Thanksgiving

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie

November 16, 2018

The big day is next week. That special day us lovers of food look forward to all year long. We’ve been waiting patiently to stuff ourselves endlessly with turkey and sides and of course, pie; and the special day is almost here. Now just because we’re T-minus 6 days away from over-indulgence doesn’t mean we have to stress out at all. I’m here to make sure everything goes as smooth as possible. The first piece of advice I’ll give you is that chances are things won’t go 100% smoothly and that’s totally okay. The sooner you accept this fate, the better off you’ll be. The holidays aren’t about everything being perfect. Not in the slightest. The most important thing is that you enjoy the day with family, friends (or even just by yourself) no matter what happens. The turkey isn’t cooked, the sides have burned, the pies haven’t been baked? Don’t let any of that get you down. The second piece of advice is that you shouldn’t over-extend yourself. Go the simple route and delegate the dishes to others. In my house, I always make the turkey and stuffing and then everyone else makes a side. It alleviates the pressure off of me, and it’s actually fun for us all to get in the kitchen and cook together.

My last advice, aside from just having fun and enjoying the day, is to make as much ahead of time as possible. Bake off those pies the night before so you don’t have to worry about it the day of…plus I enjoy cold pumpkin pie better anyhow. Speaking of pies, if the Pumpkin Chocolate Pie from earlier in the week didn’t convince you, perhaps this Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie will do the job? It’s a great option when you want to switch up that classic tired old pumpkin pie you make and eat year after year. Plus, it’s delicious, so there’s that as well.

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Double Crust Pumpkin Chocolate Pie

November 13, 2018

Thanksgiving Day is right around the corner and what kind of Thanksgiving would it be without a pumpkin pie? A table without this beloved pie is the most blasphemous idea I can think of on such an important day. It comes but once a year and so we need to make sure we do it 100% right. In my family, we started making a pumpkin pie and an apple or peach pie but then we quickly realized that everyone wanted to eat the pumpkin pie, so now we just make two pumpkin pies and call it a day. This year though I’ve had the great idea of making a double crust pumpkin pie with a layer of chocolate because we all know that two crusts are always better than one. You can quote me on that. It’s a great pie that can be made ahead of time, which is great because you’re always going to be very busy on the big day and the last thing you want to be worrying about is making a pie on the day of. The solution: make it ahead of time, chill until ready to eat and then sit back, relax and enjoy the day, as you should.

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Buttered Pecan Cheesecake Tart

November 21, 2016

I’m a last minute planner for almost everything in my life, especially when it comes to holidays. I hadn’t finalized my Thanksgiving menu until just today. I mean, most of the menu is filled with things I make every year, but some dishes, I like to try new twists on or something totally different, just to surprise my family. With that being said, I know that there must be some people out there just like me, who are waking up today thinking, “What am I going to make on Thursday?” If that’s the case, and you’re stressing out about what dessert you should make, I’ve got you covered. This post is dedicated to you, and believe me, everyone will be happy that you decided to add this to your menu.

My collaboration this month for Go Bold With Butter is this stress-free Buttered Pecan Cheesecake Tart! I say it’s stress free because the tart is practically no-bake. The crust gets baked for just a little bit, to get it browned and crispy, but that doesn’t count. That’s easy. That’s as far as the baking goes. And if you really wanted to, you can make the crust with graham crackers and melted butter instead and not bake it at all. The best part is that you can make it a day or two before the big day. It’s actually best when the tart has a chance to chill and set in the fridge for a while. So I recommend that you save yourself the stress on Thursday and make as much as you can ahead of time. Free up that oven space and whip up a delicious tart instead of the normal pumpkin and apple pie that everyone is used to. This year, try something new!

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Pumpkin Chocolate Slab Pie

October 18, 2016

It’s that time of year again, the time when everywhere you turn you’ll run into a pumpkin recipe. They’ll all hit you right in the face and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be glad they did and welcome them with open arms. When I was a little kid, a nice cold slice of pumpkin pie with a ridiculous amount of whipped cream on top, was the only thing I looked forward to around this time of year. As soon as October hit, even before Halloween, we’d start eating pumpkin pie like it was going out of style in my house. My sisters and I were particular about how we ate it too, and my mamma would make sure she got it right each and every time, because she’s the best mother in the world. My oldest sister likes it just by itself, with no whipped cream or ice cream or anything. My middle sister likes it with a little bit of whipped cream, a sprinkling of cinnamon and only eats the filling because she dislikes crust. This is the same sister who dislikes Mac and Cheese, mind you. And I, I ate it anyway and anyhow. The more whipped cream and crust the better. I’d finish my piece and then eat the crust my sister left behind and grab my oldest sister’s share of whipped cream. It was, and still is, the best balance of sibling eating habits there ever was. Mainly because I always came out winning.

