Question of the Day, Friday, November 20

Good morning!   And Happy Friday! 

Easy question today: What is the one dessert you would like to find on your Thanksgiving table?

With me, it's pumpkin pie. It's pretty much the only time I make pumpkin pie throughout the year. And I don't know why because we do like it.

My Mom's pumpkin pie!

Even though I made pies with her 1000 times, they just never taste exactly the same way Mom's did! 

Maybe it was just the aroma of her and her kitchen that I am missing - but OMG! Her homemade pies were the absolute best! 

Homemade cookies.

Pumpkin pie is a "must" for Thanksgiving, preferably with real whipped cream on top.

My mom used to make pumpkin parfait squares--the recipe was on the old Libby's canned pumpkin cans.  Thanks for this topic--I'd forgotten about that dessert!  I just found the recipe online and I am going to make some.    

http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/ice-cream/pumpkin-parfait-squares.html

I love pumpkin pie. Funny, my mom never made it. I did when I started baking. 

My mom always had her special apple pie and a special pineapple-coconut lemon merengue pie...That one was very special, and only twice a year, if we were lucky. She had a very hard time making that crust. 

Cookies were always on hand at every holiday. 

As I get older, there is just nothing that can compare with my mom's apple pies, her cookies, and her speciality pie.....nothing;. I guess it is memories....

My tradition is pumpkin pie.. I love it! 

I would say pumpkin pie because it is tradition though it isn't one of my favorites.  My favorites that are usually around at Thanksgiving would be apple pie and pecan pie.

pumpkin pie!

If I had to pick one, I guess it would be key lime pie.Our local grocery store, Publix, makes a really good one. I like a slice frozen. DD and I love it. Since her BF will be here, I doubt that the KLP will be making an appearance. Our dessert will be gluten free, dairy free and will not contain chocolate. He's lucky I like him or it would be chocolate cream pie for everybody!

I know this going to seem strange but I am not looking forward to desserts. What I look forward to is the greens. A friend of mine makes them at holidays. Mixed greens with smoked ham hocks. I could just eat that and be happy. 

Louann Jude said:

 
I know this going to seem strange but I am not looking forward to desserts. What I look forward to is the greens. A friend of mine makes them at holidays. Mixed greens with smoked ham hocks. I could just eat that and be happy. 

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Yum. I love greens with smoked ham hocks. So good! They are also good made with smoked turkey wings.

I have never had them that way I bet they would be good. I dont make them because im the only one in my family that eats them. Thats why I get excited for holidays. 

pumpkin pie and a ton of whipped cream

I'm usually too stuffed to eat dessert.  Pumpkin pie w/whipped cream for breakfast the next day!

Well we do dessert like 2 or 3 hours after the big meal.

I look forward to pumpkin pie (it's my favorite!) and the chocolate cream pie. My mom did buy a razzleberry (blueberry and raspberry) Marie Calendar's pie that I do want to try but probably not that night.

I'm all for the pumpkin and chocolate! I really don't like whipped cream but it's necessary on pie and pancakes.

Grandma's apple pie!  Mine are good; but they don't taste like hers even though she says I'm using the same recipe.  I think I might go heavier on the nutmeg and use a different apple.  

I personally have found that a mix of 3 or 4 different apples makes the best pies and crisps.  A lot of people swear by using the Granny Smiths alone and I do include them but I use others as well.  Really any apple but the Red Delicious can be used in the mix.

Denice said:

 
I personally have found that a mix of 3 or 4 different apples makes the best pies and crisps.  A lot of people swear by using the Granny Smiths alone and I do include them but I use others as well.  Really any apple but the Red Delicious can be used in the mix.

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Thats what I do now.  I love mixing sweet and tart apples.  It tastes so good!!  My Grandma had one particular kind she used and i just don't remember which.  One of those things you wish you could go back and ask someone.  I mixed the apples for an apple cake and that also was really tasty!

I forgot about getting to the orchard this week; so we will see what I end up getting to do for Thanksgiving.  Last year they ran out of a lot of the varieties.

I'm a big Granny fan, but use a good variety of apples in my pies and in my applesauce. Some are sweeter, some are more tart and I've found that a good mix of apples usually means that I can cut way back on the amount of sugar I use in my pies. I don't sweeten my applesauce at all anymore. Rick likes it better that way and, since I cook with applesauce (Applesauce BBQ-Glazed Spareribs, for example), we don't have to worry about the extra sugar in the dish. 

My MIL swore by Paula Reds and Ida Reds. She made good apple pies. I used Paula Reds pick-offs (second-grade apples) for years, but then decided I wanted something different. We use a whole variety now.

Reading about apple pies brought back a memory from when my daughter was about 7 years old. 

I was baking an apple pie for Thanksgiving and when I pulled out my spice box, I discovered I was out of cinnamon and made a comment that we were going to have run to the grocery real quick to get some. My daughter quickly ran to her room (I thought she was getting her shoes and coat) and came back with a huge grin on her face. She said, "We can use these!", and she handed me a box of Red Hot candies that she got at Halloween!

Well, why not? They were sweet and cinnamon-ie! I sprinkled them over the apples and baked it as usual. It wasn't the traditional apple pie, but it was really pretty good! And the apples were pink! If you want to try them in a pie, you can always do a 'taste test' and make a small pie in a ramekin to see how you like it! Sometimes, I will still make a small batch (1 or 2 apples) of chunky applesauce for my dinner and toss in some Red Hots. I like it that way!

As far as apples go for baking in a pie, I tend to go with the Gala because they are pretty much a 'happy medium' with regard to sweet/tartness and firmness. But, I will often mix-and-match for a variety of flavors and textures. 

Here is a link I found a while ago that narrows down which apples are which when it comes to choosing on for baking pies verses making applesauce. Interesting info, but I still go with my instinct and own preference most of the time.

http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2011/...st-apples-for-apple-pies-how-to-make-pie.html 

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