Desserts

If Thanksgiving isn’t all about desserts, you can’t prove it by our family. J, During the month leading up to the holiday, they freely offer advice about what desserts they think should appear on the dining room sideboard on the big day. Of course, each child has a personal wish list, so we end up making a selection—six or more desserts to satisfy all yearnings.

We feel that Thanksgiving desserts should reflect the bounty of the harvest season. Pumpkins, pears, persimmons, apples, chestnuts, and cranberries are appropriate seasonal ingredients that give a singular flavor to the holiday table. Certain other fruits—bananas, coconut, strawberries among them—just don’t seem to fit in. They are representatives of other seasons, other places, and other celebrations.