Thanksgiving Dessert Extravaganza!

Ok, so I am a slacker!  I promised this post on Saturday, but I totally blew it off to go on a date night with my hubby who had been out of town for 2 weeks....and earlier today, we took the kiddos swimming and basically played all day.  But, here I am...all yours with some FABULOUS desserts in tow.
Now, I am breaking food-blog-law by not posting MY pictures of the recipes I am going to share.  See, these are the two desserts I always make on Thanksgiving, and I tend to throw in others that rotate depending how many people we are serving.  I did not want to make them early, and I didn't want to make them twice.  But I promise, I WILL take a picture so that I can put it on for next year :)
So, first up...again by me!



photo courtesy of Food Network


Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake - recipe slightly adapted by Paula Deen.  This has forever replaced pumpkin pie in our house.

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix (or spice cake mix)
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 2 TBSP (more to taste) pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13”x 9” baking pan.
To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Spread filling over cake batter and bake for 50 minutes. Center will be gooey. Let cool to room temperature before serving. Great with fresh whipped cream as garnish.

~and~



photo courtesy of Pillsbury


Cream Cheese Brownie Pie - recipe from Pillsbury, million dollar winner, baby!

Crust:

• 1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg

Brownie Layer:

• 1 box (15.8 oz) Pillsbury® double chocolate brownie mix
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Topping:

• Reserved chocolate syrup packet from brownie mix
• 3 tablespoons hot fudge topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.
2. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese layer ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth; set aside.
3. Reserve chocolate syrup packet from brownie mix for topping. In large bowl, place brownie mix, oil, water and eggs; beat 50 strokes with spoon.
4. Spread 1/2 cup brownie mixture in bottom of crust-lined pie plate. Spoon and carefully spread cream cheese mixture over brownie layer. Top with small spoonfuls of remaining brownie mixture; spread evenly. Sprinkle with pecans. Cover crust edge with 2- to 3-inch-wide strips of foil to prevent excessive browning; remove foil during last 15 minutes of bake time.
5. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is puffed and crust is golden brown (pie may have cracks on surface).
6. In small bowl, mix chocolate syrup from packet and hot fudge topping. Place mixture in small resealable bag. Cut small hole off corner of bag. Drizzle topping over pie. Cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving. Cover and refrigerate any remaining pie.


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Next up is from Tina, the Mommy at Mommy's Kitchen.  Make sure you check out this FABULOUS dessert as well as all her other tasty dishes!




Photo courtesy of Mommy's Kitchen



Dulce De Leche Pumpkin Cheesecake - to see recipe, click on name and wiggle your nose to be magically transported to her site!

   

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Brandie, aka the Country Cook sent over this luscious dessert that uses the magical Crock Pot!  Love that!

Check out all of Brandie's fabulous dishes either on her Face Book page or at Tasty Kitchen!

Slow Cooker Apple and Pecan Crisp

• 6 cups Granny Smith Apples (or 6 Medium-sized Apples)
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
• ½ cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (not the quick cooking kind)
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• ½ cup White Sugar
• ¼ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cup Cold Butter, Cut Into Cubes
• ½ cup Chopped Pecans

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Peel apples and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices. In a large
bowl, mix apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice to coat. Place in the slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, white sugar, flour and butter with a pastry blender or
fork until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the apples.
Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Serve apple crisp with ice cream.
Cook’s Tip: For an added variation, try adding heath toffee bits to this. It makes it taste like a
praline apple crisp
Enjoy!

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And from my kitchen sister at Sublime Hodge Podge, Jill.  She had a GREAT Thanksgiving week last week too, make sure you check out all of her recipes as well!

photo courtesy of Sublime Hodge Podge

Cranberry Orange Buttermilk Bread

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries
• 1/8 cup raw sugar (or the packets work fine too)

Start by picking through your cranberries and removing any stems or tossing out any bad ones. Rinse VERY well, drain and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl (or your mixer stand bowl), mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, cooled melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the cranberries and pour into the loaf pan. Sprinkle raw sugar over top of the batter.
Bake until golden brown on top and toothpick/cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. (check at 1 hour and go from there) Cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Keri gives us her Pumpkin Pie recipe that she uses every year!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie


I’ve used this recipe for years, but there’s nothing secret about it. It’s the Eagle brand recipe. I just love it.
For the pie crust, I used my grandmother’s recipe which I’ve included too.

