Thanksgiving Desserts - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. This week's post deals with Thanksgiving Desserts.

If you're in the U.S., you know that this Thursday is Thanksgiving. It seems that everyone has some way to celebrate, whether it's a large gathering for a large, extended family, or a smaller, intimate affair. We all have our traditions, which seem to evolve over the years.

While turkey is frequently the main thing many people think of when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, we all seem to love desserts, too. (Well, most of us do.)

Here are six dessert recipes to help you through your Thanksgiving, as well as any other time, including Quick Vegan Crock Pot Apple Crumble and New York Cheesecake. Hope your Thanksgiving is nice. Enjoy!

PUMPKIN PUDDING

This comes from the January 2005 issue of Vegetarian Times. It begins, “The holidays are fading fast, but that doesn’t mean that the season’s favorites—pumpkins and cranberries—have to go with them. This easy-to-assemble pudding is just as good warm or chilled.” Serves 6 in 30 minutes or less.

To view this online, go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/pumpkin-pudding/.

2 cups vanilla soymilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup instant tapioca pearls

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, or to taste

Pinch of salt

1 15-oz. can pumpkin purée

2 cups mixed dried fruits, including cranberries, raisins and apples

1 cup toasted pecan halves, as garnish, optional

Put 1 1/2 cups soymilk and vanilla extract into saucepan, and stir in tapioca pearls. Stir remaining 1/2 cup soymilk with cornstarch, and, when well mixed, stir cornstarch mixture into tapioca mixture. Let sit 5 minutes.

Heat soymilk mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pudding begins to thicken, about 7 minutes. Whisk in sugar and salt, stirring to remove any lumps.

Stir in pumpkin purée and dried fruit. Continue cooking and stirring 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, and spoon into heatproof serving bowl. Serve warm, or refrigerate.

To serve, garnish with toasted pecans, if using.

nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 290; Protein: 4 g; Total Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 67 g; Sodium: 150 mg; Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 41 g; Vegan

CREAMY LEMONADE PIE

This comes from a long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.

Ingredients

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. instant lemon pudding mix

2 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese softened

3/4 C. lemonade concentrate

1 graham cracker crust

Directions

In a mixing bowl combine milk and pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in lemonade concentrate. Gradually beat in pudding mixture. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

A friend of mine, Kevin, used to regale me with stories of making tons of cheesecake for family holiday meals. While his weren't diabetic-friendly, this still reminded me of Kevin. Since Kev isn't well, I wanted to post this in honor of him.

9 servings

Source: The Diabetes Snack Munch Nibble Nosh Book

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/794.shtml

Ingredients

3/4 cup very finely ground pecans (1 cup whole pecans)

1 (15 ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 cup Splenda

1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute

2 tablespoons white flour

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Zest (grated rind) of one small lemon

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

Sprinkle the ground pecans evenly over the pan bottom, patting them into place. The crust layer will be very light and may not entirely cover the bottom of the pan.

In a food processor, combine the ricotta, yogurt, Splenda, egg substitute, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest. Process until partially smoothed, about 1-1/2 minutes.

Cut the cream cheese into 9 or 10 chunks. One at a time, add the chunks through the feed tube. Process after each addition. Process until smooth - an additional 1-1/2 to 2 minutes.

Carefully spoon the mixture over the ground pecans.

Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. and bake for an additional 50 to 60 minutes or until the cheesecake edges have begun to brown and the center is puffed and seems set when the surface is lightly tapped.

Remove to a rack and cool for 20 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight until cooled. When cooled, cover with plastic wrap. If desired, top with cut fruit.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 272; Protein: 11 g; Fat: 21 g; Sodium: 178 mg; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 7 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Exchanges: 1 Medium-Fat Meat, 3 Fat, 1 Carbohydrate

QUICK VEGAN CROCK POT APPLE CRUMBLE

This comes from Jolinda Hackett, who wrote for The Spruce Eats. Jolinda wrote, “A quick and easy recipe for a vegan apple crumble (just like an apple crisp, if you prefer!) that you can make in your crockpot or slow cooker. Make sure to read the ingredients of whatever kind of granola you use, as many are not vegan.

