As I promised last week, I’ve saved the best part of our Thanksgiving edition of Stretch Your Food Dollar for last . . . the desserts! When the family and friends get together, you can always count on someone to bring their signature dessert. Whether it’s a Cherry Pie with vanilla ice cream, or a Pumpkin Pie with lots of Cool Whip, it’s always a good idea to save a little room for dessert!

I used to be a pastry cook, and one of the best parts of offering desserts is that the pastry station is usually the cheapest station in the professional kitchen. Your main ingredients are flour and sugar. And even though the price of flour has been increasing steadily, desserts are still an easy way for restaurateurs to earn a substantial mark up on the menu. For those of us at home, desserts are also an inexpensive way to put a smile on your guests’ face. And who doesn’t love the smell of the house when a pie or some holiday cookies are in the oven?

I love pie! But even though it’s a Thanksgiving classic, I’ve never been a big fan of Pumpkin Pie. I’ll let someone else share their best recipe for the dessert that defines Thanksgiving. However, I think that Pecan Pie is a good reason to give thanks. Here’s a version that I’m positive will make your vegan guests ecstatic.

Vegan Pecan Pie
1 whole wheat pie dough
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup marley malt syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons raw tahini
2 1/2 cups pecan halves

1. Preheat the oven to 350Ù’ F

2. Line a 10-inch pie pan with the pie dough. With a fork, prick holes all over the bottom and sides of the pie shell. Bake until a light golden color, 10-15 minutes. Let cool

3. Put the maple syrup, barley malt syrup, cinnamon, arrowroot, and tahini in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the pecans and pulse a few times to coarsely chop the nuts up. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the top is evenly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Whole Wheat Pie Dough
(Makes one 9-inch or 10-inch pie shell)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola or safflower oil
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoon ice water

1. Put the flour and salt in a bowl and stir together. Add the oil and water and stir until it forms a crumbly meal. Gather up the dough into a ball. (The dough will be moist.)

2. Press the dough evenly and firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate so it rises about 1/2 inch above the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edges of the crust, if desired.

Just in case you think I’m totally against pumpkin in baked goods, I have to clear the air. I always look forward to homemade pumpkin roll at the holidays. I hope you enjoy this holiday treat as much as I do. And here’s a little advice . . . once the pumpkin roll cools, slice it and put the slices in the freezer with a layer of parchment between each piece so that they don’t stick together. This is an AWESOME way to make your treat last, and the frozen cream cheese is so delicious!

Pumpkin Roll
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cooked pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

1. Beat the eggs with a mixer on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice.

2. Sift together the dry ingredients. Fold into the pumpkin mixture.

3. Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour a 15″x10″x1″ baking sheet. Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Turn the cake out onto a dish towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Starting at one end, roll the towel and cake together and let it cool this way before unrolling.

Filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

5. Beat all ingredients until smooth. Spread over the unrolled cake. Roll again and chill before slicing and serving.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving desserts? Are you for or against Pumpkin Pie? I hope you’ll share those recipes with us in the comments section.

I wish you all “best dishes” as Paula Dean would say, and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Photo credit: Stock.xchng