Thanksgiving Deliciousness

Thanksgiving was, in a word, delicious. My jobs were the yams (as always, they are my favorite dish!) and dessert. Mom thought it would be a fun twist to forego pies this year in favor of trying something new - whoopie pies! That dessert still has the word "pie" in it, so it is perfectly acceptable for a Thanksgiving feast. And these weren't just whoopie pies - oh, no, they were pumpkin whoopie pies! The recipe features soft, sticky cake-like "cookies" with cream cheese filler. I made the cookie parts and frosting in the morning, then put them together to chill for the afternoon. Mom insisted on her "favorite" dish - brussel sprouts, ick - so that, too, was included in the repertoire along with steamed carrots and the relish tray my grandparents always included with their holiday spreads. In fact, I think the same beautiful, crystal cut dish held the relish goodies as on Thanksgivings of yore. Jim worked wonders with the turkey, which he likes to grill outdoors on the barbecue. It was stuffed with oranges and spices and butter were rubbed under the skin prior to grilling. It smelled heavenly - and citrusy, too! He even made the gravy from scratch (drool). We of course included rolls (the Hughes girls love their baked goods!) and had our favorite, time-honored artichoke sourdough stuffing, along with mashed potatoes, and apple cider as a finishing touch. And those whoopie pies as a grand finale.

I ate dinner tonight, but for some reason, I feel hungry again....

A beautiful day for cooking:

Just looking at that turkey makes me drool:

Making the whoopie pie cookies:

Tasty ingredients all ready to go.... and yucky brussel sprouts:

A cheery Thanksgiving mantle:

My yams. A triumph.

The dinner table, facing the living room:

And from the living room facing the kitchen (for an extended view):

Whoopie pies, which make me almost sad that I ate so much dinner....

Weird people eating Thanksgiving dinner across from me:

Just kidding! They are actually quite normal.

People who are anything but normal, but love Thanksgiving and love the people they dined with:

P.S. Here are the recipes for my favorite yams and the whoopie pies for your edification!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Potatoes:

2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Cooking spray

Topping:

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place sweet potatoes in a Dutch oven, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.

3. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add half-and-half and 3/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well (mixture will be thin). Scrape mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

4. To prepare topping, sprinkle mini marshmallows over top of casserole. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles course meal. Stir in pecans and sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes and marshmallows. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies With Cream Cheese Filling (courtesy of Martha Stewart, http://www.marthastewart.com/344826/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-cream-cheese-f)

Ingredients

For The Cream-Cheese Filling

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For The Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground cloves

2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.

Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan. (I managed to make about 50 cookies, so a top and bottom for 25 cookies.)

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)

Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.