OH, How I LOVE Thanksgiving...let me count the ways!

I do, I really do LOVE Thanksgiving...absolutely ALL of it...from the turkey, gravy and stuffing to the sweet potatoes and green beans to the cranberry sauce and pumpkin bread, not to mention the pumpkin, pecan and apple pies and the wine...red for me...OH LA LA!!!

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday of the year because in addition to the fabulous aforementioned food there is none of that awful gift giving frenzy involved. It is just all about eating great food, drinking even better wines and enjoying a mostly relaxing day with the people you love the most. It's pure heaven for me, especially when my family behaves themselves.

The Famous Pumpkin Bread

When I'm not drowning in chocolate bliss, I am quite partial to all things pumpkin, maple and pecan so Thanksgiving is a personal bonanza for me. This holiday would not be complete without my Grandma Rose and Aunt Irene's famous pumpkin bread. I swear I have been eating this bread for as long as I can remember and there is not a single person in my family that is not crazy for it. The baton was passed to me two years ago making me the official baker of it for Thanksgiving and other occasions. I have gotten so good at baking it (while channeling my grandma and aunt!) that it is now famous beyond just my family. Friends and strangers alike beg for it...sometimes the demand for it makes me positively dizzy! Try it when you get a chance...you will not be disappointed!

The Magnificent Maple Walnut (Pecan) Layer Cake

As for something maple and pecany to offer up I am going to suggest the first cake I made in my most recent incarnation as a baker goddess. It is from the wonderful Magnolia Bakery in NYC. They call it Maple Walnut Cake with Fluffy Maple Frosting. Since I change the walnuts to pecans (my obvious preference) I technically could call it Maple Pecan Layer Cake but I won't in deference to the geniuses that created it in the first place. In any case, make it...I promise you a chance to experience nirvana.

Well, I would love to continue to regale you with and relive my Thanksgiving memories but I must get back to my baking...people are counting on me! I hope your holiday is as sweet as can be filled with love, laughter and lovely, heartfelt memories to last a lifetime.

xoxo Nanci