Skip to content
1K Shares

It’s that time of the year again. When bakers, cooks, and even bartenders, are baking, roasting, and shaking things up for the holidays. Here’s a round-up of recipes from my blog, my personal favorites, that are great for Thanksgiving and winter holiday fêtes. There are cakes, cocktails, spreads, dips, candied nuts, cheesecake, ice cream…and more!

Pecan Pie with Bourbon and Ginger

What’s more traditional than pecan pie for the holidays? (That wasn’t really a question, because most of us already know the answer.) I love this zippy variation, with a triple dose of ginger and a belt of bourbon to boot. It’s especially good with a scoop of white chocolate-fresh ginger ice cream.

Pumpkin Marshmallow Pie

Swoops of billowy marshmallows over a custard-like pumpkin filling. For those vexed by weeping meringues, this stable, silky topping is the answer to your pastry prayers!

S’mores Pie with Salted Butter Chocolate Sauce

Speaking of marshmallows, if you’re looking for the ultimate do-ahead dessert, it’s hard to beat this marshmallow-topped beauty. Even if you’re not planning to make the pie, the Salted Butter Chocolate Sauce makes anything you put it on a thing of beauty.

Manhattans

Manhattans are my go-to cocktail. The foundation is just two ingredients, so they’re hard to screw up, which is easy to do with so many other holiday distractions. Even better, they do the job, coming together in a great, no-nonsense, high-performance cocktail. To dial ’em up for the holidays, add a few dashes of cardamom bitters or pumpkin bitters to the mix.

Cranberry Sauce with Candied Orange

Bits of homemade candied oranges provide a sweet/tart counterpoint to tangy cranberries. I stock up on cranberries for the holidays when I see them in Paris, but those stateside will want to get extra to make this sauce again and again. It’s good with ham, turkey, lamb, and a nice counterpoint to roasted root vegetables. You can also use it when building yourself a hefty turkey sandwich out of leftovers the next day.

Cranberry Sauce with Figs and Red Wine

Use some of that leftover wine to ramp up this holiday sauce, marrying two fall favorites; cranberries and figs. No leftover wine? Pas de problème: open a bottle. (I’m sure you’ll find something else to do with the rest…)

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

A buttery base holds up a toffee-like topping of cranberries. This cake is oh-so-good on its own, but a dollop of whipped cream (perhaps flavored with cinnamon or with lemon curd folded into it?) takes it to the next level. It’s also good with a scoop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream, melting on top or alongside.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce

I’ve been making it for well over a decade and can’t resist the praline sauce that accompanies it. It’s spiked with – yup – a belt of bourbon, and loaded with toasted pecans. Cheers!

Pumpkin Maple Flan

One of my favorite people, Ina Garten, provided the inspiration for this flan, a layer of creamy pumpkin custard bathed in a slick layer of dark caramel.

Cranberry Shrub and Cocktail

Start the holidays off right with this tangy shrub, a vinegar-berry elixir that’s great mixed with sparkling water for a non-boozy libation, or as a base for a bourbon-fueled cocktail. I’ve given options for both, which should please everybody at your holiday fête.

Pumpkin Jam

If the idea of pumpkin jam sounds funny to you, it helps to remember that pumpkins are actually fruits. And if that doesn’t do it, take a taste of this jam with just a hint of vanilla. It won over my Frenchman, who is my toughest critic. (And boy, do I have stories!)

If you’re the kind of person who sets out a plate of cheese (and those are the only kinds of people that I want to dine with), guests will love a swipe of this over a cracker smeared with chèvre (goat cheese) or cream cheese, or paired with slabs of nutty Jarlsberg, Comté or Gruyère as part of a cheese board. Don’t forget the nuts and dried fruit, too.

Chocolate Orbit Cake

This cake got its name because it launches chocolate-lovers into orbit. But it’s also an amazing do-ahead dessert, and keeps for quite a while in the refrigerator, which gives harried hosts and hostesses some time to enjoy an extra Manhattan, or two…  ; )

Pumpkin Ice Cream

It’s that time of year when you may want to keep your ice cream maker handy at all times, so you can churn and scoop up your favorite flavors. (If you’re a fan of The Perfect Scoop, this year marks the ten-year anniversary of the book, and there’s an updated edition with all-new photos and a bunch of new ice cream recipes.)

