Hi Reader,

I was a horribly neglected child. There—I said it.

And somewhere, a cadre of ancestors is already spinning in their rosary-laden coffins.

When it came to dessert, I was an Olympian, the equivalent of an elite athlete. I was constantly training. At every meal, I assessed my competitors’ positions, gauged their distance from our common prize, calculated wind shear—anything for a millisecond’s advantage. All to execute my move to get the biggest, best, most gorgeous piece of any pie, cake, brownie, or cookie. I was truly awesome to behold.

Yet, no one saw the makings of a champion. My talent, sugar-fueled and sublime, withered on the vine. You see, at our house, dessert was an afterthought—my father had no sweet tooth, and my mother no inclination to bake.

Only Vovó Costa, my maternal grandmother, baked, and, well, as fiercely competitive as I was, I saw no glory in knocking down a sweet old woman who was built like Danny DeVito just to win the latest gold medal.

I was unseen, invisible, neglected.

And Thanksgiving dinner was where I felt the pain of my wasted talent the most. Maybe it’s because Thanksgiving dinner is basically a Barrage of Beige—turkey, gravy, potatoes, stuffing—delicious, yes, but beige. Band-Aid Beige, to be exact.

But dessert was where the dinner pulsated to life. Pumpkin pie, pecan tart, chocolate something-or-other, cookies from Fernandes Bakery, puffy things pumped full of the lightest whipped cream, my grandmother's malassadas (butt-ugly but fabulously flavored donuts).

Was I allowed to show off? To execute a leap so graceful it landed me at the very epicenter of the dessert folding table?

No!

Why?

Because my neglectful mother tightly clutched the back of my waistband of my Robert pants in her hand, thus allowing the parade of pathetic cousins—with nary a skill among them—to get in line before me. I had to watch their clumsy attempts at cutting slices of cake or, WORSE (!), using my mom's ornately stamped stainless-steel pie server to hack away at the store-bought pumpkin pie, leaving nothing but its mangled guts mounded in the aluminum tin.

AMATEUR!

Only then was I allowed to tour the stable, scooping up the artless remains of their work.

It’s this childhood horror—let’s call it what it is: full-blown holiday PTSD—that explains why desserts now take center stage at our Thanksgiving table.

And if I may, I'd like to offer some advice to young, hopeful dessert Olympians out there who might also be thwarted by neglectful parents:

• Never give up.
• Scan the Thanksgiving scene before you.
• Plan your meal backward.
• Pick the desserts you want to conquer and then eat just enough of the meal to give you the energy and stamina to win at the dessert table.
• And above all, my dear ones, DO NOT WEAR A BELT.

​

🥇Dessert Strategy for Thanksgiving Victory

1. Variety is key. Not everyone’s a pumpkin person—throw in chocolate, fruit, and a wild card (yes, I see you, cheesecake).
2. Make-ahead is magic. Pies and tarts often taste better after a day’s rest. Bonus: your oven’s free on the big day.
3. Think single-serve. Hand pies, bars, and cookies mean guests can sneak “just one more” without committing to a slice.
4. Don’t skip the whipped cream. Or ice cream. Or both. This is Thanksgiving, not Lent.
5. Presentation counts. Even the humblest pie looks like a masterpiece with a drizzle of caramel or a sprinkle of flaky salt.

​

WHAT'S INSIDE...

• ​Pecan Pie Cobbler​
• ​Caramel Apple Pie​
• ​Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting​
• ​Chocolate Pecan Pie​
• ​Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie​
• ​Cranberry Upside Down Cake​
• ​Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie​
• ​Salted Caramel Tarte​

​Pecan Pie Cobbler​

Skip fussing with pie crust this Thanksgiving and make this easy pecan pie cobbler recipe, which delivers all of the rich caramel and nutty pecan flavors of the classic pie with a fraction of the effort.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Caramel Apple Pie​

This caramel apple pie takes classic apple pie to the next level. For this beloved autumn dessert, warmly spiced apples are embraced in a nutty whole wheat pie crust and baked until golden. A lacquer of sweet caramel to finish takes this pie over the top.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Pumpkin Cake With Maple Cream Cheese Frosting​

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.92 from 37 votes

This pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting is spiced with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. All the essential pumpkin spice flavors tempered with the creamy coolness of cream cheese frosting. One of my most popular cakes.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Chocolate Pecan Pie​

This Southern chocolate pecan pie is a great classic. My American friend, the chef Art Smith, taught me how to make this recipe, and my friends are all in love with it.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Caramelized Honey Pumpkin Pie​

Caramelized honey pumpkin pie will make pumpkin pie lovers out of even the most pumpkin resistant. Gently spiced and with the addition of brown butter and caramelized honey, it hits all the right spots. An all-butter crust is a perfect complement to the sweet, creamy filling.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Cranberry Upside Down Cake​

The Grand Marnier (an orange liqueur) gives the cake a pleasant kick that plays beautifully with cranberry. Making this tender, buttery cake provides a perfect excuse to share a slice over the backyard fence, maybe with someone who’s short on their own cranberry source.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie​

This bourbon sweet potato pie, filled with sweet potatoes, butter, cream, eggs, spice, and bourbon, is topped with a brown sugar streusel. Suddenly, Thanksgiving is even better.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Salted Caramel Tarte​

This salted caramel tart contains an intensely rich and indulgent filling that's encased in a sweet, buttery tart crust. Serve with a dollop of cool whipped cream and watch everyone swoon.

​☞ ​Try this recipe​