Mini Thanksgiving Dessert Bites

The big debate at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner has never been about wanting a leg or a wing, white meat or dark meat, or should the potatoes be sweet mashed or twice baked. Rather, it’s always been about what dessert would you like to try and how big of a piece? The dessert table can quite honestly get to the point of insanity. A tasty and enjoyable insanity, but insanity, nonetheless.

Years ago, my Mom would make two homemade apple pies for Thanksgiving. One we would have for breakfast while we watched the Thanksgiving Day parade on the television, the other we would enjoy for dessert. There would also be the occasional coconut custard pie added to the mix. As I started to develop my passion for cooking and for all things pumpkin, it became my tradition to make the pumpkin pie for our dessert table. When my daughter, Julianna, learned how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch in her home economics class, she asked to take over the pumpkin pie duties. My brother, on the other hand, took over the apple pie responsibilities a while back, making not only the traditional lattice crust version that my Mom would make, but also an apple cider cream pie that is beyond amazing. Not only do we have pumpkin pie and two variations of apple pie represented, but there are also holiday cookies, candies and chocolate covered cherries thrown into the mix for the grandkids who are not fans of the traditional Thanksgiving desserts.

It has become an annual pre-holiday conversation, trying to figure out how we can scale this all back a bit. The argument is always that we don’t need all this dessert…but, it’s only one time of year and it all tastes so good. So, every year we have this dessert extravaganza that we all enjoy and appreciate, but honestly are only able to sample just a tiny bit of each. We are just coming off the biggest meal of the year, and now we are trying to enjoy little bits of these delicious baked goods to satisfy our sweet tooth and our curiosity. The coveted ‘sliver’ as my wife Daria would always say.

This past summer, during one of the many get togethers that my close friends and I enjoy, I had made a dessert using crescent rolls cut into 24 individual pieces and baked in a mini muffin tray. The individual pastry cups were topped with whipped mascarpone cheese and berries. The dessert was a big hit, not only for the combination of flavors but also for the simplicity of it being one bite. One piece may have been plenty, but if you wanted more you could take another single serving. No slivers, no samples. It was a nice way to enjoy dessert in a small portion. This, of course, got me thinking about applying this approach to Thanksgiving. With a little bit of research, and a test batch shared with a good friend of mine who has always been one of my favorite taste-testers, I came up with what I think will be the perfect compromise for my family’s Thanksgiving dessert table. 

The recipe below will make 24 individual bite sized servings. You will need one container of crescent rolls for the crust. The dough will get rolled out into one sheet, then cut into 24 individual pieces. Grease a mini muffin tray and place each pastry square into a cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the pastry starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. The pastry cups taste best immediately after being baked and cooled, and should be filled just before serving. I would not recommend filling the pastry cups too far ahead of time, because they may get soggy. You can bake the pastry cups ahead of time and place them, unfilled, into a container and then refrigerate. You can then warm them up in the oven before adding any filling and serving them.

The two pie fillings that I made are not only Thanksgiving approved, but they are also simple to make and very versatile. The measurements for each filling will make enough for 24 individual pastry cups of each, most likely with leftover filling that can be used in several ways.

The apple pie filling, inspired by a recipe that I found online, is made by cooking diced apple pieces tossed with cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup in butter on the stove top for 15 minutes. These spiced apples make for a great pie filling, and they also work well as an addition to yogurt and oatmeal, as a topping for pancakes, waffles or ice cream, or even just on their own as a snack.

The pumpkin pie filling is a no-bake filling that combines canned pumpkin with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, milk, vanilla pudding mix and whipped topping. The recipe for this pie filling will make more than enough needed. The leftover filling can be used in a no-bake graham cracker crust (chilled for 4 hours, if so), served as a dip alongside spiced wafers, or simply enjoyed on its own as a pumpkin spiced pudding. During my test run, I made 12 apple and 12 pumpkin, with plenty of extra leftover filling of both to enjoy.

Whether you choose either of these suggested pie fillings, or come up with your own individual dessert filling (coconut custard, chocolate or banana cream…just to name a few), this presentation will make dessert fun and manageable for everyone.

To serve, you could either assemble the pastry cups before presenting them ready to eat, or you could place the empty pastry cups and a dish of the fillings that you make on the table and allow your guests to make their own bite sized treats. Whatever method you choose, don’t forget the whipped cream topping!

Apple Pie Filling

Courtesy of JoyFoodSunshine.com

3 apples, diced (suggested apples: Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious. A variety works very well)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cut apples into small, 1/2 inch cubes. Put apple pieces into skillet with 2 tablespoons water. Cover, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples become slightly soft and water is absorbed. Add butter to the pan, stir until apples are evenly coated. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Stir until well mixed. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled!

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup milk
1 8-ounce container whipped topping

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the pumpkin puree, vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and milk in a mixing bowl until well combined (you can follow the suggested mixing time on the pudding box). Fold in the whipped topping one tablespoon at a time, until you get the desired taste and texture. You can use as much whipped topping as you prefer, up to the entire 8 ounces. Chill for four hours before serving.