To reimagine the classic profiteroles for the holidays, swap out the vanilla ice cream with pumpkin ice cream, and replacing the chocolate sauce with the pecan praline sauce I noted above (that goes with the pumpkin cheesecake), or another favorite creamy caramel. Top them off with the French almonds from The Perfect Scoop; Heat 2 tablespoons of water with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a skillet, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat and mix in 2 cups (160g) sliced almonds. Spread the coated nuts on a nonstick baking sheet, or one covered with a silicone mat, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and bake in a 350ºF/175ºC oven, stirring once or twice while baking, until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes.

Persimmon Bread

What to do with all those persimmons? This loaf cake is moist and packed with flavor, with a hint of spices. It’s a favorite from James Beard, considered the dean of American cooking, and I think it’s time to upgrade his status to include baking.

Sweet Potato and Apricot Cake

This light cake comes from my friend Alice Medrich, and is low fat, but if you’d like, you can take it in another direction and top it with cream cheese frosting. Either way, this is a great cake.

Red Wine Pear Tart

I’m always amazed when I turn out this tart. The glistening, ruby-colored pears are so pretty I almost hate to cut it. But moments later, I’m glad that I did. Along with a spoonful of nutty crème fraîche, this riff of the classic tarte Tatin will get no arguments from traditionalists. And if it does, find less judgmental dining companions.

French Apple Cake

For the love of Dorie Greenspan comes this French apple cake, which relies on a mèlange of apples for its fruit-forward flavor.

German Apple Almond Cake

Our friends in Germany are mighty fine bakers as well and this cake from Luisa Weiss provides a generous wallop of apple flavor to any dessert buffet in each moist wedge. Almond paste is the secret to this cake and it’s worth stocking up on a tube or tin of it now – or several – so you’ll have them handy later.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Circling back to pecan pie, this is another favorite recipe on mine, loaded with big chunks of bittersweet chocolate, who hold their own in a crowd of pecans.

Cranberry Raisin Pie

I reached deep into my past to find this pie, which was a favorite of the late Marion Cunningham. If you don’t have time to peel a bushel of apples, simply mix up a sack of cranberries and raisins, and voilà…you’ve got a fruit pie that will be just as memorable as Marion.

Quick Mincemeat

Traditional mincemeat has a dubious reputation, but this one will change your mind. I promise. Bits of candied orange, dried fruits, and festive spices meld together into a tasty mixture that can be added to apple pie or pear crisp, making it go from ho-hum…to oh boy!

Israeli Couscous with Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemons

Hitting the savory side, this side dish is one of the most popular in my repertoire. The squash is a no-brainer for the winter, but swap out dried cranberries for the raisins and you’ve got a holiday-friendly side dish that’s a break from the usual mash-up of carbs. Another bonus: This can be made in advance and rewarmed before serving.

Cheese Ball

Proving it’s not too late to get on the ball, I tackled this cheese ball made with several kinds of cheeses, along with chives, dates, and a dash of hot sauce, rolled in buttered and salted pecans. If you’re too high up on your horse to consider a cheese ball, Fromage forte is the way the French use up all those scraps of cheese, whipped up with plenty of garlic. It’s great to spread on slices of baguette, or even crisp apples.

Gougères

The French do have their version of cheese “balls.” These puffs are lighter-than-air and baked to a crisp. No one can resist nibbling on these, especially if you serve them warm.

Spicy Pretzel and Nut Mix

I cast a skeptical eye over recipe titles that promise something to be “the best,” but in this case, I’m going there. This is The Best Cocktail Snack Ever. A crunchy mix of salty pretzels and lots of nuts, baked in a maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter mixture until crisp. You’ll want to print this recipe out and put it at the top of your appetizer recipe roster.

Artichoke Tapenade

In a hurry? Don’t worry, who isn’t? I don’t mind opening a can of artichoke hearts and putting my food processor into service, for this Provençal-inspired spread. Do-ahead types will appreciate that it holds well in the refrigerator (ditto with the next tapenade recipe), and guests will appreciate how good it tastes spread on croutons or crackers, along with a glass of sparkling wine or Chablis.

Olive Fig Tapenade

This olive-based tapenade isn’t the pits. In fact, it’s even better than the usual tapenade because there’s less pitting involved, getting an extra boost from dried figs, whose natural sweetness compliments the salty olives and capers. I was inspired by this one from Carrie Brown of the famous Jimtown Store in Northern California.

