Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas

By Selwyn Richards
PRIDE Culinary Columnist

A meal is never quite finished until dessert is eaten. On Thanksgiving Day that is especially true, seeing as there are so many delightful dishes to choose from.

Here are some ideas for Thanksgiving desserts your family will love.

Did you know that pumpkin is good for more than pie? Use it in muffins with some raisins. Pureed pumpkin can be used to make a pudding-type dessert, covered with a dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon.The first dessert everyone looks forward to is pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are a favored item during the autumn season. If you have time, fresh pumpkin can be used for the pie. Don’t sweat it if you have to use canned pumpkin. The family will forgive you. Besides, you won’t have to worry about removing all of those stringy fibers.

Pumpkin bread is also scrumptious. You won’t even know it contains pumpkin. The sweet bread can be drizzled with a confectioner’s sugar or a lemon glaze or eaten plain, whichever you prefer.

Many fancy sweet potato pie to pumpkin pie. Sweet potatoes are reasonably priced at Thanksgiving so pie bakers can stock up. Sweet potato pie is a long-standing tradition in many households for Thanksgiving dinner. Spiced up with nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon extract, a good sweet potato pie won’t be around for very long.

My personal favorite is apple pie. Apples, of all varieties, are plentiful for the choosing at this time of year, and several types make great pie fillings. Granny Smith apples are a favorite, because they hold up well, when cooked. They are a bit tart, so a sweeter apple in the mix, cuts the sour taste of these particular apples.

Some suggestions for a more sugary taste are: Gala, Jonathan, or Fuji. Less sugar is needed in recipes when the apples are sweeter.

Apple pies can have a crumb topping like Dutch apple pie or a flaky butter crust. Canned pie filling can be used in a pinch, but it is definitely not as good as one you create yourself from fresh apples.

This year, give yourself a well-deserved break. Try a few no-bake desserts to supplement the pies, sweet breads and muffins. Pudding is great for the kids. Vanilla or butterscotch instant pudding complements the pumpkin bread you worked so hard to make. Ice cream is the ultimate no-bake dessert. A la mode goes with all pies and cakes on the menu.

What are you fixing to satisfy that sweet tooth, this year at Thanksgiving dinner? Add a few easy dessert ideas to the family recipes and make the job easier for you, but still sweet for everyone else.

Selwyn Richards is an award-winning master chef. He is also the President and Executive Chef at The Art of Catering Inc. and is the author of “The Art of Cooking: Soul of The Caribbean”. Chef Selwyn can be reached at: selwyn@theartofcatering.com or by phone — (905) 619-1059.