Gluten-Free Lemon Meringue Pie

This week, I’m very happy  to welcome back my good friend, Emma, who shares with us a delicious gluten-free version of  the classic Lemon Meringue Pie. So can’t wait to dig into this one!
Enjoy,
Dom

LEMON MERINGUE PIE
By Emma Caperelli Loerky

Since Labor Day weekend is almost here, I thought it would be a good time to share one of my family’s favorite gluten-free recipes – Lemon Meringue Pie. Whether you are making burgers, ribs, chicken, or even fish on the grill, the cool tartness of the lemon custard combined with the sweet, fluffy meringue and buttery crust makes this pie the perfect ending to your meal, especially on a late summer day.

This is something that I make throughout the year, not only because my family loves it so much, but also because lemons are always in season. I’m not sure how I’ve made this recipe so many times yet have managed to neglect using Meyer lemons (because how awesome would that be?!). However, I never think twice about making it with just plain old lemons simply because it is always delicious, and neither should you.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs cold butter
1 large egg
2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt.

Cut the cold butter into pats, then work the pats into the flour mixture until it’s crumbly, with some larger, pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.

Whisk the egg and vinegar or lemon juice together until very foamy. Mix into the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture holds together, adding 1 to 3 additional tablespoons of cold water if necessary.

Shape into a ball and chill for an hour, or up to overnight.

Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.

Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap and invert into a pie pan.

Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and place the unbaked pie crust in the refrigerator for at least an hour before baking.

Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to fit on the bottom of the pie crust. Allow the parchment to extend a little past the sides of the crust (for easy removal). Place pie weights (or uncooked dry beans) on top of the parchment paper, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and the weights, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove crust from oven and let cool completely.

Lemon Custard
From the magazine, Delight Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
Zest of 4 lemons
3/4 cup lemon juice, strained
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8 egg yolks

Directions:
Combine lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until liquid.

Strain the lemon juice/sugar mixture to eliminate the zest, and beat one-quarter of the boiling liquid into the egg yolks.

Over low heat, return the remaining lemon juice liquid to a boil.

Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the boiling liquid and continue whisking until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. It may come to a slight simmer, but do not allow the custard to boil.

Pour the lemon into a bowl, press plastic wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming and chill for about an hour, or until completely cool.

Pour the chilled lemon custard into the crust.

Meringue
From the magazine, Delight Gluten-Free

Ingredients:
3/4 cup egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups sugar

Directions:
Combine egg whites, salt, and sugar in a medium sized bowl and place over simmering water.

Heat, beating with a whisk, until egg whites are hot (it should feel like hot tap water on your finger) and all of the sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed until cold and stiff.

Pipe meringue on top of lemon custard. Use a pastry torch to caramelize or put under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown. Note: I do not have a pastry torch so I just used my oven which works fine. Just be sure to keep a close eye on the pie, as it will burn easily. Two minutes was just enough time in my oven.

NEW – Thanksgiving Desserts: Pumpkin Layer Cake & Gluten-Free Pumpkin, Sweet Potato & Coconut Pie

It’s that special time of year again, when we gather with family and friends to give thanks, prepare for the upcoming holiday season and celebrate with an amazing meal. Over the past two years, I have shared a few suggestions for Thanksgiving side dishes, desserts and drinks (you can visit my previous posts by clicking here and here). Because my mom is the one in charge of our holiday feast, my suggested recipes are slim and unfortunately I have offered all that I can (for now!). Luckily, my friend Emma has once again offered to share with us a few of her favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Thank you, Emma, for sharing. And thanks to all of you for for continuing to check out Cucina Domenico. May you and yours have a blessed, happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
Ciao!

Since Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I have decided bring you two recipes that would be a nice addition to your Thanksgiving table. Both are a dessert and both feature pumpkin. This time I am going to offer you one that is gluten-free as well as one that is not. Both are equally delicious and I hope you enjoy them.

 

BROWN BUTTER PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Adapted from Fine Cooking

There are two things that set this cake apart from other cakes I’ve made in the past – the brown butter both in the batter and in the frosting, and the sweet yet salty nut topping. Let me just say that browning the butter takes this cake from good to excellent, and I don’t think I’ll ever make buttercream icing again without browning the butter first. It was amazing! That being said, I followed the recipe exactly except for using canned pumpkin purée instead of making my own, doubling both the frosting and the topping and I also weighed the flour instead of using a measuring cup. Based on the reviews I read, I thought that doing so would ensure that the cake wouldn’t be too dense. I had fantastic results and I definitely think you should do the same. While I didn’t use all of the frosting or the topping, I used much more than 1 batch would’ve provided. Believe me, you will find something to use the leftover frosting on if you don’t eat it all as is (like we did). Next time I make this, I may make cupcakes out of it to make sharing easier. 

