The Cookstr Weekly: Thanksgiving Desserts

Featured Recipe:  Sticky Pecan Squares  by Maxine Effenson Chuck and Beth Gurney   Get the Recipe When planning my Thanksgiving menu, I always begin with dessert. Those desserts, in fact, often become the most memorable parts of meals past: I still recall a pumpkin cheesecake, a pie topped with leaf-shaped sugar cookies, the cake that fell apart coming out of the oven only to be reborn as a crowd-pleasing trifle. Perhaps it’s because I grew up with Thanksgivings that ended predictably with pumpkin and apple pie and vanilla ice cream, but I like to finish the meal on a slightly surprising note. Adding an unexpected twist will just make your guests happier that they saved room for dessert. Warmest regards, Kara Rota Editorial Director Cookstr Lone Star Chocolate Pecan Pie by Beth Allen “In my home state of Texas, pecan orchards are plentiful. The long thin paper-shell pecans make some of the best pies. This pecan filling is flavored with chocolate and has a layer of melted tiny chocolate chips on the bottom.” More Thanksgiving Desserts from Cookstr Sweet Potato Muffins by Ann and Scott Goodfellow ********************  Apple Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Cake by Robin Asbell ********************  Cider-Baked Apples by Amy Traverso ********************  Sweet Potato Pie with Candied Ginger by Todd and Ellen Kassoff Gray ********************  Mixed-Nut Butter-Crunch Toffee by Lauren Groveman ******************** Gingery Gingerbread by Mollie Katzen ******************** Caramel Apple Tart by Susan Spungen ********************   Maple-Ginger Ice Cream by Kate Zuckerman CLEVER COOKSTR PODCAST: Vegan Made Easy with Laura Theodore Choosing a plant-based diet is made deliciously easy with Laura Theodore’s Vegan-Ease: An Easy Guide to Enjoying a Plant-Based Diet, a new approach to living vegan. Laura Theodore, the award-winning host of public television’s Jazzy Vegetarian, joins the Clever Cookstr to talk about go-to ingredients and holiday entertaining.  Click here to listen! And don’t forget to catch up on episodes you missed on iTunes.  WHAT’S NEW ON COOKSTR Mountain Climber’s Mix “This recipe makes one of the most colorful trail mixes you’ve ever seen. It takes minutes to throw together and offers a variety of flavors and textures in every handful. Plus, you can get through the security checkpoint–making for a reliable source of energy and nutrition, whether you’re climbing to 30,000 feet or to the edge of the Niagara escarpment. Happy hiking!” – Nicole Axworthy and Lisa Pitman CONTACT US We want to get to know our users as cooks, eaters, and full participants in the Cookstr vision. We are eager to hear from you and learn how we can make Cookstr.com even more helpful and enjoyable. Let us know what your favorite features are, what works for you, and what doesn’t. Tell us what your digital culinary journey is lacking on the web, in the kitchen, and everywhere in between. Cookstr is consistently striving to develop new technologies that make your experience of food and cooking more accessible, intuitive and rewarding – and we can do that best when you let us know what you want!