Southern Thanksgiving Dessert suggestions?

[PotatoHouse]

I am a southern boy living deep in Yankee-land (The North Woods of Maine) and every year I try to make a homemade Southern dessert to bring to my in-laws' house for Thanksgiving and Christmas (my wife is a born and bred Mainer). I have brought Shoo-Fly Pie, Pumpkin-Pecan pie, Banana Pudding, and Buttermilk pie. Any suggestions what I should make and bring this year?

[Wtg2Retire]

Pecan Cobbler

3 cups flour
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cream
3 cups pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Bring water to a boil. Add sugar, and cook to soft-ball stage. Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup butter, then 1 cup flour, and cinnamon. Mix in pecans, and spread in bottom of greased baking dish. Preheat oven to 400F. Cut the remaining flour into the remaining butter until it is very granular. Add baking powder and salt and mix in by tossing. Using a fork, mix in cream, a little at a time until the mixture is just shy of pourable. Do not overmix. Drop spoonsful onto the pecans. Immediately place in oven, after 15 min, reduce heat to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes or until filling bubbles.

[Bethcooks]

Porker - Thank you so much for the bread pudding and bourbon sauce recipes. Sounds delicious. Am going to try this week as a possible Thanksgiving dessert. [Already have the bourbon ; ) ]

[porker]

[Already have the bourbon ; ) ]

Lush...
{;-/) hehe

[Bethcooks]

Make that had the bourbon. ; )

[danionavenue]

bread pudding or peach cobbler

[Janet]

Pecan pie, Chess pie, Derby pie, Jeff Davis pie,Black Bottom pie, Jam Cake

[Tianne41]

Hi,

The follow link will take you to the Southern Living site and 26 of their wonderful Thanksgiving desserts. The photographs are spectacular. Personally, the Brandy Alexander Cheesecake makes me want to celebrate Thanksgiving right now.

http://www.southernliving.com/food/ho...

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

[Hank Hanover]

A very southern dessert is caramel cake. Even most southerners don't know how to make one, including myself.

Smitten Kitten has a recipe. I can't vouch for it but lots of people trust that site.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/car...

[ipsedixit]

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/11/swe...

[Jay F]

Lemon chess pie. There's always someone who hates the pumpkin, sweet potato, and pecan pies that Americans supposedly love to eat on Thanksgiving. For these people, lemon chess pie is truly something to be thankful for.

[lilgi]

I crave pecan pie this time of year (my family too) but straight! I I like it with chocolate, but prefer without it and any other combos.

[Joebob]

Hummingbird cake.

[cookie monster]

Italian cream cake is my personal favorite Southern dessert.

[porker]

Southern bread pudding with a decadent bourbon sauce, no?
When your wife asks "bread pudding?!", you say "don't worry, its not your mothers bread pudding!"

[Bethcooks]

Porker - do you have a recipe for a southern bread pudding and a bourbon sauce? I am trying out recipes for Thanksgiving.
I also am going to try both the Sweet Potato Surprise Cake and the Fresh Apple Cake - have already printed recipes.

[alkapal]

ooh, one of the best things about the fresh apple cake (other than the delicious cake) is -- once the cake is half-gone -- raiding the "hole" of the cake, which has accumulated nuts and coconut with extra glaze. mmm mmm goooood. ;-)). you'll see what i mean.

[porker]

Highly secret family recipe (and we're not even southerners) handed down, so measurements and technique perhaps not so precise.
Pudding:
large bowl of day-old crusty bread, cubed (don't use sandwich bread)
boiling water
1/2C butter cut into small pieces
1C raisins soaked in boiling water

Custard:(sets the pudding)
5 eggs
4C milk
1C sugar
1 TBL vanilla
3 tsp ground nutmeg
more butter

Bourbon Sauce:
1C sugar
2C water
2 TBL vanilla
2 TBL cornstarch
About 1 1/4C bourbon (your choice, but I like Makers Mark)
more butter

Pudding
1. separate bourbon into 1C and 1/4C. set 1/4C aside, take a sip from 1C.
2. put 1/2C of butter pieces into bowl of bread cubes
3. add 2C boiling water, mix lightly, cover with dish towel.
4. soak raisins in boiling water

Custard
1. take sip from 1C bourbon
2. whisk eggs, milk, sugar. Add vanilla, mix. Add nutmeg to taste Adjust sugar and spice if needed.

butter a cake pan (9x13 or so), add bread mixture, custard, and drained raisins, mix lightly. top with a few pats of butter. bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45-60 minutes.
enjoy more of 1C bourbon.

Bourbon sauce
1. brown sugar in pan until it becomes amber and a bit liquid, stirring often.
2. add 1C water, stirring on the heat until sugar is dissolved.
3. add cornstarch to 1C water, mix well
4. add cornstarch mixture to simmering sauce until desired thickness.
5. add 1/4C bourbon
6. stir, adjust sugar or more cornstarch if needed.
7. stir in vanilla and 2 pats butter

finish off the 1C of bourbon.

Let sauce cool to room temp, serve over bread pudding.

[alkapal]

sweet potato surprise cake. one of the best cakes you will ever eat!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,186,144171-240196,00.html

this fresh apple cake will also knock your socks off. http://retro-food.com/2007/08/30/fres...

my cousin adds 1 cup coconut as well, uses only three eggs and bakes at 350 for approx. one hour in bundt or tube pan.

[JEN10]

I am going to try that, Wow it looks like it should be delicous, Thank you!!!

Edit: I am referring to the sweet potato surprise cake

[alkapal]

it is truly stunning -- makes a big cake. i'd make double the frosting…cause it is that good. LOL

i'll tell you a true story about the cake: my sister made one years ago and i was house-sitting for the weekend. i whittled a half of this big three layer sweet potato cake down to a tall thin sliver probably about an inch wide. in a WEEKEND. just ME. i could NOT resist this cake. i then baked her a brownie pie that to this day is known as "apology pie."

[JEN10]

Great story pal. thank you makes me want to make it even more.

[Karl S]

Sweet potato pie. Way better than pumpkin pie.

[Olliegator]

Agree 100%

[pine time]

Try a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree. Best of both worlds. Topped, of course, with bourbon whipped cream.