“Refined sugar-free and vegan, this apple crumble or apple crisp recipe takes just minutes to prepare. It's made from fresh sliced apples sweetened with a bit of maple syrup (use real maple syrup, not bottled flavored corn syrup!) and topped off with a crumble granola, cinnamon and nutmeg topping. Using granola for the top of this apple crumble means that there's no bowls to get dirty and nothing to mix. Just sprinkle everything over the top of your crock pot or slow cooker.

“Like waking up to a hot and delicious breakfast or coming home to a sweet dessert already ready to go? You might also want to try this recipe for crockpot peach cobbler or scroll down for a few more vegetarian and vegan crockpot recipes including a few desserts.

“Enjoy!” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 480 minutes (8 hours); Total Time: 500 minutes; Yield: about 4 servings.

To view this online, click here.

Note: Jolinda’s Cranberry Peach Cobbler recipe follows immediately after this recipe.

Ingredients

4 apples, sliced

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp margarine

2 cups granola

Preparation

Place apples in your crock pot or slow cooker. Drizzle with maple syrup, spices and margarine, then cover with granola.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

APPLE PIE

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Sam wrote, “In 2013, at least, one of the great pie makers in New York City was Kierin Baldwin, the pastry chef at The Dutch in the SoHo neighborhood. This recipe is adapted from hers, for a plain apple pie. It benefits from heeding her advice to pre-cook the filling before baking. “Apple pies that have crunchy, raw apples in them are a pet peeve of mine,” Ms. Baldwin said. Peel and core the fruit, cut it into slices, then macerate them in a plume of sugar. Cook these soft with a splash of acid (like lemon juice or cider vinegar) and a hint of cinnamon and allspice, then add some starch to thicken the whole. Allow the mixture to cool completely before using it in the pie. (For everything you need to know to make the perfect pie crust, visit our pie guide.)” Yield: 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 30 minutes.

This was featured in “Pie Fidelity” and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 pounds apples, peeled and cored, then cut into wedges (5 large honeycrisps will do it)

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 recipe all-purpose pie dough (next recipe)

1 egg, lightly beaten

Preparations

Melt butter in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat and add apples to the pan. Stir to coat fruit with butter and cook, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the spices, salt and .75 cup sugar, and sprinkle this over the pan, stirring to combine. Lower heat and cook until apples have started to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour and cornstarch over the apples and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, add cider vinegar, stir and scrape fruit mixture into a bowl and allow to cool completely. (The fruit mixture will cool faster if spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.)

Place a large baking sheet on the middle rack of oven and preheat to 425. Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator and, using a pin, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 12 inches in diameter. Fit this crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trimming it to leave a .5-inch overhang. Place this plate, with the dough, in the freezer.

Roll out the remaining dough on a lightly floured surface until it is roughly 10 or 11 inches in diameter.

Remove pie crust from freezer and put the cooled pie filling into it. Cover with remaining dough. Press the edges together, trim the excess, then crimp the edges with the tines of a fork. Using a sharp knife, cut three or four steam vents in the top of the crust. Lightly brush the top of the pie with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Place pie in oven and bake on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 375. Continue to cook until the interior is bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes more. Remove and allow to cool on a windowsill or kitchen rack, about two hours.

ALL-PURPOSE PIE DOUGH

This also comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This can be found online here.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cold

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

Yolk of 1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1/4 cup water, from 3/4 cup ice water

Preparations

Using your fingertips or the pulse function of a food processor, blend together the flour, fats and salt until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. There should be pebbles of butter throughout the mixture.

Add egg yolk and vinegar to 1/4 cup ice water and stir to combine. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of this mixture over the dough and gently stir or pulse to combine. Gather a golfball-size bit of dough and squeeze to combine. If it does not hold together, add a little more of the liquid and stir or pulse, then check again. Repeat as necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gather together into a rough ball. You want to be careful not to overwork the flour, but not too careful; the dough should hold together. Divide the ball in half with a knife or a pastry scraper, then divide each portion in half again, and again, to create eight portions. Using the heel of your hand, flatten each portion of dough once or twice to expand the pebbles of butter, then gather the dough together again in one ball. Divide this ball in half.

Flatten each ball into a 5- or 6-inch disc and dust lightly with flour. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.