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 hanksgiving
Day is an annual holiday to give thanks. It is celebrated in both the United States,
on the fourth Thursday of November, and Canada, on the second Monday of October. Both countries celebrate this holiday by gathering with family,
and food, most notably the turkey, takes center stage. (That is probably
why Thanksgiving is also known as "Turkey" Day.) Parades and football are
also part of the festivities with the parade watching usually taking place 'before' the feast
and football watching taking place 'after' the feast. The traditional
Thanksgiving dessert, in both countries, is pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin Pie is an open-faced single crust pie shell that
is filled with a smooth custard-like filling made with pumpkin
puree,
eggs, cream or milk, sugar, and spices (mixture usually consisting of cinnamon,
ginger, allspice, and cloves). It is considered a "soft" pie because it is
made with an unbaked crust and uncooked filling that is baked until the crust
has browned and the filling is set.
Another popular pie, especially in the
Southern U.S., is the Pecan Pie. It,
like the pumpkin pie,
is an open-faced single crust pie shell that is
filled with a custard-like filling. But, unlike the pumpkin pie, the
filling isn't smooth, as it is chock full of toasted and chopped pecans
which makes this pie very rich and decadent. continued
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Continued from above.
Now, there are other desserts that are traditionally served at this feast, but these
often vary from family to family as well as by region of the country. But
if your dessert menu is looking for something new this year, may I offer some
suggestions. For the pumpkin lover, besides pumpkin pie, try either
the Pumpkin Spice Cake or the Pumpkin Cheesecake as it combines that classic New
York-style cheesecake (always a favorite) with pumpkin puree and its
complementary spices. Other real showstoppers are the raspberry-topped Chocolate Genoise,
the truffle-topped Chocolate Hazelnut Torte, the Raspberry Cream-filled Sponge
Cake, the beautifully topped Fruit Tart, or the brilliantly colored Red Velvet
Cake. More homey desserts are the Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, or the Cranberry
Pear and Apple Crumble. Of course, we cannot forget the children, and
nothing pleases them more than cookies, whether that is Chocolate Chip Cookies,
Chocolate Fudge, or deliciously decorated Gingerbread Men.
We will soon be heading
into the busy Holiday Season which means decorating the house, buying gifts and
lots and lots of baking. So for now, take the time to give thanks and
enjoy the company of your family and friends.
Happy Thanksgiving.
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