Did I forget dessert?

So, I may have forgotten to show the finished food pictures in my last post, and I completely didn't mention dessert, which is my favorite part of the meal.  The food was delicious, but since I knew what was coming next, I held back... it helps that there would be opportunities to get stuffed on leftovers later.  Before I move onto dessert, a quick food recap...

 The sweet potatoes were just the right amount of sweet and so tender.

 The brussels sprouts covered in a balsamic glaze were delicious and felt sort of healthy.

 My aunt's corn pudding may have been the star of the night... there wasn't very much leftover.  =(

 The mashed potatoes filled with all things delicious were a hit and a favorite for leftovers.

 The stuffing got a golden brown crust from the final broil in the oven... tender and delicious!

 Carving the turkey while the buffet gets started.

 Turkey with the proper fixings, gravy and citrus-y cranberry sauce.

 The most delicious golden plate.

Yay for Thanksgiving food!  We are starting to miss it now.

I had made three desserts: a chocolate pecan tart, an apple pie, and a pumpkin swirl cheesecake.  It was difficult to figure out where to start, so I thought I would just have one of everything.  This was definitely the right choice since each dessert brought a little something different.  The chocolate pecan tart was filled with a chocolate ganache that melted in your mouth while the pecans and chocolate crust gave the dessert a nice crunch.  The tart more than fulfilled my chocolate cravings.

Chocolate-y goodness!

Then I moved on to the pumpkin swirl cheesecake, which I had made in honor of hubby since he loves all things pumpkin.  I loved cheesecake growing up, and when you eat a good cheesecake, it takes you to a whole other planet.  This cheesecake was surprisingly delicious (I always feel like so much could go wrong).  It was moist and creamy with the right amount of pumpkin flavor.  I savored every bite and went back for seconds later.

 The cheesecake did crack a little, but it didn't detract from the taste.

Finally there was the apple pie, a last minute edition to the dessert menu since I felt that Thanksgiving dinner needed a fruit pie for whatever reason.  My dad also happens to like apple pie, and I made sure to have chocolate ice cream (his favorite) to serve it ala mode.  I had made an apple pie once before using a combination of recipes, one for the crust, one for the filling, and one for the crumble.  I used the three recipes to make the apple pie at Thanksgiving and was thrilled when the apple pie turned out just as good as it had the first time I had made it.  It was the first dessert to be completely devoured (during a Saturday leftover session).  Hubby called dibs on the last piece, which I took as a good sign.

 Underneath the crumble lies a layer of gooey apple filling.

Our mini dessert buffet was enough to appease any sweet tooth.

Maui met my parents' dog, Spice, over Thanksgiving... let's just say they aren't best friends

Hi guys!  Such a great shot of a very fast growing not so little anymore puppy