HOLIDAYS
HOLIDAYS
The comfort foods of Thanksgiving are all about harvest goods and warm weather ingredients. These Thanksgiving Dessert recipes incorporate autumn favorites like pumpkin, brandy, and a variety of spices to make sensational sophisticated desserts. Also, try a Thanksgiving Cookie recipe or craft to round out the menu and delight the kids.
A recipe adapted from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. This Thanksgiving dessert recipe is ideal for those who want their pumpkin fix without the carbs that are in a pumpkin pie crust.
More Thanksgiving Desserts:
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 Cup canned pumpkin puree
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar
Steps
- Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Heat cream over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan until just boiling. Remove from heat.
- Beat egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow. Slowly add cream while beating until just combined. Add pumpkin and beat until blended. Pour mixture through a strainer into a clean bowl.
- Pour mixture into 4 individual (6 oz.) custard cups or ovenproof porcelain ramekins. Place cups in a large pan and fill pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of cups.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until custard sets. Remove cups from water pan and cool completely. Chill uncovered for 1 hour.
- Preheat broiler. Gently pat tops of custard dry with paper towel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon brown sugar evenly over top of each custard. Place under broiler for 1 - 2 minutes until sugar caramelizes. Watch custard carefully to avoid sugar burning. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
- Place each cup on a dinner plate and serve.Makes 4 servings
A recipe from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. Pear brandy may be marked as "poire" on the bottle. The combination of chocolate and pear is absolutely delightful in this warm weather Thanksgiving dessert.
Ingredients
- 5 pears, peeled, cored, cut in thin wedges
- 1/2 Cup pear brandy
- 1/3 Cup apple cider
- 1/3 Cup brown sugar
- 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups Chocolate Amaretto Biscotti crumbs (recipe)
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350F(175C). Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish. Toss together pears, brandy, cider, and sugars in a medium bowl until combined.
- Melt 3/4 cup of butter. In another bowl, stir together biscotti crumbs and melted butter until combined.
- Scatter half biscotti crumbs in bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with pear mixture. Sprinkle remaining biscotti crumbs on top of pear mixture. Dot with remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Bake for 1 hour or until pear mixture is thick and top is crusty.
- Spoon dessert on individual plates and serve warm. Store covered in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Makes 8 to 10 servings
A recipe from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. This biscotti recipe uses chopped almonds instead of whole nuts traditionally found in the cookie. Since these cookies will be crumbled and used in the Chocolate Amaretto Biscotti & Pear Brandy Betty (recipe) the smaller sized nuts are a more suitable choice.
Ingredients
- 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 Cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons Amaretto
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Cup chopped almonds
Steps
- Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until melted. Cool 5 minutes. Add butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until fluffy. Beat in chocolate. Add eggs and Amaretto and beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and beat into mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in almonds until throughout. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Lightly spray a baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray. Divide dough in half. Form two loaves from each half measuring 14 inches long by 4 inches wide. Place each loaf on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
- Remove loaves from oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Place loaves on a cutting board, and, using a serrated knife, cut loaves on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place slices flat, on their side, 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.Makes 32 cookies
- Note: A problem I sometimes have when making biscotti, is baking the loaf evenly, especially in an oven where some spots are hotter than others. The ends of the cookie loaf bake quicker than the middle of the loaf, leaving the ends too dark and the middle undone. Here's a tip! After about 15 minutes of baking remove the cookie sheet from the oven and slice off each end or the baked portions. Be sure to slice on the diagonal. Using a spatula, transfer the baked ends to your cutting board and then cut the 1/2" slices. Place the undone middle back into the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes.
A recipe from Jeanne Benedict's Sophisticated Entertaining. Doughnuts, croissants, muffins, I've seen all of these baked goods in various chefs' prized bread pudding recipes. I fell in love with the classic rendition of this dessert smothered in Creme Anglaise. The Irish touch is a loving tribute to my mother and our saucy heritage.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 - 1-inch thick slices of 1 day old French bread
- 1 Cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 Cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 Cup Baileys Original Irish Cream
- 1/4 Teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup raisins
- 1/4 Cup golden raisins
- Creme Anglaise
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/3 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon Bailey's Original Irish Cream
Steps
- Preheat oven to 325 (165C). Butter an 8-inch square baking dish. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes leaving crusts intact.
- Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until just boiling.
- Beat eggs and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow. Slowly add hot milk while beating until combined. Beat in Baileys, nutmeg, and cinnamon until blended. Fold in bread cubes and raisins and toss until ingredients are coated. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over top. Bake for 45 minutes until top is golden brown and custard is set.
- Meanwhile make Creme Anglaise: Beat egg yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow. Heat milk over medium-low heat in a small saucepan until just boiling. Remove from heat slowly pour milk into egg mixture while beating until blended. Return mixture to saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly with wooden spoon, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon. Mixture must not come to a boil at any point. Remove from heat and pour mixture through a strainer into a medium bowl and stir in Baileys. Cool completely.
- Remove pudding from oven and cool 5 minutes. Cut into 3-inch squares. Place squares on individual plates and pour a generous helping of Creme Anglaise over top. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings
Thanksgiving
Gratitude Journals
Gratitude Journals
Thanksgiving
Leftovers Made Over
Leftovers Made Over
Thanksgiving Side
Dishes: Tips to Make
S...
Dishes: Tips to Make
S...
