This year was our second occasion for hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and we enjoyed every minute of it! There’s something warm and comforting cooking together, then gathering around the family table for a home-cooked meal and pleasant conversation. It makes me wonder why we don’t do this more often. Although family and friends are not always as near as we would like, it inspires me to make the most of every opportunity when we come together. We truly have so much to be thankful for!
The day before Thanksgiving, I spent the morning and afternoon preparing desserts. My list consisted of three recipes that were completely new to me, and it is my hope that you will have the opportunity to try these delicious recipes for yourself!
My first selection was Maple Pecan Pie from my dear friend, Sadie, at SadiesNest.com — I have been wanting to make this pie from the day she posted the recipe! Seriously, I don’t even know where to begin. I love pecan pie and have tasted many that were incredibly wonderful. However, in my opinion, this is the best pecan pie I have ever tasted! Seriously. You simply must make this pie for yourself to truly understand what I am trying to convey. Maple Pecan Pie perfection. This dessert was the hands- down favorite on Thanksgiving, and Jonathan and I are still talking about it. It immediately went to my “Christmas dessert” list, but Christmas is a little over three weeks away, and I can’t wait that long! So, it’s made it to my “make it this week” list. [contented sigh]
I knew I wanted to include pumpkin pie in my dessert repertoire, so I began searching for a recipe I had yet to try. I chose a Pumpkin Pie recipe from King Arthur Flour and was not disappointed! The recipe recommends letting the pie filling sit overnight in the refrigerator to incorporate all the wonderful flavors — superb! The result was a flavorful, almost creamy texture that paired wonderfully with homemade whipped cream. Additionally, I used the Pie Crust Recipe from King Arthur Flour for both the Maple Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie and was genuinely impressed! This double recipe worked perfectly for the two pies I was baking.
For my third selection, I had been eyeing the Real Deal Southern Caramel Cake from Grandbaby Cakes — one look at the pictures of that gorgeous cake, and I knew it would be something wonderful! This was my first time baking a caramel cake, and actually, the first time tasting one. The cake is deliciously moist while the caramel icing puts it way over the top! The caramel icing would also work well with a variety of additional desserts.
Although this isn’t a dessert, I cannot forget to mention another wonderful recipe I found this season — Crockpot Stuffing from another sweet friend at The Richmond Avenue — this stuffing was moist, flavorful and incorporated the perfect blend of herbs. Another new found family favorite!
Although these recipes were prepared for Thanksgiving, they most certainly can be enjoyed any day of the year! I hope you will have the opportunity to make them as well, and I’m sure you will agree!