Candied Peanuts

Looking for the perfect hostess gift? Instead of tying a bow around a bottle, make a batch of these candied peanuts and give them instead. I keep a stack of cellophane bags and raffia ready, to tie ’em up and give them out. Someone once told me that anyone can buy a gift; it’s the homemade ones that really show that you care. If that’s the case, feel free to make a batch for yourself as well. Sharing may be caring, but being selfish has its rewards, too.

1K Shares

82 comments

    • Kathy

    Well, thank you, David! I just added four recipes from this post to my Thanksgiving menu. They all look delicious. Best wishes to you for a happy Thanksgiving.

    • Denise A.

    This is a wonderful collection. Thank you for sharing!

    • Maryea | Happy Healthy Mama

    Definitely not too high on my horse to consider a cheese ball. Love all these ideas actually.

      • Karin

      Never high on any horse!

    • Taste of France

    These are fantastic. I already planned to do your pumpkin cheesecake, and gougères are always on the apéritif menu, but so many of the others look luscious. Persimmon bread and olive-fig tapenade are at the top of the list. Bonne fête!

    • Sharon B.

    Well, well. I opened your post while drinking — yes, a cranberry shrub cocktail. My shrub recipe is similar, but my cocktail uses Scotch, the shrub, orange bitters, and balanced with a little quality vermouth such as Carpano Antica. Cheers!

    • Sharon

    I might be the only one who experienced this, but your images were gigantic when I opened your blog post in my email, David. Fortunately, I can see all of this deliciousness in the proper image scale when viewed from your website.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Sorry about that. I was working on this and then my server went down for an hour in the middle of it all (of course!) so I had some tech issues to overcome. I fixed that but thanks for letting me know : )

        • Rowi

        Hi! I had exactly the same problem as Sharon.
        And I’m getting a headache not from the images from the email post but from all the delicious recipes that I read in this post while I add my favourites on my to-do-list which keeps getting longer the more I read further. Thank you so much!

          • David
          David Lebovitz

          The problem’s been resolved. (My server went down for an hour while I was updating this post so some stuff went wonky…) You can reload the page and the images should appear in normal size : )

    • poppy gorilla

    the cheese ball is SO GOOD! Even my snobby friends who consider themselves “foodies” loved it. And I mean LOVED it.
    Can’t recommend it highly enough..

      • Jenentonic

      I agree. I made it last thanksgiving and it is the best I’ve ever tasted, bar none.

      • Margaret

      I don’t know how many times I made that cheeseball last year during the holiday season and every time, people asked for the recipe. I made it for my SIL when she traveled to care for a sick relative and she said her family loved it and she asked for another one. It’s a fabulous recipe and no apologies here about cheese balls — it’s truly memorable. This year I’m going to make homemade crackers and jam to go with it.
      I also made your pumpkin ice cream for a friend who had a Halloween party at her request and even people who didn’t like pumpkin told me how much they liked it.
      For the past few five or six years I make gougeres on Christmas morning — they’re fun to make and people can’t get enough of them. They’re even better after I started sprinkling Parmesan and gruyere on top as per your instructions :)
      Thanks David, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

    • Stephanie

    Hou la la–An embarrassment of holiday riches!

    Merci bien, David!

    • Virginia H.

    David, how wonderful of you to organize and share so many delectable holiday-type recipes with your readers. Thank you!

    • Franko

    I am suddenly REALLY craving a Manhattan with cardamom bitters…

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I hear ya. When I heard about cardamom bitters, I was like, “I need to have a bottle of those in my life…”

    • Elyn

    Thank you again, David! I can’t wait to meet you next month in Cambridge at Flour Bakery! Happy Thanksgiving!

    • caroline

    Hi David! Any chance you can share the Pistachio cake recipe from Ibrik cafe? Hope to see you at Flour’s in Boston!! Caroline

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I don’t have their recipe but you could write to them and ask if they would share it. I have a lovely pistachio cake with a crunchy almond topping in my book Ready for Dessert, which is less-dense, but very delicious as well.

    • Parisbreakfast

    These lush photos make me want to paint them! Yum
    Loving L’Apart.
    Laugh-out-loud funny!!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Happy you like the book! : )

    • Patricia

    Tonight i choose the French apple cake but I’m not beneath making the whole run down. They all look superb!!

    • Dan

    If you make the Gougères ahead of time, do you refrigerate them? If so, how long can they be in the refrigerator before reheating? And can you freeze them for later reheating? Thanks for a terrific set of recipes and photos.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I never refrigerate them but you could freeze them and reheat them in a moderate oven (around 350/375º) until warmed through. No need to defrost before reheating.

