THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

YUM!! LOVE THANKSGIVING...

This year I decided to bake my own desserts. I started baking Wednesday night to keep the oven free for the good 'ol turkey Thursday.
I usually find my favorite recipes on allrecipes.com
I love that they give reviews and tips from other posters on how to improve the recipe.

First I started with a Pumpkin Pie...I am not a big fan of Pumpkin anything, but my wonderful husband loves it and I wanted to make something for him too.
Here is the recipe that I found on the allrecipe.com
It turned out great and even I enjoyed a slice. At first when I read the ingredients, it seemed like a lot of work, but it turned out to be quite easy.
Then I made an Apple Pie which is both delicious and easy to make

And then on Thursday Morning, I made Individual Mini-Cheesecakes, which also turned out great.

I used a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens ("New Cook Book") Page: 416 for the Pastry-Single Crust Pie. It was easy and quick to make.

Here is the Recipe : Pastry for Single-Crust Pie

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

4-5 tablespoons cold water

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut the shortening until pieces are pea-sized. *** I used a whisk since I don't have a pastry blender and it didn't take much time at all ****

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into a ball. ***I used about 4 1/2 tablespoons of water**

3. On a lightly floured surface, use your hand to slightly flatten dough. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

4. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond the edges of the pie plate. Fold under extra pastry.

Now on to the recipe for the pie.

Old Fashioned Paradise Pumpkin Pie

"This triple-decker pie has a cheesecake layer on the bottom, pumpkin custard in the middle, and a pecan streusel layer on top. Paradise!" SUBMITTED BY: Holly

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (9 inch) pie shell
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Make Cheesecake Layer: In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar, then add vanilla extract and 1 egg. Beat mixture until light and smooth. Chill mixture for 30 minutes, then spread into pastry shell.
3. To Make Pumpkin Layer: In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
4. Pour pumpkin mixture over cream cheese layer. Cover edges of crust with aluminum foil.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from edges and bake an additional 25 minutes.
6. To Make Pecan Streusel Layer: While pie is in oven, combine flour and 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix well, then add softened butter or margarine and stir until ingredients are combined. Mix in pecans.
7. After pie has been in oven for 50 minutes, remove and sprinkle pecan streusel evenly over top. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

**** This is the first time I've made this pie and I've found that the pumpkin layer had way too much puree. I threw out part of the mixture, because it was way too much and would spill over the sides of the pan. ******

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

"This was my grandmother's apple pie recipe. I have never seen another one quite like it. It will always be my favorite, and I hope it becomes one of your favorites as well!"
SUBMITTED BY: Rebecca Clyma

INGREDIENTS

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to a boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

*** I used the same recipe for the pastry pie just doubled to make the lattice top. This apple pie is awesome! You can use any apples. I've made it twice before and it was delicious ! ****

Mini Cheesecakes

SUBMITTED BY: Janice Reesman

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (12 ounce) package vanilla wafers
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line miniature muffin tins (tassie pans) with miniature paper liners.
2. Crush the vanilla wafers, and place 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed vanilla wafers into each paper cup.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Top with a teaspoonful of cherry pie filling.

***I used strawberry pie filling and you can pretty much use anything that you might want on your cheesecake. And I used 3 packages of cream cheese, instead of two. They turned out delicious. I got about 36 mini cheesecakes from this recipe***