Chocolate for Thanksgiving

A friend of mine once served smoked salmon for Thanksgiving dinner, "just for a change."

This could never happen at my house. Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, corn, and cranberry sauce are de rigeur. Changes are not allowed. Points are not awarded for creativity. We're talking about tradition here, so no one can mess with it.

Creativity is allowed in three areas, though. First, breads may be changed around at will. Cranberry-orange bread, fantans, corn muffins with jalapenos and cheese -- all of these and more have graced our Thanksgiving table.

Vegetables, too, as long as potatoes and corn are offered, may be varied. The kids can ignore the existence of steamed green beans bundled and tied with herbs just as well as they can ignore squash casserole or roasted carrots.

Desserts are supposed to be varied. We've had gingerbread turkeys with pumpkin dip, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and cherry cheesecake. Lemon meringue pie, spice cake with bourbon-spiked whipped cream, and Apple-Plum Crisp.

We also like chocolate for Thanksgiving. I'm going to offer you two pie recipes today: one for purists, and one for those of you who still haven't gotten a turkey and are in no mood for serious baking.

First, the quick one made with convenience foods:

Possum Pie

1 c. flour
1/2 c butter
1/2 c. chopped pecans
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. Cool Whip
2 pkg. instant chocolate pudding, mixed with 3 c.milk

Combine flour, butter, and pecans. Form crust in pie pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread over the cooled crust. Pour the pudding over the cream cheese mixture. Top with Cool Whip and chopped nuts.

This recipe came from Kathy Simmons, and I have no idea what it has to do with possums, but people love it. You could substitute a nice homemade chocolate mousse and real whipped cream for the processed foods here, but you could also substitute a ready-made graham cracker crust. It all depends how busy you are.

Now, for the serious:

Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 c butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix everything else together, pour into the pie shell, and bake at 350 degrees till it's set -- about an hour.

You can add a splash of bourbon to this, too, for a marvelously rich flavor. And, actually, this is probably just as quick as the Possum Pie, when you get down to it, so you might as well make both.

Make them today or tomorrow and keep them in the refrigerator, and you won't have to fuss on the big day.