Thanksgiving dinner can be a trial for even the most experienced home cooks, but Miriam Pascal, author of the new ArtScroll cookbook “Something Sweet: Desserts, Baked Goods, and Treats for Every Occasion,” has come up with a number of make-ahead desserts that promise to ease the job of the holiday chef.
Pascal, who has been called the “queen of kosher desserts,” focuses on recipes with supermarket ingredients and gives parve, allergy and other substitutions when possible.
The book includes several desserts that would be appropriate for Thanksgiving, including her most requested recipe, Hot Gooey Caramel Pie. Make it ahead, freeze and reheat before serving. You can also freeze the Pecan Pie Cigars in layers separated by parchment or waxed paper. To serve, defrost cigars, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for a few minutes at 350 degrees until warmed through. Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie is served straight from the freezer. Caramel sauce would make a sweet topping for any of these desserts.
The recipes below have been edited for space.
Something Sweet’s Hot Gooey Caramel Pie
Makes 2 pies1 cup margarine or butter
8 oz. soy or dairy cream cheese
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup caramel chips
2 purchased graham cracker piecrusts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using electric mixer, cream margarine and cream cheese on medium speed. Add sugar and corn syrup, beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low, add flour. Beat until combined. Stir in caramel chips. Place in crusts. Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is just set but still jiggly. Serve warm or let sit until room temperature for neater slices.
Something Sweet’s Pecan Pie Cigars
Serves 12-141 egg, plus 1 more egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
12-14 phyllo sheets (about 12×17 inches each), defrosted if frozenPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together 1 egg, sugar, corn syrup, oil and vanilla until smooth. Stir in pecans with spoon until well combined.
Work with one phyllo sheet at a time, covering others with plastic wrap. Fold sheet in half to create a rectangle about 12×81/2 inches. Orient the sheet so it is “portrait” or vertical (rather than “landscape” or horizontal). Place 2 Tbs. filling in a narrow, vertical 6-inch line along the center of the phyllo sheet.
Fold one of the short sides over the filling, then the other. Next fold one of the longer sides then the other. Roll rectangle along length to form a cigar. Beat remaining egg. Lightly brush egg along seam to seal. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sheets and filling. Leave space between cigars in case of leaks. Brush tops with egg.
Bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Serve hot.
Something Sweet’s Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie
Serves 8-104 cups vanilla nondairy or dairy
ice cream
3/4 cup canned pumpkin purée (see note)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 purchased graham cracker crust
Defrost ice cream until softened but not melted. Place in food processor. Add pumpkin (Note: use purée, not pre-spiced pie filling), sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Process only until smooth and combined. Spoon into crust. Freeze until ready to serve.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. Faith blogs at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].