I need a thanksgiving dessert recipe--mini pies, maybe?
 

I need to make a delicious and impressive dessert to bring to Thanksgiving. Something everyone will ooh and ahhh over. There's always a ton of options, so bite-size things usually go over pretty well. I was thinking some kind of mini pies might be great! But I'm also totally open to the idea of a regular-size pie. I kinda want to make everything from scratch. I have all of next week off from work, so I figure I shouldn't take the easy way out! I love to bake, but I'm really at a beginners level. I don't have any special tools or know many techniques other than, you know, stirring stuff together. 8-) I'm willing to learn, but if it involves a candy thermometer or something, it's probably over my head.

Any suggestions?! Any kind of pie really. Chocolate, peanut butter, pecan, blueberry, cherry, apple, etc.

And if you have a non-pie amazing dessert recipe, please share that as well!

It can't need to be frozen, or re-heated. It has to be able to just sit out for a while, and then be served.

I would wander over to the recipes thread and check out the cheesecake recipe close to the top. I'm at the same skills level as you and I made that cheesecake and it's DA BOMB!
I cut mine into slices with dental floss, and brought three small tubs of topping to put beside it so everyone could choose their toppings.
People were begging for that recipe!

I was going to ask if it had to be pie. ;)

Pumpkin cheesecakes crumble bars. They are delicious.


Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Bars

I didn't have pecans so I used chocolate chips and a few ginger snaps for the crust.

ETA: Clearly, a big flavor change. But we liked it. :) Good luck.

I have one of these pie makers:
http://ab.wsimgs.com/wsimgs/ab/image...032/img87b.jpg

It's a new Christmas Eve tradition that I will take this over to my adopted family's house and make pies to eat immediately. It's kind of a novel and fun thing to do with everybody. I usually make a mix of sweet and savory. I make up the filling (it has to chill before you can make the pies), and cut up the pastry rounds ahead of time. I usually use store-bought pastry (pie crust for the bottom and puff pastry for the top) but you can definitely make your own. You can pretty much put anything you like as a filling. Any standard pie filling would work!

I'm going to try to make this nutella tart with home made nutella.
http://noblepig.com/images/old/P1300991x.jpg

Divegirl, that pie maker is so cute! Not what I need for this, though. We go to a friend of the family's house for dessert--there's at least 30-40 people there. So basically I just need to bring something to put on the dessert table, and I just like it to be cute enough and tasty enough that out of like 20 desserts everyone will be asking "oooooooo, who made this delicious little thing! How cute! I didn't want to eat any dessert, but I just couldn't resist those adorable little treats". :laughing6:

I want to make the Nutella Tart AND the Pumpkin Cheescake Crumble Bars.

Now, so make my life extra difficult, any gluten-free suggestions?

That's easy... do both! :)

I found this for gluten free, but I have never made anything from there.

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Desserts

What about some type of bundt cake? Those travel pretty well and there are TONS of options.

omg, that Nutella tart needs to be IN MY BELLEH stat.

Elena's Pantry has some seriously yummy gluten-free deserts.

Gluten Free Dessert Recipes | Easy Healthy Desserts - Elana's Pantry

I am making that! I just need to get a 10in tart pan, and I am all over it!!

Momofuku crack pie. Amazing.

My mom is gluten intolerant

Apple crisp goes over really well
Apple Crisp - Recipes - The New York Times
Just use the Bob's Red Mill gluten free oats

Flourless chocolate roll is a pretty great gluten-free option too. Here is the recipe I use fromt he Cake Bible (I just make the cake and fill with whipped cream, I don't bother with the ganache or the mushrooms)
Mama Ozzy's Table: Chocolate Buche de Noel with Home-made Tart Cherry Conserve

Cheesecake is super easy and people always think it's impressive. I made this one two Christmasses in a row and this one last Thanksgiving.

I created this recipe for a contest - Pass the Lime and the Coconut Rum Pudding. I didn't win, but it's really delicious and simple to make. I plan on trying it with a tart crust and as a trifle. I think it would make a great holiday dessert!

Lydia

In line with the Nutella tart, I make mini chocolate pizzas. They use prepackaged stuff but you could make it all from scratch if you wanted:

1 roll sugar cookie dough
1 jar Nutella
assorted chips: dark chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter chips

I slice the roll into cookies and put onto parchment paper. Spread Nutella on each and sprinkle with choice of chips and bake according to cookie roll instuctions. It is ridiculously easy but everyone loves this! I got the idea from Giada but couldn't find her recipe online, so this is what I came up with. She spread the dough out to make a large pizza but I like the little ones better!

The chocolate doesn't melt and run all over?!

No....oops! I forgot to say that I curl up the edges of the cookies so it's like a raised edge of pizza crust, but no, I've never had it run. It is really gooey when it comes out, but by the time it's cool enough to eat, it's solidified a bit.

I bought a mini pie maker at kohls for about $15 - great idea for thanksgiving !