With American Thanksgiving quickly approaching, the sun setting earlier, and longings for comforting home-cooked meals increasingly omnipresent, homesickness for the holiday season is at an all-time high. While this time of year may be tough for Americans missing Thanksgiving, these sweet treats will hopefully offer a little taste of home.

These recipes are some of my personal favourite Thanksgiving desserts. I hope to bring my love for them to the McGill community and assuage some nostalgia amongst fellow Americans who cannot make it home this year. 

For homesick apple lovers: Comforting applesauce

This year, I wanted to bring an annual tradition of mine to Montreal: Making my grandmother’s applesauce. While applesauce may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dish, this family recipe is a big crowd-pleaser and can curb any homesickness with its cozy, fall flavours.

When it came to applesauce, my grandmother took a more simple approach—using mainly apples and sugar—but this take on her recipe adds a few elements to enhance the apple’s tartness. This applesauce tastes great as a topping on other treats and pastries, à la mode, or on its own! 

This recipe makes about 10-12 servings, and keeps well in the fridge.

Ingredients:

• 15 McIntosh apples, or any soft apple that is not too tart 
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cups of white sugar
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom (optional)
• Sprinkle brown sugar (optional)

Steps:

1. Wash and peel the apples.
2. Slice the apples into thin cubes.
3. In a medium or large pot, cook apple slices on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the apples are softened and browned.
4. Add water, sugar, and cinnamon, stirring frequently to prevent the apples from burning.
5. Lightly mash the apples with a spatula to create a saucy consistency.
6. Once the mixture is to a desired texture, add cardamom and brown sugar to taste.

For those clinging onto the last remnants of autumn: Smooth pumpkin pie

Whether you’re in charge of baking dessert for Friendsgiving, or just love the taste of a pumpkin spice latte, this pumpkin pie is perfect to whip up as fall comes to a close. Its nostalgic taste is sure to keep you going through the end of the semester, and to spark excitement for the holidays to come.

Ingredients:

• Store-bought or home-made 9-inch pie crust
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup white sugar
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• 1 can pumpkin purée (or 2 cups)
• ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp salt

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 425℉ (218℃).
2. Place pie crust on a 9-inch round tin and chill it in the refrigerator while preparing other ingredients.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together both the white and brown sugar until they combine to a smooth texture.
4. Add in your pumpkin purée, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Whisk these ingredients together until they form a thick batter-like texture.
5. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and pour your pumpkin pie filling into the pie crust.
6. Bake the pie at 425℉ (218℃) for 15 minutes.
7. Rotate the pie, to cook the filling evenly.
8. Reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C), and continue baking for another 35 to 45 minutes. Once this step is complete, you should be able to stick a toothpick in the center of the pie and have it come out clean. If not, let it cook a bit more until you can do so.
9. Cool on a drying rack for 2 to 3 hours.
10. Place the pie in the refrigerator to set overnight and enjoy!