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Don’t get me wrong, I love apple and pumpkin pie — served warm with a scoop (or two) of vanilla bean ice cream. These pies complete a Thanksgiving meal. But if you’re in charge of dessert this year, change it up a bit and try your hand at making one of these six non-traditional turkey day sweets. (If you’re in charge of the bird, here’s how to cook a perfect turkey.)
Flan
If you’ve never tried flan, you’re missing out! This is a custard topped with caramel that’s similar to creme brulee. I’ve taught several friends how to make this decadent dessert using my family’s recipe. I like that it’s so easy to make and it keeps well in the fridge so you can make it ahead. The Food Network’s Ellie Krieger has a pumpkin flan recipe similar to mine. You can either use ramekins for individual portions or make one to share. If you’re traveling, don’t flip it till you arrive or you’ll end up covered in caramel.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
I recently shared a list of five sources for free Thanksgiving recipes and one of those was MarthaStewart.com. Last year, I made Stewart’s pumpkin cheesecake recipe and enjoyed it as I wrote a term paper. It was was creamy and velvety. There will be no last minute term paper writing this year, but I am making this cheesecake again. You may have already noticed that I love pumpkin as I’ve shared two pumpkin bread recipes. If you don’t, cheesecake is so versatile that you’re bound to find one you like. Stewart has a variety of recipes for this dessert.
Pear Cranberry and Gingersnap Crumble
I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen. I haven’t tried this recipe, but it looks delish! I’m making this for one of my Thanksgiving dinners. It’s easy to transport as you can cover with a baking dish and go. The gooey, warm fruit topped with the crumbly mixture is sure to be a hit. You can also make this with apples. Don’t forget to top with whipped cream.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
End your Thanksgiving meal with warm bread soaked in spiced custard with this pumpkin bread pudding recipe. It only takes 45 minutes to complete and you may already have all the ingredients on hand. A friend once made this for a potluck and it was delicious. I would warm this before serving, although you can eat it cold.
Cranberry, Almond, and Cinnamon Tart
This tart has all the flavors of Thanksgiving, but it’s different enough to stand out at the dessert table. The tart recipe calls for a homemade crust, but to save time you can buy a pre-made one. All you have to do is make the filing and bake it. It will still look homemade and taste delicious. If you don’t like cranberries you can easily switch the jam or preserves to strawberry or raspberry.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dessert? What desserts will you be serving on turkey day?
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These sound so tasty, Yazmin! I can’t decide which to make first. I have always been a HUGE fan of flan, though…
@Julia I didn’t know! I’m known for my flan. It was the first thing my mom taught me how to make. I have two recipes depending on whether you like it to be more creamy or a little heavier. Both delicious!
OMG!!! I’m definitely going to try the crumble, as it has some of my most favorite flavors in it. And I really like making crumbles instead of pies, as they’re so much easier to assemble. I’ll let you know how it goes, and how others like it… if it even gets to them!
I also like flan, but usually avoid it because of all the cholesterol involved in its yummy flavor and texture. The crumble will suffice!
@EllieD Do let me know how it turns out! What I like about this recipe is that you can exchange the fruit and berries if you don’t have them on hand. Super convenient!
@Yazmin ~ Like Julia, I’ve always loved flan, especially when it was made by one of the Ed Aides at one of my schools. Out of this world! If you send the two recipes to Julia, please Cc them to me. You have my e-mail address.
@Yazmin ~ I’ll let you know how the crumble turns out. I plan to use both the pears and the cranberries, which I’ll have to remember to buy before they’re all gone from the markets. That’s what happened to me last year! I thought I might top the crumble with whipped cream topped with a few pomegranate seeds for extra color and texture.