Share Your Thanksgiving Recipes: Desserts!

[3113]

Well, by the time most of you read this, it will be November. And for those of us in the U.S. of A., we know exactly what that means....

Time to order up the turkey, get down the gravy boat, pull out those yellowed and torn recipe cards, and start planning the Thanksgiving Feast. (November 23rd folks! That's twenty-two days and counting!).

I figured we could help each other out by sharing our best and most favorite recipes.

For this thread:
http://www.marthastewart.com/images/content/feature/ft_nov05msl53_t.jpg
Dessert!

Pie most particularly. Pumpkin, Apple, Pecan, Mincemeat....which is your favorite? And how DID grandma use to make it?

P.S. To non-U.S. folk...any one of us would love to have you over for Thanksgiving Dinner. So feel free to contribute and have a seat at the table. There's more than enough for everyone.

 

[3113]

A question just to bump this up...Apple, Pumpkin or Pecan?

 

[Selena_Kitt]

All of the above

But I've ventured out past the usual recently, with amazing results...

THIS is the BEST cheesecake I've ever tasted or made...

LEMON-GINGER CHEESECAKE

Crust
2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies (about 9 ounces)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Lemon slices (for garnish)

----

For crust:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Double-wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty foil. Blend ground cookies, sugar, and ginger in processor. Add melted butter and process until moist crumbs form. Press mixture onto bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until crust sets, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.
For filling:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in sugar, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and whipping cream, then crystallized ginger, fresh ginger, lemon juice, and lemon peel.

Pour filling into crust. Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake cheesecake until filling is set and golden brown on top (cake will rise slightly above edge of pan), about 1 hour 25 minutes. Turn off oven and prop open oven door with wooden spoon. Let cake stand in oven 1 hour (cake will fall).

Remove springform pan from water bath. Remove foil and cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Can be prepared ahead and refrigerated 4 days or frozen up to 2 months. Defrost frozen cake overnight in refrigerator.) Release pan sides from cheesecake. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Arrange lemon slices decoratively around cake and serve.

Test-kitchen Tip:
Use a processor to grind the gingersnap cookies finely for the crust.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.