Make-ahead Thanksgiving Desserts? Or just dessert chatting welcome too.

[mumkimum]

I've always tended to making any pies the day before - but could really use something I could easily have done 2 days before, or so.  Or is just really easy.

I used to do a great maple-nut tart (but dd2 has nut allergies, and is young enough I'd really rather not have it around this year).

I have been considering homemade butterscotch pudding.

We'll have pumpkin pies and some kind of fruit pie (apple? pear-cranberry?).  Other people will be bringing more pies and possibly cheesecake, though additional cheesecake is a possibility too.  Lots of  dessert choices are really important to my thanksgiving celebrations.    And we'll end up having a bigger group this year than usual too (15 people, it looks like).   

[Kate&Joey]

I'm always up for chatting about dessert! 

In Real Simple last month, it had two recipes for make-ahead Thanksgiving desserts...each can be made two days ahead.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/glazed-triple-chocolate-pound-cake-00100000089158/index.html

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pumpkin-cheesecake-00100000089160/index.html

I've made gingerbread for Thanksgiving before and it was delicious!  I think that's one of those things that is better if it *sits* for a day or two.

I wonder if a fall crisp could be made two days ahead?  Maybe apple and pear?  I think you could bake it (leave out nuts from the topping) and then keep in the fridge.  Bring to room temp and heat in a low oven before serving.

[mumkimum]

Oooh, thanks.  I've been browsing so many recipes lately.  (But who could really complain about that, yk?)

I had been thinking of a pumpkin cheesecake too (I have a recipe I found once that's actually a butternut squash cheesecake I'd love to try) but SIL mentioned she'd bring a dessert, and I suspect it will be a pumpkin cheesecake.  

I do recall a fantastic upside down apple gingerbread cake I've made before.  That might be ideal, now that you mention it.  And I was thinking of making sure we had vanilla ice cream this year anyway - it'd be great with the gingerbread cake.  

[quiethands]

I'm awful with desserts, so I need easy peasy recipes. I found this fresh pumpkin pie recipe--I had to have it fresh because we received a pumpkin in our CSA basket and I had no idea what to do with it. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-fresh-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx

I made it with a store bought pie shell and I didn't use the evaporated milk... Everyone who's had this pie in the last two years that I've been making it has said that it's the best pumpkin pie they're ever had and they request it from me every year. I've prepared it ahead of time and just heat it up in the oven. I love it cold though. 

In all honestly, it's probably the only dessert I make (partially) from scratch, so I'm not the best person to give this advice.

[Thursday Girl]

I'm from Florida so we do a key lime pie (we have a key lime tree in the backyard, but you can buy key lime juice too)

 graham cracker pie crust

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup key lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

 

mix ingredients , pour in pie crust, chill, serve