Small, mostly vegetarian Thanksgiving

[Anonymous]

I think I'm happy with my Thanksgiving menu, but I'm struggling to figure out dessert. Here's the menu so far:

Crudité (bread, cheeses, olives, pickles, walnut/beet dip)
Fruit skewer centerpiece (shaped like a turkey)
Butternut squash, onion, gruyere tart (veggie main dish)
Roast duck (don't ask me--I'm one of the vegetarians, and this is what the meat eaters have chosen)
Mashed potatoes
Onion gravy
Cranberries
Scalloped corn
Roasted turnips and carrots
Braised green cabbage

I'm lacking dessert inspiration. Pie seems so redundant with the tart, but nothing else seems Thanksgiving enough. Ideas?

[Anonymous]

What’s wrong with pie? Everyone loves pie. Have pie.

[Anonymous]

I saw a recipe for pumpkin baklava and I’m intrigued

[Anonymous]

Apple crisp. Throw in some pears and ginger to make it holiday special.

[Anonymous]

Caramel apple upside down cake? Pumpkin spice crème brûlée? Apple crostata with cheddar crust? Pumpkin mousse? Some sort of Panna cotta?

[Anonymous]

Pecan bars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Caramel apple upside down cake? Pumpkin spice crème brûlée? Apple crostata with cheddar crust? Pumpkin mousse? Some sort of Panna cotta?

Ooooh, I like how you think! Sally has a caramel apple upside down cake recipe that looks great! Still shopping around, but that one's a definite possibility.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done pumpkin cannoli multiple times and it’s always a hit.

[Anonymous]

Pumpkin cheesecake and flourless chocolate torte

[Anonymous]

I can’t add to the great dessert ideas you’ve already gotten, but just wanted to say that your menu sounds delicious.

[Anonymous]

I would be so disappointed if there wasn’t pie qt Thanksgiving.

[Anonymous]

Since no one has mentioned it, David Tanis' Cranberry Curd tart from NYT cooking is spectacular. I'm a pecan pie person myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since no one has mentioned it, David Tanis' Cranberry Curd tart from NYT cooking is spectacular. I'm a pecan pie person myself.

I’d been thinking about that one for weeks! The crust just looked so annoyingly fussy with extra ingredients we don’t have. But maybe it’s worth it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t add to the great dessert ideas you’ve already gotten, but just wanted to say that your menu sounds delicious.

Thank you! I’m used to getting my menus trashed around here, so this response has been a surprise. Maybe people think anyone who serves duck for thanksgiving is hopeless.