Thanksgiving Desserts - Pecan Pie Bars and Cranberry Apple Cake

We spent Thanksgiving in Spokane WA with Elizabeth and Family. We even got to see Steven and Kellie and family while we were there. We made some yummy desserts for Thanksgiving- I've had them sitting on my desk for nearly a month waiting to post them but it never quite happened- so here they are now!

The pecan pie bars I got from Leslie Hegseth who moved here from CA. We had a welcome to the neighborhood party in August and she brought these. I LOVED them, so of course I had to have the recipe. I got brave and asked her for it and this is what she sent me:

Ingredients:
Crust-
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Topping-
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 pan with foil leaving enough for a 2 inch overhang on all sides. 

First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in flour and salt and mix until crumbly. Press the crust into the foil lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. 

While the crust bakes prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan, stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped nuts. 

Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface. 

Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes. 

Remove the pan and allow to cool fully in the pan. Use the foil overhang to lift the bars out and transfer to cutting board. Peel off foil and cut. 

Enjoy!
Leslie

Everyone liked them so much- I only got 1 quick picture while they were still in the pan. 

The next recipe is one Libby and I found on the internet. She bought fresh cranberries to make sauce. But NO ONE likes sauce so we decided to do something else with them. We tried a Cranberry Apple Cake recipe from Ina Garten and it was really good. Libby said she likes recipes from Ina Garten and when the cake was done Rob said he really liked it.

12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced - we used what ever we had
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges) - We used clementines
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice - clementines again
1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.
Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10-inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

We had a great time and didn't even miss the pies! They were still in the freezer and we never ate them. Thanks for the fun Elizabeth and Rob!