    • Kathy

    I LOVED this post! Thank you.Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

    • Gail Hight

    Wow! Thank you, this is an amazing post, and so many tempting recipes to consider, for Thanksgiving, and whenever! All the best to you and Happy Thanksgiving.

    • Nancy Lee

    hmm,munch,yum,yum,crunch,smack,um yum!

    • Nancy Lee

    yum yum

    • Martinn Key2paris

    THANKS a lot ! So generous… a real Thanksgiving spirit ! MERCI

    • Elena

    Thank you very much for sharing with us such of brilliant ideas!

    • Jack

    David:
    I attended your SOLD OUT presentation tonight in Danville, but the sound wasn’t reaching all the way to the rear of the room, where my late arrival put me, so I couldn’t hear very much. However, I have a couple suggestions;
    1. Those in the back frequently can’t hear questions asked by someone up front, who is facing away from the back, so how about repeating the question before answering it.

    2. Remember to look at the folks in the back, as well as those in front. There were two women way in back who kept raising their hand with a question, but you only seemed to see those closer to you up front. Maybe address those in back, asking if they have questions.

    It was a good crowd, and apparently they really appreciated your presentation. Had I not been delayed in dinner at a nearby restaurant, I would have been one of those up front, also enjoying the show. Thanks for all the beautiful pictures you provide; my eyes are grateful. And please, these comments are not meant as criticism, just suggestions for a more effective presentation.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Thanks for coming! It was a large crowd and we arrived harried because of being stuck in traffic, too. (It took us 1 hours and forty five minutes to get there from San Francisco!) Generally when I go events like that, I like to have someone else taking questions, who also has a microphone, who can take questions from the audience so all can hear. For future events I will make sure to address people in the back if I’m the one taking the questions.

    • Michele

    Wow! what a monster blog today! Thank you, many lovely recipes.

    I’m English, and we often use marzipan in seasonal cakes – notably our Christmas cake which is a very rich and dark fruit cake laced with booze (brandy) over several weeks, covered in marzipan and then iced with Royal icing which sets very hard once applied – this is made with icing (powdered) sugar, egg whites and lemon juice.

    Christmas cake is decorated with a little paste snowman, holly leaves, silver balls, reindeer, (you can buy all these ready-made) and anything else that takes your fancy on a Christmas theme. The icing is often flipped up in waves, providing a rough, snow-like appearance.

    We also traditionally eat a Simnel cake at Easter, which is a slightly lighter fruit cake with a sheet of marzipan laid in the centre inside before being baked, and then covered in marzipan on the outside when cool. This covering is then topped with eleven small balls of marzipan to represent the Apostles minus Judas the traitor.

    The word “Simnel” comes from the ancient word for Mothering Sunday when people working often hundreds of miles away from home and Mother, and often in service in a Great House, were allowed one day off to visit the family. So the cake was traditionally made and eaten at that time – the church festival for Mothering Sunday being very close to Easter.

    In England we’re not particularly concerned about the religious connotations of these cakes, they are just enjoyed for their taste, novelty and tradition by Jews, Muslims, Christians, Atheists alike.

    We can easily buy ground almond (also called almond powder) in all supermarkets so we don’t need to grind our own. We also find that part of the fun of any seasonal holiday, as for Thanksgiving, is the preparation of special foods. So we often make our own marzipan, it’s very easy with ground almonds, caster (super-fine) sugar, an egg, and a tiny bit of brandy and almond extract flavour.

    I hope those who are not English will have been interested in this post.

    Best wishes to all.

    • Angie Coffee

    Grazie, David! Looking forward to meeting you at Market Hall in Oakland today!
    angie

    • Victoria

    I made gougeres one year for Christmas and now my SIL requests that I bring them for all our holiday celebrations. They’re the hit of the party and I always get a recipe request or two — and so easy and fun to make. Your mix of cheese toppings make them delicious.

    • Joan

    David, Thank you for such a great collection of recipes this holiday season.

    • Mike Quear

    Thank you David.

    One bit about Apples. If they’re not up to snuff add a tiny amount of rose water – it’s an old shaker trick. Try it when making Apple pie, the aroma while baking is like standing in an Apple orchard in springtime.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      That makes sense since apples are part of the rose family. Thanks for passing on the tip!

