Thanksgiving Dessert Countdown: Fast

Happy Monday! We are in the Thanksgiving week frenzy: supermarkets are packed, traffic is bad, and you get that last minute phone call that crazy Uncle Sal is joining you for the holiday (and your dessert table is lacking!). Here are a few recipes that take less than 30 min to prep, you can toss in the oven, and present on your beautiful table.

Apple-Molasses Spice Cake
 Real Simple

Ingredients

• 1/2cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan
• 1 1/2teaspoons baking soda
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Oil a 9-inch round cake pan, line the bottom with a parchment circle, oil again, and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, molasses, brown sugar, egg, ginger, and ½ cup boiling water. Add to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined (do not overmix). Fold in the apples.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Before serving, dust with the confectioners’ sugar.

Chocolate-Bread Parfaits

Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup hot brewed espresso or very strong coffee
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons dark rum
• 1/2 pound white Pullman bread—crust removed, bread cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup sliced almonds (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring frequently, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
3. In a small bowl, mix the espresso with the sugar until dissolved. Whisk in the rum. Stir this mixture into the melted chocolate and fold in the bread cubes; let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
5. Spoon half of the soaked bread cubes and any excess chocolate into 6 parfait glasses. Top with half of the whipped cream and half of the almonds. Repeat with the remaining bread and chocolate, whipped cream and almonds. Serve at once.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Dessert Countdown: Pecans

Happy Wednesday! Today let's talk about a southern Thanksgiving tradition, but often overlooked in the north: pecans. Whether you say peCANs or peCAHNs, these little nuts give you an option besides the usual pumpkins and cranberries. Hide the kids with allergies, and let's dig in:

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie
Andrea Albin

Ingredients

• Pastry dough
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups pecan halves (1/2 pound)
• Accompaniment: whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with a baking sheet on middle rack.
2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and lightly press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively. Lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes (or freeze 10 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, zest, and salt. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in corn syrup mixture.
4. Put pecans in pie shell and pour corn syrup mixture evenly over them. Bake on hot baking sheet until filling is set, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool completely.

Cooks’ note: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate-Toffee Pecan Tart

Food Network Kitchens

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large egg, beaten

For the Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons bourbon

Directions

1. Make the dough: Pulse the flour, cocoa, confectioners' sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter. Add the egg and pulse once or twice. (Stop before the dough gathers into a ball.) Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
2. Place the dough on a large sheet of lightly floured parchment paper. Roll into a 12-inch round, no more than 1/8 inch thick. Invert the dough over a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and peel off the parchment; press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan. (If the dough tears, just pat it back together.) Trim the excess dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
3. Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on the middle rack, 20 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Prepare the filling: Coarsely chop 1 cup pecans. Combine the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and kosher salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture turns dark amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately stir in the chopped pecans and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the corn syrup and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool until lukewarm, then whisk in the eggs and bourbon until combined. (The tart can be made 1 day ahead up to this point; cover and refrigerate the filling and wrap the cooled crust in plastic wrap.)
5. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Place the tart shell on a baking sheet and pour in the filling up to the brim. Arrange the remaining 1/2 cup pecan halves on top. Bake on the lower oven rack until the tart is evenly browned and slightly domed in the center, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Maple Pecan Cookies

Gerry Moss

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups pecans, coarsely chopped (4 1/2 ounces)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until well blended.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the maple syrup and vanilla. Drizzle the egg-yolk mixture into the butter, beating at low speed until incorporated.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and pecans. Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°. Roll out each disk of dough 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of wax paper. Cut the dough into 2-inch rounds and transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

MAKE AHEAD: The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. The cookies will keep for up to 1 week in tightly sealed tins.

Thanksgiving Dessert Countdown: Cranberries

Just a little photo to get you in the
giving mood.

Happy Tuesday! We're talking about nature's sweet tarts today; let's talk cranberries! Not just for sauce (or centerpieces!), cranberries make a grown up and elegant addition to the dessert table. I'm always saddened by the number of people who won't eat the pumpkin pie (who doesn't love pumpkin?!), and apple pie can get a little blah no matter how many times you add a twist with a cheddar cheese crust. Cranberry appeals to a different audience - perhaps those who prefer citrus cakes and curds. Enter the little red berry! Let's see some of our options:


For the aforementioned citrus lovers.
Lemon-Cranberry Pie Bars
Sarah Jordan

Ingredients

• 1 cup cranberries
• 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• Baked Press-In Crust
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a saucepan, simmer the cranberries with 1/4 cup of the sugar, the cloves and water over moderately low heat until the berries pop and the liquid thickens, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain and press the puree through a fine sieve set over a bowl and let cool completely.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 2 1/2 cups of sugar with the eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.
3. Mix 1 cup of the lemon filling into the cranberry puree; pour the rest of the lemon filling into the crust. Swirl in the cranberry-lemon mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set. Transfer the pan to a rack; let cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The bars can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

A combo for the crowd that can't wait for Christmas.

