Variations On A Thanksgiving Theme: Pumpkin Desserts That Aren’t The Standard Pie
We've scanned the region to find pumpkin-forward desserts that are less conventional than the traditional Thanksgiving pie.
Bartlett House pumpkin coffee cake. Photo credit: Jennifer Wakamatsu
The annual pumpkin spice craze is in full flourish, bringing new ways to inject the fall-themed flavoring into food and even non-edibles that don't need it. Among the many: pumpkin spice malted milk balls, soda, hand soap, deodorant, and dental chews (for dogs). And then there’s the real deal: pumpkin pie. You can find those almost anywhere, but since we like a challenge, we opted to seek out pumpkin-infused desserts that aren’t just your basic pie for this year's Thanksgiving table. Traditionalists can still have their pie, and eat something new, too.
There’s a certain subset of humans (ahem) that prefer cakes to pies, and Bartlett House has something just for them. The wizards in the Bartlett House kitchen are baking up a pumpkin coffee cake loaf, a rectangle of pumpkin spice streaked with a cinnamon swirl and finished with a streusel topping. Order before noon on November 24.
Photo courtesy of Talbott & Arding
The entry from Talbott & Arding may look like the basic pumpkin pie, but it’s a new offering this year; it’s filled with a pumpkin custard. The end result, we’re told, is silky, with a more concentrated flavor of pumpkin and warm spices. And isn’t the braided crust elegant? Pre-order by November 20.
Photo courtesy of Just a Little Pie Shop
Just a Little Pie Shop, Poughkeepsie, NY
Small pies, big pies, savory and sweet: Listing what Amanda Giacone has in store sounds like the beginning of a poem. For Thanksgiving, she’s baking up a nine-inch toasted marshmallow pumpkin pie — pumpkin mousse in a graham cracker crust, topped with toasted marshmallow meringue. If you’re enchanted by the mini pies, the nine-inch is also available in the little size, as are a pumpkin swirl cheesecake (and a classic pumpkin pie with cinnamon whipped cream). You'll need to preorder.
Photo courtesy of A-Frame Bakery
A-Frame Bakery, Williamstown, MA
The normal output by owner Sharon Sutter at A-Frame Bakery is impressive, but she really gears up for the holidays, so you’ll have to hurry to pre-order. Sutter is creating two not-pumpkin pies: a pumpkin cheesecake with a dark chocolate ganache and pecans, and a pumpkin roll filled and frosted with maple cream cheese and topped with pecans. Pre-order by November 10.
Photo courtesy of Our Daily Bread
If you’re on a gluten-free diet, you don’t necessarily have to wait for the holiday to indulge in the pumpkin-flavored parade. Our Daily Bread, champion of GF products with its Gluten Free Bakery division, puts out GF pumpkin chocolate chip cookies throughout the season. You can pre-order them if you like, or just stop by and pick them up at the counter.
