Thanksgiving: Dessert

Its no big secret that I'm not a fan of pies.  Yes I know, you're probably thinking I'm totally missing out, but I really don't enjoy them much.  I don't like cooked fruit, therefore taking out berry, cherry, and apple pies.  I don't particularly like the taste of pumpkin pie (although I LOVE pumpkin by itself).  I used to like Pecan Pie, but its WAY too sweet and I don't really like the chunks of nut.  So what's a non-pie-loving girl to do for the holidays?  Here's a few ideas.

Chocolate Soufflé

I once went to this fancy restaurant in Beverly Hills (L'Orangerie) with my husband's family the night before my brother-in-law's wedding.   I wasn't much fond of the food, but my life has never been the same since I had their amazing chocolate soufflé!  They poured this chocolate syrup and cream into the middle of it and it was just heavenly! To this day we ALL talk about that dessert! A few years later my husband's aunt brought me to the a different nice restaurant for a cooking class where they show you how to cook the meal, then you get to eat it and they send you home with the recipes. This was the dessert.  Not quite L'Orangerie, but it was really yummy.

• 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, in pieces
  
• 6 large eggs, separated
  
• 6 Tbsp crème de cacao liqueur
  
• 1 1/2 cup crème anglaise
  
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream (whipped to firm peaks)
  
• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter 6 (2 ounce) soufflé ramekins and sprinkle them with sugar. Melt chocolate in the top of a double broiler over simmering water, stirring it with whisk as melts. Remove pan from heat and keep chocolate resting over water. In small bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add salt and continue beating. While egg whites are being beaten in separate, larger bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Whisk in the crème de cacao and melted chocolate. As soon as egg whites form firm peaks, briefly beat in sugar and fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture. Pour the soufflé mixture into (3/4 full) the prepared ramekins and bake until puffed and

 golden, 8-10 minutes. Serve with crème anglaise and whipped cream.

Serves 6.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

I know I said I don't like fruit pies, but this has FRESH fruit, not cooked, so it would be okay.

• 1 baked pastry shell
  
• 1 small (4 1/2 ounce) container cream cheese
  
• 1 regular container of Cool Whip
  
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  
• 2 baskets of fresh strawberries
  
• 1 pkg strawberry glaze mix
  

Cream powdered sugar and cream cheese together. Then mix Cool Whip in. Pour into shell. Glaze: mix according to package. Fold in fresh strawberries. Pour over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Here's a few more I wouldn't mind on my dessert plate this Thanksgiving:

• Zuccotto (Martha Stewart)
• Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Trifle (Martha Stewart) or any yummy trifle for that matter!
• Birch de Noel (Martha Stewart)
• Sweet Potato Cupcakes (BHG)
• You can always make cheesecake, ice cream, parfaits, cake, etc.
• My pick...Fresh Fruit with Fruit Dip

Julie R.

AG, CA