Ingredients:

• 2 (15oz) cans pumpkin pack
• 2 (14oz) cans Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 4 eggs
• 2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. ground nutmeg
• 1 t. salt
• 2 (9 in. unbaked pie crusts)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl
until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue baking for 35 – 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1
inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Grandma Jean’s Pie Crust

This is the best I’ve used. It’s the vinegar that does the trick. It’s very flaky and yummy! This makes 4
small or 3 large crusts. Can be kept in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Ingredients:

• 3 C. flour
• 1 C. shortening
• 1 t. salt
• 1 T. vinegar
• 1 egg
• 4-5 T water

Directions:
1. Blend flour, salt and shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas.
2. Make 3 holes in mixture and fill on with vinegar, one with the beaten egg, and one with water. Mix
with fork.
3. Place on floured board and knead with hands until fully blended.


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Holly is back with a twist on a favorite dessert that shakes up the norm...yes, THIS Holly.  The one who makes these super adorable cupcake gift card holders!  Make sure you go check out her Etsy shop!

photo courtesy of Holly

Raspberry Pretzel Salad


Crust:

• 3 cups crushed pretzels
• ¾ cup melted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Jello salad:

• 1 large box raspberry Jello
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• ½ cup sugar
• 8 ounces Cool Whip
• 1 package frozen raspberries

For the crust, combine crust ingredients. Spread evenly on bottom of a 9” x 13” pan. Press into dish. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool.
For the salad, dissolve Jello in 2 cups of water. Refrigerate until partially set. In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese with ½ cup sugar. Carefully combine with Cool Whip. Spread over cooled crust. Remove Jello from refrigerator. Add raspberries (do not thaw) to Jello. Pour over cream cheese mixture spread over crust. Refrigerate. Salad is ready to serve when Jello is completely set.

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Amy treats us with TWO pies!

"Here is a recipe for pumpkin pie. It's from Southern Living and it is AWESOME! It is a long recipe and it takes about an hour to prepare and bake, but it is sooooo worth it!"


Pumpkin Pie Spectacular

Ingredients

• 1/2 (15-oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts
• 2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 40 gingersnaps)
• 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
• 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pecan Streusel (recipe below)
• 7 thin ginger cookies, halved

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Fit pie crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.
2. Stir together crushed gingersnaps and next 3 ingredients. Press mixture on bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pie crust.
3. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
4. Stir together pumpkin and next 6 ingredients until well blended. Pour into prepared crust. Place pie on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle Pecan Streusel around edge of crust. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until set, shielding edges with aluminum foil during last 25 to 30 minutes of baking, if necessary. Insert ginger cookies around edge of crust. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).
Note: We tested with Anna's Ginger Thins.

Pecan Streusel
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Preparation
Stir together flour, brown sugar, melted butter, and chopped pecans.

~and~

Pinto Bean Pecan Pie
"Okay, this is a pecan pie made with Pinto Beans. I know, sounds gross... but oh, so good! And a little bit healthier than the traditional version. This recipe is from my mother-in-law.  Makes 3 pies."

• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3 cup sugar
• 1 cup canned Pinto Beans, drained
• 2 sticks margarine, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c shredded coconut
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 3 refrigerated pie crusts

Mix eggs and sugar first (do not beat). Then add remaining ingredients (do not beat). Divide equally into 3 pie shells. Top with whole pecans. Bake 45 min at 350 degrees.

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Amanda gives us her tried and true recipe for Pumpkin Cake:

Pumpkin Cake

• 1 yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1cup pumpkin
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup water

Bake 50 min @ 350 degrees; for icing, mix 1 box powdered sugar (2C), 1/2 stick of butter softened, 2 tsp vanilla, 8 oz cream cheese softened, and 1C nuts . . . but to be perfectly honest, we always use melted caramel as the icing, and it's deeeelish!

 
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Leslie, Leslie, Leslie....she posted this recipe and I about fell out of my chair!  Seriously, YUM!  Please go immediately to her site and check this bad boy out!

photo courtesy of The Hungry Housewife

 
Cherry Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake - again, click on the recipe name and do a little jig cause this is gettin' good!
 
 
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Laura from Real Mom Kitchen supplied us with these oh-so-fabulous treats:
Again, just clickity, click, click the recipe name

photo courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen

Black Forest Cheesecake

photo courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen

Apple or Peach Mini Crostadas

photo courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen

French Silk Pie
 
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Amber, the Mommy at This Mommy Cooks brings us some of her favorite desserts as well.  Click on the recipe name and go check them out!

photo courtesy of This Mommy Cooks

Homemade Apple Pie
 
Turtle Cheesecake
 
Banana Pudding
 
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Whew!  So have we all gone up about 3 pants sizes yet?!  No, just me?!  Ok, well that figures!
If you have a dessert you would like to link-up, please do so at the bottom of this post.  Thank you for sharing your yummies, please make sure you link back to this post in yours so we can all share the linky lovin'!
On Tuesday, we will be posting some traditions, place settings, and a VERY EXCITING announcement about our 1st giveaway!!!