The Thanksgiving feast finale can be just as sweet as its start with a slice, or two or three, of dessert.
Some families don’t save the best for last, but instead, start with it.
“Yellow cake with cooked fudge icing, pumpkin bread and apple crisp – that’s the deal. We don’t care what we have to eat, but we are planning the desserts,” said Renee Schaarschmidt, owner of Fatty Patty’s Cakes & Cafe, 948 Thomas Drive, in Panama City Beach. “We know we will have turkey, dressing, but desserts are what we get excited about.”
Schaarschmidt and her daughter, Kerstin, light up when talking about sweets and the holidays.
“I’m not a big pumpkin fan, but I like the pumpkin bread,” Schaarschmidt admitted. “She’s so excited about fall, especially pumpkin pie.”
Kerstin always has been drawn to anything pumpkin, but their family’s Thanksgiving dessert menu changes. It’s a time to have their favorites and be creative.
“For people like us who are foodies, Thanksgiving is for us,” Schaarschmidt said. “We make different stuff every year, usually have pumpkin bread. Grandmother always made it - we always had pumpkin pie, pecan pie, mincemeat pie, cherry pie. I just love dessert. I eat cake every day. Thanksgiving was my mother’s thing.”
Schaarschmidt and her daughter are carrying on a love of desserts.
“This year, I’m most excited about apple crisp,” Kerstin said. “What I love about Thanksgiving is cooking, love to cook.”
Their family recipe for Homemade Apple Crisp, which also has been offered as a dessert special for lunch at the cafe, is served hot topped with ice cream or whipped cream.
Hannelore Holland, owner of Somethin’s Cookin’, 93 E. 11th St., in Panama City shared the Basic Pie crust recipe she uses to make all of her holiday pies, from pumpkin and pecan to Pumpkin Pecan, Osgood and Shoofly.
“Osgood could possibly remind me of a mincemeat with raisins,” she said. “Shoofly is eggless.”
The pumpkin pie is decorated with baked leaves made from leftover dough.
“You may also top with whipping cream or sugar glazed pecans or walnuts,” Holland added.
If ordered by Nov. 22, holiday pies, regular and gluten-free pie shells are available from the Holiday Specialties Menu in time for Thanksgiving.
Homemade Apple Crisp
- 8 apples
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup oats
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup cold butter
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9 glass pan. Cut apples into slices, removing seeds and layer bottom of pan.
Mix dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and cut in butter with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Sprinkle mix over fruit.
Bake for 30-35, until the top is browned. Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream on top.
Source: Renee Schaarschmidt, Fatty Patty’s Cakes & Cafe
Basic Pie Crust
- 1¼ cups flour
- 1 stick butter, unsalted, little frozen
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons ice water
Sift flour and salt in food processor. Cut butter in 10 pieces. Add and chop until mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Add water, turn only for a few seconds. Now make into a ball; let rest in refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Roll out, use for pie or quiche, make enough for 1 9-inch pie or quiche pan.
Source: Hannelore Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’
Our Famous Pumpkin Pie
- 2 cups pumpkin
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/3 cups evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup boiling water
Combine pumpkin pie spice and boiling water together; set aside. Mix pumpkin, dark brown sugar, salt, evaporated milk and orange juice. Beat eggs, add to the mixture and then add the pumpkin pie spice that has been mixed with the boiling water. Put into a prepared pie shell and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Decorate with cut-out leaves.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: Hannelore Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
- 1 homemade pie crust for a 9-inch pie dish
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup pumpkin, fresh or canned
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon bourbon or whiskey
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and pour into the unbaked pie crust. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake about 40 minutes.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: Hannelore Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’
Classic Chess Pie
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 stick butter, unsalted, melted
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Mexican vanilla
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Fit pie dough into 9-inch pie plate, crimp, put in freezer 5 minutes. Now bake in a 425 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden; cool. Stir together sugar, cornmeal, flour, salt, butter, milk, vinegar and vanilla until blended. Add eggs, stirring well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, shielding edges with foil after 10 minutes; cool.
For Lemon Chess Pie: Add 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind before pouring into pie crust.
Makes 8 servings.
Source: Hannelore Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’
Osgood Pie
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, separated
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pear vinegar
- 1 9-inch pie shell
Cream butter, sugar and beaten egg yolks. Add pecans, raisins, cinnamon, cocoa and vinegar. Mix well, stir in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes. Freezes well.
Source: Hannelore Holland, Somethin’s Cookin’