Delight your Guests with Fabulous Desserts this Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I bet everyone is drooling just thinking about that delicious turkey.  I love the side dishes such as sweet potatoes, stuffing, and rolls.  My absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving are the desserts of course! Last year I made pumpkin shaped sugar cookies with orange sprinkles on them.  I wanted to make turkey shaped cookies, but my cookie cutter wasn't holding the shape well.

If you're in the final stages of planning your dessert menu, I'd love to interest you in some desserts

that will make the holiday even more memorable.

Chocolate Caramel Trifle with Raspberries

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter or margarine, at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

4 ounces semisweet chocolate 

1 cup sugar 

2 large eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

3/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup milk 

3/4 cup hazelnut- or coffee-flavor liqueur (see notes)

Caramel Pastry Cream

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (6 oz.), rinsed and drained 

Preparation

1. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Coarsely chop 3 ounces of the chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in a microwave oven on full power (100%), stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes total.

3. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1/2 cup butter and the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate.

4. In another bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, stir to combine, then beat until well blended. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread level.

5. Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until cake begins to pull from pan sides, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool to room temperature in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

6. Run a thin knife between cake and pan sides and invert onto a board to release. Cut cake into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Layer a third of the cubes in the bottom of a 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl or other straight-sided glass bowl. Drizzle 1/4 cup liqueur evenly over cake. Spoon a third of the Caramel Pastry Cream over cake and spread level. Repeat to make two more layers each of cake, liqueur, and pastry cream, ending with pastry cream. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 day.

7. Finely chop remaining 1 ounce chocolate or scrape into curls. Arrange raspberries on trifle and sprinkle chocolate evenly over berries. Scoop onto dessert plates to serve.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu

1. 3 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from 1 1/2 envelopes)
2. 2 tablespoons water
3. 6 large egg yolks
4. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
7. 1 quart whole milk
8. One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
9. 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
10. 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
11. 1 pound mascarpone (2 cups)
12. 3 tablespoons Calvados or other apple brandy
13. 1 1/4 pounds gingersnaps, 1/4 pound finely crushed

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks, cornstarch, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until the sugar is moistened. In a large saucepan, heat the milk just until steaming. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Pour the mixture into the milk in the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until boiling and thick, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. Off the heat, whisk in the gelatin, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk in the mascarpone.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the Calvados with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar at high power for 10 seconds, just until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Arrange one-third of the whole gingersnaps in a 9-by-13-by-2 1/2-inch baking dish. Lightly brush the gingersnaps with some of the Calvados and top with one-third of the pumpkin custard. Repeat the layering twice more with the remaining whole gingersnaps, Calvados and custard. Sprinkle half of the crushed gingersnaps on top and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the tiramisù. Freeze overnight.
4. Let the tiramisù stand at room temperature for 6 hours, until thawed. Sprinkle with the remaining gingersnaps. Serve.

Hope these give you some inspiration!