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

Melissa Clark

Ingredients

• 2 cups/8 ounces/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 1 stick/4 ounces/113 gramsunsalted butter
• ⅔ cup/133 grams dark brown sugar
• ½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk
• ½ cup/120 milliliters maple syrup
• ¼ cup/60 milliliters molasses
• 1 ½ cups/185 grams all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon/5 grams ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon/1 gram groundcinnamon
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams baking powder
• ½ teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon/1 gram baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon/14 grams grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.
2. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.
3. In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.
4. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.
5. Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake. Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

For shortbread lovers (like my dad).

Cranberry Shortbread

Mary-Frances Heck

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 10-ounce bag fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
• 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 1 teaspoon grated grapefruit zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2" pan with parchment, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 opposite sides. Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Transfer to prepared pan; press evenly onto bottom of pan (using the bottom of a flat measuring cup works well). Prick dough all over with a fork.
3. Bake shortbread until cooked through and pale golden, 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely in pan. DO AHEAD: Shortbread can be made 3 days ahead. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
4. Bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cups cranberries, and grapefruit juice to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst and mixture is syrupy, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining cranberries and cook until skins begin to split, about 3 minutes. Let cool. DO AHEAD: Cranberry topping can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill.
5. Spread cooled cranberry topping over shortbread. Scatter zest over. Using paper overhang, lift shortbread from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut shortbread.

Happy baking!

Thanksgiving Dessert Countdown: Atypical Sweets

Happy Monday everyone! Now that Halloween is behind us, and people are already discussing Christmas decorations, now seems like a great time to discuss the holiday that actually comes next - Thanksgiving! These recipes are different for a traditional holiday table, for those of us tired of the "same old, same old."

A little Russian treat...
Apple Sharlotka
Matt Danko

Ingredients

• 4 Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and side of an 8-inch springform pan.
2. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the almond extract and the remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow and a ribbon forms when the beaters are lifted, 8 to 10 minutes. Gently fold in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.
4. Spread the apples in the prepared pan in an even layer, then pour the batter evenly over them. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the batter to sink in a little.
5. Bake the sharlotka for about 1 hour, until it is golden and crisp on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack and let rest for 15 minutes. Unmold and transfer to a serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.

MAKE AHEAD: The sharlotka can be made up to 4 hours ahead.

Unusual Americana...

New England Cinnamon Sugar-Cider Donuts

Saveur

Ingredients

• 1 3⁄4 cups (7 3⁄4 oz.) all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1⁄4 cup (1 1⁄8 oz.) whole wheat graham flour
• 3 1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup apple cider
• 1⁄4 cup buttermilk
• Canola oil, for forming and frying

Directions

1. Whisk flours, 2 tsp. cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and 1⁄2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add yolks, vanilla, cider, and buttermilk; mix until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients and mix until a soft, sticky dough forms.
2. Combine remaining cinnamon and sugar in a bowl; set aside. Heat 2" oil in a 6-qt. saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350°. Using lightly oiled hands, roll about 1⁄4 cup batter into a loose, sticky ball; pat gently into a disk. With your thumb, make a 1 1⁄2" hole in the center of dough; carefully slide into oil and fry, flipping once, until golden, 3–4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet with a wire rack; repeat with remaining dough. Let donuts cool completely; toss in cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Pie no more!

Pumpkin Bread Puddings Brulee

Ella Brennan, Bon Appetit, October 1999

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups half and half
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 slices cinnamon raisin bread (each about 3 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches)
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon amaretto or Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

Directions

1. Stir half and half and 3/4 cup sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove saucepan from heat; cool mixture to lukewarm.
2. Spread butter over 1 side of each bread slice. Cut bread into 3/4-inch pieces. Divide among six 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups.
3. Whisk pumpkin, yolks, egg, liqueur, vanilla, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl until blended. Add half and half mixture; whisk until smooth. Pour pumpkin custard over bread in dishes, dividing equally. Let stand 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place soufflé dishes in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of soufflé dishes; tent loosely with foil. Place roasting pan in oven. Bake puddings until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer puddings to rack and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Preheat broiler. Spoon 1 tablespoon whipping cream over top of each pudding. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon brown sugar over each. Broil puddings until tops are bubbly and golden brown, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Happy baking!