It’s that time again! Almost another year has passed and the holiday season is just around the corner. This is by far one of the most naturally stressful times for us all. There is so much going on around us, all the time, it seems like at this time of year, every year, people go just a little bit crazy.
Well, I want you to know that you are not alone, help is at hand. I’m going to share with you a few very simple recipes that will help you to better organize your thanksgiving desserts.
Use these recipes this thanksgiving and you will find that you have plenty of time to organize everything else. You may even find that you have a little extra time on your hands where you can sit back, take a load off, and relax.
After all, the holidays are supposed to be about fun and relaxation, so let us do everything we can to ease the stress this Thanksgiving.
1 – Yummy Baked Apples
Ingredients
6 Sweet, firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
¾ cup of white sugar
1/3 cup of rum or ½ cup maple syrup
2 pints of vanilla ice-cream
Directions
Step 1 – Mix the apple wedges with the lemon juice, butter, and sugar (leaving two tablespoons of sugar for later). Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Step 2 – Bake the apples at 356 degrees Fahrenheit, until soft. Sprinkle remaining sugar over and continue baking until the sugar melts.
Step 3 – Gently heat the rum or maple syrup in a saucepan.
Step 4 – Serve the apples with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and pour the heated sauce on top. Yum!
2 – Chocolicious Bread Pudding
Ingredients
•4 cups of whole milk
4 medium sized eggs
½ cup of sugar
8 tablespoons of butter or margarine
12 ounces of milk-chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 loaf of white-bread, trimmed to remove the crusts
1 pint of thickened cream, whipped until you can safely hold the bowl over your head upside down (the kids will love to test this one!)
Directions
Step 1 – Whisk the milk, eggs and sugar in a saucepan, then add the butter and chocolate chips over a low heat. Keep stirring until the butter and chocolate have both melted. Add vanilla and remove from heat.
Step 2 – Lightly coat a 13×9 inch baking tray with a thin layer of oil. Arrange the bread slices in 3 layers. Pour the heated sauce mixture over the top.
Step 3 – Cover with plastic wrap and place a second baking tray on top to weight it down. Leave to sit for 1 hour. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4 – Remove top baking tray and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream.
3 – Pumpkin Rice Pudding (made two days in advance)
Ingredients
2 cups short grain rice
6 cups whole milk
1 cup white sugar
½ a vanilla bean split down the middle
1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
¼ cup of orange juice, (fresh is best)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup of canned pumpkin
¼ cup of dark brown sugar
Directions
Step 1 – Combine the rice, milk, sugar, vanilla bean, orange zest, orange juice, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat over a medium heat until thoroughly mixed, stirring often. Once mixed, reduce to a low heat and continue to cook until the rice is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat.
Step 2 – Remove the vanilla bean from the mix. Add in the pumpkin. Allow to cool.
Step 3 – Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When re-warming to serve, add 1 and ½ cups of milk and stir in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Serve warm, with a sprinkle of dark sugar.
4 – SuperQuick Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
8 Triangles of Swiss milk-chocolate nougat bar
1 and ½ cups of thawed cool-whip whipped topping
Directions
Step 1 – Microwave chocolate in a microwaveable bowl on high for 1 minute. Allow to cool for 1 minute.
Step 2 – Add whipped topping, stirring with a whisk to allow to air.
Step 3 – Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. Serve, enjoy. Yum!
5 – Lemon Pudding (made one day in advance)
Ingredients
4 lemons
2 and ¼ cups of white sugar
3 and ½ cups of thickened cream
A pinch of salt
Directions
Step 1 – Peel the zest from the lemons and cut into thin 1 inch strips. Place them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and return zest to saucepan.
Step 2 – Add to saucepan 1 and ¼ cups of the sugar and 1 and ¼ cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat until syrup has reduced by 1/3. After this, remove the zest pieces with a fork or slotted spoon and add them into a bowl of the remaining sugar.
Step 3 – Add 3 cups of the cream to the lemon syrup in the saucepan and simmer until reduced by 1/3.
Step 4 – Half and juice the lemons and add the juice and salt to the saucepan and allow to cool slightly. Once slightly cooled, pour the mixture into pudding glasses or small bowls and chill in the refrigerator overnight until set. Serve with a dollop of the remaining cream and garnish with the zest pieces.
Final Thoughts
Five very simple recipes that will help you to better manage dessert this thanksgiving. Remember, the holidays are a time for fun, family, and relaxation, so take a load off, and make it simple. Let the kids and the rest of the family get involved too.
You never know, they may enjoy helping so much that there’s nothing left for you to do! Well, we can at least dream can’t we?
So go have some fun, and Happy Thanksgiving!
