You Always Need More Than One Dessert

 So I already did a post on the traditional Thanksgiving menu which include Libby's Classic Pumpkin Pie.  That does not mean that the only dessert you have to serve is the pumpkin pie.  There is an enormous amount of fun desserts that you can add to your Thanksgiving menu along side the classic!  When it comes to baking I pretty much stick to the recipes and try not to get too creative on my own. I am more of a "cook" then a "baker" when it comes to creating my own. This post is dedicated to all the fun and yummy "side-kicks" to the pumpkin pie most of them recipes I have found along the way and one recipe I did in fact come up with on my own.  After all you always need more than one dessert!!

* Photo courtesy of Cupcakes & Sweets

PUMPKIN APPLE STREUSEL CAKE 

I made this for a friend of mine once when she was pregnant....she could not get enough of it.  She said she craved it morning, noon and night!  It has the best of both worlds when it comes to dessert: apple and pumpkin!  What a great mix!

Apples:

• 3 Tb. unsalted butter
• 4 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith Apples (about 4)
• 3 TB. sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cake:

•  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup (firmly packed ) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsaltd butter, cut into pieces, room temp
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 TB. sugar
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. bkg soda
• 2 large eggs
• Vanilla icecrea (to serve with cake)

For Apples:

1. Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over med-high heat.
2. Add apples and saute until apples begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add sugar and cinnamon and saute until golden brown, about 3 more minutes.
4. Take off heat and cool.

For Cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter 9 inch springform pan
3. Combine flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a large bowl.
4. Using electric mixer beat until it resembles course meal.
5. Set aside 2/3 cup of mixture for topping.
6. Beat pumpkin, sour cream, 2 TB. sugar, spice and baking soda into remaining flour mixture. 
7. Beat in eggs.
8. Transfer batter to pan.
9. Scatter cooled apples evenly over the top.
10. Sprinkle reserved topping over apples.
11. Bake cake until topping is golden brown and tester inserted in center comes out clean - about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
12. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 m inutes.
13. Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake.
14. Release pan sides from cake.
15. Transfer cake to platter.
16. Cool to room temperature and serve with vanilla ice-cream

* Can be made 6 hours ahead of event.

Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Epicurious

LIBBY'S QUICK & EASY PUMPKIN CUPCAKES 

These would be a great addition to your dessert menu for the kids!

• 1 package (18.25 oz.) spice cake mix

•  can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 container (16 oz.) prepared cream cheese or vanilla frosting

1. PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
2. BLEND cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
3.  BAKE for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread cupcakes with frosting. Decorate with assorted sprinkles, if desired.

 * Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Libbys 

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE 

A pumpkin bundt cake is a great recipe to have on hand from Hallowen to New Years!  My husband and I worked together all last season on our version of the perfect Pumpkin Pie Cake!  Enjoy!

Cake:

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. bkg powder
• 1 tsp. bkg soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cup pure pumpkin
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup raisins

Frosting:

• 1 - 12oz. package cream cheese softened
• couple tablespoons of milk (2 - 3)
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup powederd sugar

To Make Cake:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour bundt pan.
2. In a small bowl whisk flour, bkg powder, bkg soda, cinnamon, allspice & salt.
3. In a medium bowl whisk pumpkin, milk, and vanilla together until smooth.
4. In a large bowl beat with electric mixer butter & sugar until fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time beating in between each.
6. Alternately add flour mixture and pumpkin mixture - beginning and ending with flour mixture.
7. Fold in raisins
8. Pour into prepared bundt pan.  Bake 45-50 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle of cake.
9. Let cool in pan 30 minutes to an hour.  Remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make Frosting:

1. Beat cream cheese, milk and powder sugar until a creamy texture is formed.  For a thicker frosting add less milk and more powdered sugar.  For a creamier/drippier frosting add more milk and less powedered sugar.

* Once cake is completely cool frost cake how you would like it to look.  I personally like my frosting thinner so it drips down the sides of the bundt cake.

* Photo Courtesy of Whipped

DEEP DISH CARAMEL APPLE PIE 

I made this last year for Thanksgiving.  It is to die for!  Make sure you have plenty of vanilla ice-cream on hand...it goes great with the apple/caramel juices!

 For crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, frozen
• 4 tablespoons (about) ice water

For streusel:

•  3/4 cup all purpose flour
•  6 tablespoons sugar
•  1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
•  6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

 

For filling:

•  3 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 8), peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
•  1/4 cup all purpose flour
•  1 1/4 cups sugar
•  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
•  3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Make crust:


Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in enough ice water by tablespoonfuls to form large moist clumps. Transfer dough to work surface. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill dough 30 minutes.

Make streusel:

Mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl to blend. Rub in butter with fingertips until mixture forms pea-size clumps. (Dough and streusel can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate streusel. Keep dough chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

Make filling:

Combine apple wedges and 1/4 cup flour in large bowl and toss to coat. Let stand while preparing caramel.
Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup turns deep amber color, brushing pan sides with wet pastry brush and swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and remaining 2 tablespoons water (mixture will bubble vigorously). Return to heat and stir until smooth. Pour caramel over apples; toss to coat. Let stand until apples release juices, tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Roll out dough on floured work surface to 14-inch round. Transfer to 9 1/2-inch-diameter glass pie dish with 1 3/4-inch-high sides. Crimp edges decoratively. Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust. Sprinkle streusel over pie.

Bake pie until apples are tender and streusel is golden, covering crust edge with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool at least 1 hour. Serve pie warm or at room temperature.

* Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious
* Photo Courtesy of My Recipes