Ingredients:

For the cake
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
9 oz. (or 2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
3/4 cup unsalted butter; more for pans
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk

For the topping (I am writing this as the recipe stated but I doubled it)
1 1/2 tbs unsalted butter
2/3 cup pecans
1/2 cup unsalted, raw, hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tbs firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
1 1/2 tbs chopped crystallized ginger

For the frosting (I am writing this as the recipe stated but I doubled it)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Make the cake
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the over to 350 degrees F.

 

Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans with removable bottoms (or butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment, butter the parchment, and flour the pans). 

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups of the pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until very well blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake the cakes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks, remove the pan bottoms or parchment, and cool completely.

Make the topping
Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and pepitas and cook until the pecans brown slightly and the pepitas begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.

Make the frosting
Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until the solids settle at the bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the freezer and chill until just firm, about 18 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the butter from bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom; discard the solids.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and the brown sugar has dissolved, 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Assemble the cake
Put one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting on the layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nut mixture over the frosting and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Arrange the remaining topping in a ring 1-1/2 inches in from the edge of the cake and serve.

GLUTEN-FREE PUMPKIN, SWEET POTATO & COCONUT PIE

When I first saw this recipe I thought it looked like a lot of flavors going on at one time, too many in fact. But when I read the recipe and noticed that the coconut came in the form of coconut milk, and that it didn’t call for any other form of milk, I knew I had to try this. Since my husband can’t have milk products, I have struggled to find a decent pumpkin pie recipe for him. They always seem to lack something either in the consistency or the flavor. This pie was perfect. It has a nice texture and the flavors work well together. It tastes like a pumpkin pie with a nice subtle hint of coconut. My son, who says he dislikes coconut and can eat gluten, asked for seconds. And my husband loved it as well.

As far as the crust goes, I like to make my own using King Arthur Flour’s Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour blend. I’ve had the best results with this product but you can use any brand you like. And when rolling out the dough, I have found it easier to roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap. That way I don’t have to use any additional flour which helps in keeping it from getting too dry. This technique has worked the best for me when making a gluten-free pie crust. Also, in order to create the leafy trim around the crust, I made two separate batches of pie crust and I used a pie crust leaf shaped cutter.

Three things about this recipe that I’d like to point out. First, I used a ricer for the potatoes. I actually had to force them through several times and I was concerned that there wasn’t going to be enough filling because of all of the potatoes that were left behind. In the end, there was plenty of filling. And second, because of the long cooking time, you will definitely have to cover the crust with foil or a pie shield about an hour into cooking. And third, it is very important to refrigerate the crust before baking, so please don’t skip that part!

Gluten-Free Pie Crust
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs cold butter
1 large egg
2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar

Directions:
Lightly grease a pie pan

Whisk together the flour, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt.

Cut the cold butter into pats, then work the pats into the flour mixture until it’s crumbly, with some larger, pea-sized chunks of butter remaining.

Whisk the egg and vinegar or lemon juice together until very foamy. Mix into the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture holds together, adding 1 to 3 additional tablespoons of cold water if necessary.

Shape into a ball and chill for an hour, or up to overnight.

Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling.

Roll the dough out between two pieces of plastic wrap and invert into the prepared pie pan.

Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and place the unbaked pie crust in the refrigerator for at least a half hour before baking.

Filling
Adapted for Fine Cooking

Ingredients:
1-1/4 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
3 whole cloves
1 small star anise, crumbled
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
15-oz. can pure solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbs. multi-purpose gluten-free flour
3/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup well-stirred canned coconut milk (not coconut cream)
3/4 cup cold whipping cream, whipped to soft peaks with 1-1/2 Tbs. granulated sugar

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes, cinnamon stick pieces, cloves, star anise, and ginger slices with enough water to just cover the contents. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the sweet potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork or skewer, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving the boiling liquid. Return the potatoes to the pot over low heat and toss to dry them a bit. Discard the cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. Force the warm potatoes through a ricer, a food mill, or a sieve. Boil the liquid if needed, until reduced to 1/4 cup. Let the sweet potato mash and the liquid cool.

Position an oven rack in the lower half of the oven; heat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and sweet potato purée. Whisk in the egg, egg yolk, melted butter, and reserved spiced liquid. In a separate bowl, stir together the granulated and brown sugars with a wire whisk until any large lumps of brown sugar are gone. Sift the gluten-free flour and salt over the sugars; stir to blend. Add the sugar-flour mixture to the pumpkin and stir well until no pockets of sugar are visible. Blend in the coconut milk.

Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell; smooth the top. Brush the pie crust with an egg beaten with 1 tbs water and sprinkle with turbinado sugar (optional) and bake for 1-3/4 to 2 hours, turning the pie several times so it bakes evenly. The point of a thin-bladed knife should come out clean when inserted into the center of the filling, and the edges of the surface will be unevenly cracked. If the edges of the pastry darken too much before the filling is cooked, cover them with a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.