Mini Thanksgiving Dessert Bites

The big debate at my family’s Thanksgiving dinner has never been about wanting a leg or a wing, white meat or dark meat, or should the potatoes be sweet mashed or twice baked. Rather, it’s always been about what dessert would you like to try and how big of a piece? The dessert table can quite honestly get to the point of insanity. A tasty and enjoyable insanity, but insanity, nonetheless.

Years ago, my Mom would make two homemade apple pies for Thanksgiving. One we would have for breakfast while we watched the Thanksgiving Day parade on the television, the other we would enjoy for dessert. There would also be the occasional coconut custard pie added to the mix. As I started to develop my passion for cooking and for all things pumpkin, it became my tradition to make the pumpkin pie for our dessert table. When my daughter, Julianna, learned how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch in her home economics class, she asked to take over the pumpkin pie duties. My brother, on the other hand, took over the apple pie responsibilities a while back, making not only the traditional lattice crust version that my Mom would make, but also an apple cider cream pie that is beyond amazing. Not only do we have pumpkin pie and two variations of apple pie represented, but there are also holiday cookies, candies and chocolate covered cherries thrown into the mix for the grandkids who are not fans of the traditional Thanksgiving desserts.

It has become an annual pre-holiday conversation, trying to figure out how we can scale this all back a bit. The argument is always that we don’t need all this dessert…but, it’s only one time of year and it all tastes so good. So, every year we have this dessert extravaganza that we all enjoy and appreciate, but honestly are only able to sample just a tiny bit of each. We are just coming off the biggest meal of the year, and now we are trying to enjoy little bits of these delicious baked goods to satisfy our sweet tooth and our curiosity. The coveted ‘sliver’ as my wife Daria would always say.

This past summer, during one of the many get togethers that my close friends and I enjoy, I had made a dessert using crescent rolls cut into 24 individual pieces and baked in a mini muffin tray. The individual pastry cups were topped with whipped mascarpone cheese and berries. The dessert was a big hit, not only for the combination of flavors but also for the simplicity of it being one bite. One piece may have been plenty, but if you wanted more you could take another single serving. No slivers, no samples. It was a nice way to enjoy dessert in a small portion. This, of course, got me thinking about applying this approach to Thanksgiving. With a little bit of research, and a test batch shared with a good friend of mine who has always been one of my favorite taste-testers, I came up with what I think will be the perfect compromise for my family’s Thanksgiving dessert table. 

The recipe below will make 24 individual bite sized servings. You will need one container of crescent rolls for the crust. The dough will get rolled out into one sheet, then cut into 24 individual pieces. Grease a mini muffin tray and place each pastry square into a cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the pastry starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. The pastry cups taste best immediately after being baked and cooled, and should be filled just before serving. I would not recommend filling the pastry cups too far ahead of time, because they may get soggy. You can bake the pastry cups ahead of time and place them, unfilled, into a container and then refrigerate. You can then warm them up in the oven before adding any filling and serving them.

The two pie fillings that I made are not only Thanksgiving approved, but they are also simple to make and very versatile. The measurements for each filling will make enough for 24 individual pastry cups of each, most likely with leftover filling that can be used in several ways.

The apple pie filling, inspired by a recipe that I found online, is made by cooking diced apple pieces tossed with cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla extract and maple syrup in butter on the stove top for 15 minutes. These spiced apples make for a great pie filling, and they also work well as an addition to yogurt and oatmeal, as a topping for pancakes, waffles or ice cream, or even just on their own as a snack.

The pumpkin pie filling is a no-bake filling that combines canned pumpkin with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, milk, vanilla pudding mix and whipped topping. The recipe for this pie filling will make more than enough needed. The leftover filling can be used in a no-bake graham cracker crust (chilled for 4 hours, if so), served as a dip alongside spiced wafers, or simply enjoyed on its own as a pumpkin spiced pudding. During my test run, I made 12 apple and 12 pumpkin, with plenty of extra leftover filling of both to enjoy.

Whether you choose either of these suggested pie fillings, or come up with your own individual dessert filling (coconut custard, chocolate or banana cream…just to name a few), this presentation will make dessert fun and manageable for everyone.

To serve, you could either assemble the pastry cups before presenting them ready to eat, or you could place the empty pastry cups and a dish of the fillings that you make on the table and allow your guests to make their own bite sized treats. Whatever method you choose, don’t forget the whipped cream topping!

Apple Pie Filling

Courtesy of JoyFoodSunshine.com

3 apples, diced (suggested apples: Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious. A variety works very well)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cut apples into small, 1/2 inch cubes. Put apple pieces into skillet with 2 tablespoons water. Cover, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until apples become slightly soft and water is absorbed. Add butter to the pan, stir until apples are evenly coated. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened. Add maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract. Stir until well mixed. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve warm or chilled!

No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 3.4-ounce box instant vanilla pudding
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup milk
1 8-ounce container whipped topping

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the pumpkin puree, vanilla pudding mix, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and milk in a mixing bowl until well combined (you can follow the suggested mixing time on the pudding box). Fold in the whipped topping one tablespoon at a time, until you get the desired taste and texture. You can use as much whipped topping as you prefer, up to the entire 8 ounces. Chill for four hours before serving.