Baking Meetup #3: Thanksgiving Desserts

Thanksgiving Desserts: baking meetup on November 10, 2019

Here are the recipes for the desserts everyone brought to our third baking meetup last weekend. This month's theme was Thanksgiving desserts so hopefully this can give you some ideas of what to make for your own Thanksgiving table.

Everything was delicious and I'm really impressed with the bakers in the group. Unfortunately, it turns out even *I* cannot eat 8 desserts in one go. I did my best with (small) servings of 5 of the desserts but had to take the last 3 home "to go" so I could eat them later when I wasn't stuffed so full of sugar.

Amish Peanut Butter Pie - Dawn (waiting on recipe - will update when I receive it)

Cream Cheese Pie - Vikki

Cream Cheese Pie
Crust
1/2 box graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, room temperature, cut into chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream Cheese Filling
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
lemon juice or lemon peel, optional, for flavoring

Sour Cream Topping
1 cup sour cream
3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Press into a lightly buttered 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
2. While crust is cooling, make the filling by combining the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla; mix on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and mix until just incorporated.
3. Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake until set, 25 to 30 minutes (center will still jiggle slightly). Cool 5 minutes before topping. Leave oven on.
4. Combine the sour cream, granulated sugar and vanilla in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spread onto the pie and bake 10 more minutes.

Pecan Pie - Mike

Vodka Pie Crust (Vodka evaporates out) 2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon table salt 2 tablespoons sugar 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (sliced small) ½ cup chilled solid vegetable shortening ¼ cup vodka, cold ¼ cup cold water Mix the dry. Add butter and shortening(spoonful at a time) until it looks like cottage cheese. Add the wet. (vodka and water) Mix and divide in two balls. Refrigerate for an hour or more. Pecan Pie 1 (9 inch) pie shell 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup light corn syrup 3 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pinch salt 1 cup chopped pecans  

Mix all ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake 350 for 60 to 70 min.

Pumpkin Cheesecake - Bonnie (and son)

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted salted butter

Filling
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1.2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Crust: In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
3. Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
4. Pour onto crust. Spread evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake - Mary

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 can (425 grams) pumpkin puree
1 cup (198 grams) vegetable oil
1 cup (60 grams) bran cereal
2 cups (241 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (397 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 cup (113 grams) chopped walnuts
2 2/3 cups (454 grams) chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10" tube or Bundt pan (as you can see, Mary used small, fall-shaped mini cake pans).
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy.
3. Stir in pumpkin, vegetable oil and bran cereal; combine well.
4. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices.
5. Add to wet ingredients and mix gently, until just combined.
6. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes (less time if you're using smaller pans) or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and cool the cake in pan for 10 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely on a rack before slicing.
10. Store, loosely covered, at room temperature for 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Bacardi Rum Cake

 Bacardi Rum Cake
1 cup walnuts, very finely chopped
1 package yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces)
1 package Jello vanilla flavor instant pudding & pie filing (3.4 ounces)
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Bacardi rum, gold, 80 proof

1. Spray 10" bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with flour and pour off excess. Sprinkle walnuts evenly in bottom of pan and up the sides.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil & rum in a large mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes.Prick bottom of cake with a cake tester. Pull from sides and pour 1/2 the glaze from a spoon into sides and pricked areas. Then turn over and transfer to a cake plate. Prick top of cake and glaze with the other half of the glaze. When cool, sprinkle top and sides with powdered sugar.

Glaze for Bacardi Rum Cake
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup Bacardi rum, gold, 80 proof

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar and water, then bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in rum and bring just to a boil. While warm, spoon glaze over cake as directed.

Sweet Potato Cake

Recipe for Sweet Potato Cake is here, For the Bundt cake, I only made a half recipe and made up my own glaze of powdered sugar, whole milk and vanilla extract.

Unfortunately not pictured (I thought I had taken pics of it but after the evening was over, it turns out I hadn't :( ), Brittany had brought a beautiful pumpkin roll. Here's the recipe, sorry there aren't pictures!

Libby's Pumpkin Roll
Cake
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Filling
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar, optional

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
3. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with the narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
4. Filling: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.