Sweet Spins On Thanksgiving Desserts

 Thanksgiving demands tradition. Yet more and more home chefs are rethinking sides, and reimagining sides and even the turkey itself. Now that idea is coming to dessert. It's not just the traditional pies. It's taking time honored recipes and spinning them around.

Pie has always been the tried and true way to end the holiday dinner.There had to be  home baked pumpkin pie, and if you were feeling ambitious apple and pecan. You can srill have these but rethink them as tartlets The crust can be either already made dough like Pilsbury's or homemade. Instead of using a pie tin, a muffin tin works the best for this. Another idea is ditching the pie pan completely and making a free form galette.  The crust should be a butter one which complements the filling's richness. Fill it with any of the traditional pie recipes. Most galettes are fruit filled so you could just make an apple one although the other fillings work equally as well. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche  Instead of the usual Cool Whip or even homemade whipped cream. Its' tanginess is perfect to offset the galette's sweetness. if you still want to make pie, then think alternatives. Pears are another delicious fall fruit that unfairly gets second billing. A pear pie would be an interesting way to end the meal. Use Bartlett or Bosc for the filling.Walnut pie can be a tasty sub in for pecan, Use maple syrup instead of corn syrup though. Walnuts have a bitter taste the others don't have.

You can use relatively the ingredients but in different recipes. What about ending the meal with a pumpkin tiramisu? It has the same pumpkin puree and the same spices of cinnamon and nutmeg.The puree is combined with cream cheese and mascapone to form a creamy filling. Lady fingers are still a vital part of the recipe and , yes, there is espresso used as in traditional mascapone.Yet it's given a new spin with cinnamon and nutmeg for a more pumpkin pie tasting flavor. Pumpkin is also an excellent medium for mousse. You can create an easy one using vanilla pudding mixed with pumpkin puree, and maple syrup.  Top with homemade whipped cream. Apples may be good in a pie but they're fantastic in cake. It's a nice old fashioned cake using shredded apples along with apples and cinnamon. It' also makes a good snack cake too when you just want a slice of cake and a cup of coffee or tea later on. Another fun home baked treat is pecan caramel bars. It has all the gooey nuttiness of pecan pie but on top of a buttery shortbread crust. You can also just candy pecans as an after dinner treat too.

Traditional Thanksgiving desserts can be changed up too. It's easy to sub in a galette for pie or create a mouse , cake or bar. Use a new ingredient like a pear or walnuts  in a classic recipes. These  spins will definitely liven up the holiday dessert table.