bake at 350°f for 7 minutes.

The Filling:

Cream together everything on the list except the chips - mix very well.

Add the chips at the end, and stir them through.

Arrange your baking plan.

Foil up a baking sheet or a bigger round pan.

Carefully wrap foil around the springform pan with the prepared crust in it. Place it on the baking sheet. Have some hot water waiting on the stove.

Pour the filling into the crust, nice and neatly into the center. Spread it around.

Now lift the pans onto the oven shelf in the preheated 350°f oven, and carefully pour hot water around the springform pan. Bake for an hour.

The Topping:

While the cake is baking, combine the ingredients except the chocolate, mixing well to dissolve the sugars.

Remove the cake after one hour of baking, spread the topping on it’s surface, and return to the oven for a few minutes maybe 5 or so.

Refrigerate it overnight.

Presentation: Your Eyes Eat First

Out of the springform pan, onto your serving dish, and ready to go.

Shave the chocolate and artfully arrange it on top.

Leftovers:

Refrigerate and enjoy.

Every time we bake this it smells like holiday. It just makes you smile when you walk by the kitchen, knowing what’s on the way. Follow our method for an easy and fun way to prep and serve this classic:

Portions/Servings

This recipe will feed 12 people, and will easily double or more. Read about Party Food Quantities and how to plan for the right amounts.

Holiday Apple Crisp Recipe Shopping List
for 12 People:

The Filling:

___60 ounces of sliced apples, water and all.

___1 cup white sugar

___1 cup brown sugar

___1 tablespoon cinnamon

___1/4 cup flour

The Topping:

___ 2 cups quick oats

___1 cup flour

___2 cups brown sugar

___2 sticks butter

___1 tablespoon cinnamon

Procedure:

The Day Before the Party:

Combine all the ingredients for the filling.

Pour them into a 10x12x2-1/2 disposable foil baking pan. Don’t use a standard 9x13 pan unless you really like cleaning your oven (and the sound of smoke alarms...)

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

A couple of hours or so before your party, combine the ingredients for the topping with the plan to use an electric mixer to combine them. You want to beat up the butter as a solid, not melted.

Mix it all up, but stop before you get a paste. You want the oats to be recognizable as oats - not mush.

Spread the topping over the filling and leave out on the counter.

Go ahead and serve dinner, keeping your oven on at 350°f. Last thing before you sit down, put the crisp in the oven.

About half way through dinner, someone will comment about the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. This will spread like a dessert frenzy.

Holiday meal - or a nice party - or both - will take an hour or so, about the time for the crisp to be done. Remove it from the oven, let it sit a while, and serve.

Presentation: Your Eyes Eat First

This crisp can go it alone, or add some ice cream to go beyond perfection.

Leftovers:

We leave this out on the counter for the 1/2 hour or so that it takes leftovers to disappear. It absolutely gets better as it rests.

Cognac - what a good thing to happen to wine. And orange. Yes! Now let’s marinate some fresh fruit, add some quality ice cream, and relax after this wonderful meal.

Portions/Servings

This recipe will feed 12 people, and will easily double or more. Read about Party Food Quantities and how to plan for the right amounts.

Grand Marnier Fruit Sundaes Recipe Shopping List
for 12 People:

___2 - 700ml bottles of Grand Marnier - no substitute

___2-3 each of fresh apple, pear, orange, plum, apricot, etc.

___3 lemons

___2 cups of strawberries

___1 cup of blueberries

___1/2 gallon quality vanilla ice cream

Procedure:

The Day of the Party:

Hours before the party, clean and cut spoon size pieces of a variety of fruits.

Take some time with this to get the fruit the same sizes.

It makes it much easier to eat when the sizes are similar.

Cut strawberries in quarters, and leave blueberries intact.

In a bowl, squeeze out the juice from 3 lemons. Add cold water, enough to cover the fruit you’ve cut.

Place the cut fruit in the lemon water for 10 minutes, except for the berries.

Pour off the water, and replace it with Grand Marnier. Don’t use it all - save as much as you can for later. Add the strawberries and blueberries, but not the raspberries. Gentle stir it around a bit, cover with film and set aside for 2 hours.

Set up champagne flutes or parfait glasses, then layer in the ice cream and the marinated fruit.

Sprinkle in a blueberry or two as you go. Think artful, decorative and beautiful.

Splash a little cognac on top when you’re ready to serve.

Presentation: Your Eyes Eat First

We like to have some Grand Marnier available to serve along side this dessert.

Leftovers:

The marinated fruit may or may not hold up - but who cares. Enjoy!

How about some Desserts?

Check out some Appetizers!

Ready for some Dinner and Entrée ideas?