I’m focusing on two items, pumpkin bread by Smitten Kitchen which is moist and not oily. It has a cinnamon sugar topping that you have to score so it will rise properly. It’s the icing on the bread really. It looks majestic, and it’s a really big loaf.
Then I’m making a pecan pie. I’m using Kenji’s pie crust with butter that you fold with a spatula. I’m going to blind bake the crust. I’m using Stella Park’s trick to line the pie with sugar, and that way I’m making my own toasted sugar to use in other recipes.
For the filling, it’s a modification of the recipe on the karo syrup bottle. I add more toasted chopped pecans to the filling mix, and then top the pie with pecan halves artfully arranged in a circle. And I bake the heck out of it, almost burning it. So yummy!
Oh, that sounds right up my alley! I make a pumpkin cheesecake, but it’s really big. Can you post the recipe? Does it go into a deep dish pie or a regular 9 inch pan?
Fig and Walnut Rugelach from Bob’s Red Mill online recipe section. Now, when I say I’m baking, I mean at holiday time I make sure the ingredients are on hand, the walnuts are ready to go and the taste tester (that would be me) is available at the ready. What I am doing is planning a few loaves of baked bread (ww & rye) from one of the local bakery shops for leftover sandwiches so I’m not crowding my lovely bakers space. Happy Baking!
Not baking so much as candy making. It’s gotten to the point that my family won’t let me in on Thanksgiving unless I make a batch of my chocolate almond toffee. I usually make a chocolate pie and some pumpkin squares as well.
In the contender corner, is a copy of this brownie recipe placed on the frig door. Natch, it has a nice layer of tahini swirled in the batter. Seems perfectly reasonable.
If I get my act together, I’ll make gougeres for snacking, and quiches for before/after when no one wants to cook. Maybe a mini lemon bundt (some people have pretended it was breakfast in past years )
Sour cream coffee cake on Wednesday. Have made it for the last 25 or so years, and therefore as my daughter said, “Dad this is your Thanksgiving legacy!”
thanks for the heads up re stella park; never thought to use sugar for blind baking. here are the rest of her blind baking tips:
i’ll be using the blind-baked crust for an apple custard tart. then, for the gluten-free guests, a flourless carrot cake with a lighter (in texture, not calories:) cream cheese frosting that subs whipped cream for butter.
We are traveling to Omaha, NE on Tuesday and I’m cooking/baking for 20. So as soon as we land I’m heading to my BBF’s kitchen to make a gluten-free slab apple pie, a gluten-free pumpkin pie, two regular pumpkin pies and a pecan pie. I want to have the pies done before I start on the rest of dinner. Thankfully I have 4 kitchen “minions” to help with all the peeling/chopping/rolling.
I also have a pumpkin cheesecake recipe that I love. I never thought to put it into a pie shell. I’m going to give it a whirl, and put it in a graham cracker crust. Two is too many for me, so I’ll have to plan it for when people come over. Then I’ll freeze the second pie in pieces for later snacking. It sounds decadent and delicious!!
I’m doing my tried and true Pumpkin Pie. I use my grandmother’s recipe. It is minimally spiced (no nutmeg) and has a nice strong pumpkin flavor. Also, I’ll do a traditional apple pie. Nothing too crazy here. This is not the holiday to get experimental with my crowd!
Apple pie for an early thanksgiving dinner at sisters. Looks ok but I wasn’t happy at all! Used 3 kinds of apples, Mutsu, pink lady and Macon, it was an applesauce pie:(.
Crust, (Kenji’s), was good and apple flavor was very good but no evidence of sliced apples… I have made apple pie many many times with the same crust, temp etc and never ended up with applesauce pie before.
Will switch to a pumpkin pie with a cornmeal crust and a sour cherry pie with my precious cherries from the market last summer for thanksgiving pies.
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