Thanksgiving Desserts

Imagine being able to savor the taste of a freshly baked pecan pie, the ‘cinnamony’ flavor of an apple compote or the ubiquitous accompaniment- a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complement either traditional dessert.

While there are certainly no lack of ‘Paleo-ized’ versions of these dishes to be found online or in many of the new Paleoish books in print these days, I’m actually more of a fan of focusing on the flavors of each dish and going more the au natural route, at least to give guests the option.

Why not try a baked apple, prepared by coring, then placing apples in a glass baking dish with an inch of water and a cinnamon stick inside each where the core once was.   Add a splash of pure vanilla and some cloves, then bake for about 20 – 30 minutes at 450.   

Another favorite of mine is to bake some pumpkin, let cool, then puree with fresh coconut cream, dried ginger and top with a dash of nutmeg and some freshly toasted pecans.

Finally, take that ice cream maker attachment for your Kitchen Aid out of retirement and create a homemade ice-cream like treat using cashews, pistachios and fresh coconut milk, with a splash of vodka to prevent crystallization.

Having the option to choose something less processed than a pie or faux Paleo cake made of almond flour, honey and grass-fed butter will allow your guests to choose just how Paleo they’d like to be…if you even opt to mention what Paleo is!  Sometimes being understated works the best, after all…