    • Cindy

    The persimmon bread is delicious and makes for a unique thanksgiving treat. Would be great for a holiday brunch as well. I used the lesser amount of sugar and it was perfectly sweet. Wonderfully moist and just the right amount of nuts and dried fruit. Your tip about using Hachiya persimmons that “need to be squishy-soft and feel like a full water-balloon” was spot on! I had never used those type of persimmon before… thank you!

    • Lisa A

    Thank you David! This is a wonderful and generous gift – a perfect collection of old favorites and new ideas. I think if I never opened another website or blog post for the rest of the year, these recipes would be enough to get through all the holiday celebrations, including New Year’s Day! Still AM here in Seattle, but the Manhattan is in queue for this evening ;)

    • JACKLYN CAMPBELL

    Thank you David for this wonderful post with all the great ideas and photographs. In a moment of madness I volunteered to host my family Christmas dinner for eight. Is it possible for you to provide us with your favourite Christmas home dinner menu? I’d like to move it up a notch this year, and would like some ideas. Thanks, good luck with the book and tour, and please bring it to Canada next time! Lots of us in the Great White North love you!

    • Annie Hanson

    Hi David
    I have a request. Can you provide me with a recipe for a traditional Caesar Salad…not with chicken.
    We are coming into Summer here in Sydney Oz and my ex has pinched my
    recipe !!!
    Annie

    • t. melanie

    The mother of all Thanksgiving posts–indeed, thank you, David!! I live in Beijing where the persimmons are just about to start literally falling off the trees and splatting on the to sidewalk. Any suggestions for non-alcoholic cognac/brandy substitute for the bread? Grazie mille!

    • Susan Gregory

    Sorry to have missed you, went to your book signing at the Market Hall, stuck in traffic, so arrived at 5:45 for your 4-6 p.m. signing. By the time I made my way across the crowded store, you were gone. Love your blog and your books (even unsigned). Have been making your upside down cakes from Room for Dessert for holiday events for years, and pineapple marmalade for holiday gifts. Your recipes are fantastic.!

    • Rita Jacques

    Persimmon bread…oolala!

    • Nidia

    Amazing collection of recipes. Thank you, David. And thank you for the latest book. Another winner.

    • Tierney

    Thank you, David! This food looks amazing! Happy Thanksgiving!

    • Abra

    This is a beautiful bunch of recipes – and the ones in L’appart are really nice too. Thank you!

    • Christine V.

    Love the recipes. But…I was thrilled to discover that I can order (and have now ordered) prune stuffed prunes from Zingerman’s! So glad I didn’t toss their catalog but thumbed through it. Ever since you mentioned prune stuffed prunes, I’ve been on the hunt to find them in the States. They are from Agen and I hope they are everything you’ve said they are.

    • Jacklyn Campbell

    Made the cheese ball – absolutely delicious. The spicy nut and pretzel snack is wonderful, and have made it several times. Have made lots of David’s recipes and have yet to be disappointed – everything has turned out wonderfully!

    • Dafna

    Just made the pumkin cheese cake and sauce to take to Thanskgiving. I am tempted to stay home and just have the sauce for thanskgiving dinner. It is amazing – you’re a genious.

    • Andrew

    A few suggestions on the German Apple Cake, which I just made this morning. The baking time seems way off. In my well calibrated oven, at 350 the cake was still liquid in the center after 1 hour and 10 minutes, and did not fully bake for another 25 minutes. The apple slices at 1/2 of an inch are too thick to cook appropriately; go with 1/4 inch and 1/4 dice. The stand mixer does a poor job of incorporating the butter and almond paste; next time I’ll try a food processor. And, it needs more fragrance…I’ll try 3 tablespoons of Calvados or rum next time.

    • Lynn

    I made the cheeseball and it was a huge hit. I served it with homemade cherry jam — delicious. Thanks, David.

    • Sue Chiverton

    hi david – i made the pumpkin cheesecake for thanksgiving dinner at friends.

    question on it: i was expecting the consistency to be much more firm and a bit more dense. it turned out quite soft, almost mousse-like. slices held together somewhat, but not clean cuts like yours in the photos. it was delicious, if a bit messy.

    i followed ingredients and directions and did refrigerate it overnight.

    how should the consistency be? any thoughts on how to firm it up a bit?

    thanks. love your stuff, as always, and am totally enjoying your new book!!!!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      You could cook it longer, but I would check your oven with an oven thermometer to make sure it’s accurate. The consistency should be like shown in the photos, creamy & smooth, and sliceable. Someone posted a picture of theirs on Instagram, which also shows the texture pretty well.

