Irresistible Thanksgiving treats

The new style to Thanksgiving desserts

Apple pie is a popular Thanksgiving treat but when it comes to baking these, cupcakes are the easy route to go. These apple pie cupcakes are a delightful treat filled with apple pie filling, cinnamon cake and creamy cinnamon buttercream frosting.

PHOTO GABRIELLE HEATH

Apple pie is a popular Thanksgiving treat but when it comes to baking these, cupcakes are the easy route to go. These apple pie cupcakes are a delightful treat filled with apple pie filling, cinnamon cake and creamy cinnamon buttercream frosting.

Thanksgiving can sometimes get boring with the same desserts being brought by family each year. Grandma brings the berry pie, mom makes the pumpkin pie and your cousin brings the chocolate chip cookies. 

This year you can be the chef and whip up some amazing treats that the whole family will enjoy. Here are three delicious and easy recipes that can make you look and feel like a professional. 

Apple pie is the ultimate treat for thanksgiving and 63% of people polled on Instagram said apple pie is their favorite over pumpkin pie. This treat is very common for Thanksgiving, so why not put a twist to it and turn apple pie into cupcakes. 

Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together 5 cups all-purpose flour, 5 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl cream together 2 cups softened butter, 2 ¾ cups sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla until light and fluffy. Whisk in 8 eggs two at a time until well blended. Add in the flour mixture slowly alternating with 2 cups milk. Bake for 20 minutes adding an additional 5 minutes until a toothpick is inserted into the center of a cupcake and comes out clean. For the frosting, mix together  4 sticks unsalted butter (softened), 7 cups confectioners sugar, ¼ cup vanilla pudding mix, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional), 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons cinnamon until well combined. Add more whipping cream to adjust consistency. After the cupcakes cool for about 30 minutes, use a small spoon or knife to remove a part of the middle of the cupcake. Fill each hole with a little canned apple pie filling. Frost each cupcake covering the hole on top from filling. 

An appetizing dessert or snack you should try are coffee crumb cake muffins. No, they do not actually have coffee in them, but they do have delicious crumb topping and glaze. 

Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or coat with nonstick spray. Set aside. To make the crumb topping, combine  ⅓ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in ½ cup melted butter then 1 ½ cups of flour until well combined. Spread out and crumble mixture onto parchment paper until ready to use. In a large bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoons salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together ¾ cups white milk, ⅓ cup oil (vegetable, canola, etc.) and 2 large eggs. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Scoop batter evenly into muffin tray. Sprinkle with crumb topping using your fingertips to gently press the crumbs into the batter. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean. For the glaze, combine ¼ cup confectioners sugar and 1 teaspoon milk. If the glaze is too thin, add more confectioners sugar by the ¼ teaspoon until desired thickness is reached. When the muffins are done, cool for 10 minutes and drizzle with glaze topping on each muffin. 

A total of 83% of students polled on Instagram help make food for Thanksgiving and 93% of people make dessert as well. You can make those numbers go up by making these easy sugar cookies. Anyone could make these sugar cookies even with a little help.  

Preparation: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Beat 2 ½ cups butter and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add in 1 egg, 1 egg yolk and 1 teaspoon vanilla one at a time until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Slowly incorporate flour mixture into batter. Roll dough onto a floured surface into ¼ inch thickness and cut desired shape. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until barely golden brown on edges. For the royal icing, mix together 4 cups of confectioners sugar, 3 egg whites, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until light and fluffy. Let cookies cool completely before decorating with icing.