My collaboration this month for GO BOLD WITH BUTTER happens to be this giant Pumpkin Chocolate Slab Pie complete with cinnamon whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top. The great thing about slab pies in general is that you can feed a crowd with them. Or if you’re like me then you can have the entire sheet all to yourself because as you know, nothing beats having a giant pumpkin pie all to yourself. So much pie so little time to eat it all. I suggest you make it soon so that you can eat pumpkin pie sooner. Now that’s how you work a week, let me tell you.

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Apple Pumpkin Pecan Pie

November 20, 2015

Let’s talk about the ULTIMATE Thanksgiving pie. I don’t know if any of you are like me and are sometimes plagued with doubt and uncertainty when it comes to pie. I never know what pies to make for Thanksgiving. I always make a pumpkin pie for sure. That’s a hands down, a given. Where I really struggle on making a decision is the second pie. I ask myself questions like, should I just make another pumpkin pie? Should I go classic Americana and do an apple pie? Should I turn to my imaginary Southern roots and make a pecan pie y’all?! I never know! Each year I’m pulling out my hair, asking everyone I know (and even random strangers at the grocery store) what kind of pie should I make this year?! I’m grabbing them by the collar and shaking them for an answer. When I come to, I realize I’ve just scared the life out of this helpful grocery store patron. Something has to be done.

This year I promised myself I wouldn’t hop on that crazy emotional roller coaster again. Never again! What can I say? I take my Thanksgiving pies very seriously. Is that weird? Anyhow, so the only logical answer to my dilemma was to bring three classic pies together into one mega super pie. A pie to end all pies. This pie starts with a layer of spiced caramel apples topped with a layer of pumpkin pie and finished off with a pecan praline layer. It seriously doesn’t get any better than this. So this year as you’re mapping out your recipes for the big day, consider blowing everyone of your guest’s minds with this pie. They’ll go home and tell everyone about it, and you’ll be the greatest Thanksgiving Day Hero in history. So go on and be the Thanksgiving Day Hero I know you can be.

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Thanksgiving Crostini

November 24, 2014

There’s a serious lack of Thanksgiving Day appetizers out on the web. Have you noticed that, or is it just me imagining things? I was searching for some starter ideas for my family’s big celebration, and I couldn’t find much. Especially nothing that appealed to me. We’re always on the lookout for “THE” perfect turkey recipe or “THE” perfect mashed potato recipes for the big day. Sides are pretty important so I get that, there are literally a billion side dish recipes out there. I kid you not, a billion! (Okay maybe not a billion). You get the point though. We’re all concerned about the main components of the meal, but sometimes forget that appetizers are just as important, if not more important, because they set the tone for the entire dinner.

Maybe it’s because most people don’t even bother serving appetizers? I have no clue. Perhaps they’re saving their appetite for game time. I don’t know about you though, if I tried to do that in my house, my family would revolt. They would complain all the way to Christmas. I have to worry about breakfast, snacks, appetizers, dinner and dessert on Turkey Day. They can definitely eat so providing hors d’Oeurves is a must. I can’t get away without them. Luckily for me, I delegate the cooking and baking to everyone so that I don’t have to do it all. You should definitely do that as well. Plus, it’s nice to get everyone in the kitchen on Thanksgiving. Helping out and having fun with some music on. There’s nothing better.

So anyhow, like I was saying, where are all of the Thanksgiving Day appetizers?! Someone buy me a vowel because I don’t know. Just in case I’m not alone in this battle, I’ve decided to make up a recipe for me. For you. For us. So here we are, Thanksgiving Crostini. It sounds and looks fancy but I gotta tell you, it’s not fancy at all. It’s really simple to make and the best part of it is that you can prepare the components the night or day before and then keep them separately. Then just assemble the appetizers right before serving. I devised this recipe to be served either cold, warm, or at room temperature. You can thank me now. Oh you’re welcome. You’re welcome. I’m keeping you all in mind. The last thing you need is another complicated recipe to add to your already long list of things you need to prepare. So let’s make this appetizer, be rock stars in the kitchen and have the best Thanksgiving EVER! We deserve it.

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