        • Sue Chiverton

        thanks. i’ll check the oven temp for sure. it was definitely looking set in the middle with just a little jiggle, so i thought it was firm enough to take out. also i’m at high altitude, 6500 ft.

        keep the good stuff coming. i always look forward to your posts.

          • David
          David Lebovitz

          Ah, yes. There are often things you need to be aware of for high-altitude baking. It’s not really my area of specialty but it seems like baking times are usually increased. If you still have leftover cheesecake that’s too soft, you could layer it into glasses with whipped cream, lemon custard, and/or fruit/berries between the layers.
          : )

            • Sue Chiverton

            YUM!!! good idea!!

    • Ingrid

    That red wine pear tart looks divine and never tried pumpkin ice cream, must try that one!

    • The Fruitcake Guy

    Duvid,
    My 10 year old son made the Cranberry Upside Down Cake for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. I even took a smaller portion of Pecan Pie (made from my Aunt Cille’s recipe who cooked for a working farm in NC for years) in order to try it. He was proud and even brought a piece to school so his “girlfriend” could taste it. Happy he is a great baker. Not too sure about the girlfriend. :)

    • Dora

    Thanks David, you always give us your best. I personally enjoy baking, it is lots of fun. Thanks again.

    • Mick

    I think I just gained 10 pounds of goodness.
    That pumpkin cheesecake (the first pic?) looks heavenly!!

    Thanks for sharing!

    • Lori

    That all looks so good! Thanks for sharing!

    • Fran

    think I’ll make it easy on myself and just come to your house!

    • Denise

    Thank you for the fabulous recipes! I saw you recently on Milk Street on PBS. Wonderful!

    • Ellen Safian

    Thanks, David, for beautiful Thanksgiving recipes. Question about another recipe: I used some M&M’s in the chocolate chip cookie dough because people didn’t want nuts. When I sliced into the logs the M&M’s were cut open.
    Could I roll the dough into balls next time? (Ready For Dessert). Happy Thanksgiving to you and Romain!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Sure, you can form the dough into rounds and bake the cookies that way. Happy you like the chocolate chip cookie recipe!

        • Ellen Safian

        Thank you!

    • Mara

    I made the cheese ball last year and everyone was swooning over it. I’m going to make it again and hopefully one of those yummy pies!

    • Sally

    Hi!
    Would you bring back a can of pumpkin for me, or tell me where to buy it? I can’t find one in France (or Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland-I always look for American goods when traveling). You know Americans have to have our pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving!
    Thanks!
    P.S. after reading your book, I am now appreciating all your dishes/treasures you have acquired!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      They sell it at The Real McCoy (194 rue de Grenelle) and La Grande Épicerie in Paris, as well as My American Market online. You can also roast butternut squash or potimarron (kuri) squash, oiled or buttered and cut side down, on a baking sheet until tender. The scoop out the flesh and puree it, too.

    • Janice Linhares

    How do you do it? Every one of these recipes is great. Thank you

    • Sally

    THANKS!
    I ordered from My American Market, and it will arrive on Monday!

    • Cyndy

    I made the pretzel nut mix last night to take to a Thanksgiving dinner at friends’. I only used 2/3 the amount of cayenne, and I wish I had used less. I would not make it with cayenne again. Maybe poblano or some other ground pepper. I will definitely make this again. It’s easy, and good results. How’s that for talking out of both sides of my mouth!

    Full disclosure, I like a little bit of spice but not a lot.

    • Janice Linhares

    Dear David, how do you do it? Every recipe is perfect! Thank you, Janice

    • Barbara

    Fusion cuisine: I can recommend left-over turkey with onion confit.

    • Valerie

    Re the Chocolate Idiot Cake: Is the batter thick enough to not seep out of the springform pan? I have yet to find a springform pan that holds in liquid. (Thick batter is not a problem.)
    Can anyone can recommend a leak-proof pan? There are several on Amazon, but for each one there is a commenter who says, “not leakproof.”

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I’ve made it in a springform pan and it works. But as you mention, most springform pans can leak so if you like in the U.S., I recommend that extra-wide foil and wrapping the outside of the pan with that. If not, use several sheets of heavy-duty foil and use that to prevent leaks.

A

Get David's newsletter sent right to your Inbox!

15987

Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris...