This Side of the Pond

I was tasked with making dessert for this year’s Thanksgiving feast, because my sister-in-law is as clever as she is a good host. I opted for a raspberry cheesecake and apple crumble tassies, because the pumpkin pie was already covered.

You may be wondering why we needed extra dessert on top of the traditional choices, and the answer to that question is that we didn’t. Necessity is beside the point.

My sister-in-law knows that I’ll be anxious to the point that I will vibrate around the edge of her kitchen if I’m not allowed to bring something. My grandmother would be revolving in her grave at the very idea of her descendant turning up empty-handed to a feast.

The trouble is that sister-in-law is among the most organized people I’ve ever met and an exceptional cook. She and my brother-in-law also like to pamper their guests, so I can’t even contribute by doing dishes because I’m chased out of the kitchen before I can get my hands on the dishcloth.

I have no doubt that the menu has been designed and planned for weeks and will include all the favorites I have come to appreciate during my time giving thanks on these shores. On the other hand, putting up with a distressed Brit is not on her holiday agenda.

When she first started hosting Thanksgiving, sister-in-law didn’t yet know about the vibrating. And so, because I’m not good at hiding my panic and she’s a quick study, she now gives me a task that I can fail without jeopardizing the overall success of Thanksgiving.

I can feel like I’ve been useful and she can pretend my contribution was necessary in the name of keeping me calm. This is a tried-and-tested plan that works for both of us.

Neither of us need acknowledge the truth. I don’t even mind whether anyone eats the cheesecake.

If you’re wondering why I chose these two desserts, the answer is simple. I sent a secret communication to my inside source, searching for information on sweet treats that all three members of sister-in-law’s family enjoy (and by “secret communication to my inside source”, I mean I texted my niece.)

Cheesecake seemed to fit the bill, so cheesecake was the right answer. As for the apple crumble tassies, these are a contribution adapted from Britain’s version of Thanksgiving.

Across the pond, you see, we don’t celebrate this holiday because we don’t need to give thanks for a safe journey or our new land. We didn’t go anywhere, and our land is still the same square footage we’ve been camping on since before the Romans arrived.

(Of course, having followed the pilgrims in their footsteps, albeit in a comfortable airplane instead of a small boat, I do now feel it’s right that I give thanks like everyone else.)

Instead, our tradition is the Harvest Festival (which confusingly is sometimes called the Harvest Festival of Thanksgiving.) We celebrate the food that has been grown on our land and give thanks for the success of the crops, which will see us through the winter.

At the same time, we give thanks for all the good in our lives, such as family. These festivals have been held in churches since the mid-nineteenth century and often include a harvest supper, where some of that produce is eaten, and surplus is given away to those in need.

Before that time, the festival was held on or near the closest full moon to the autumn equinox, otherwise referred to as the Harvest Moon, and included more secular celebrations, such as folk music, dancing and parades. Even then, the idea was to give thanks for the bounty the land had provided.

Not so different from America’s Thanksgiving, when you think about it, although much less organized and not as staple a holiday – at least not in modern times. I chose an apple recipe to honor both versions of the season at the same time.

Thanksgiving will either be over by the time you read this, or you’ll be done and dusted with shopping for ingredients. On that basis, I thought I’d share a recipe for apple cake to help you use up what’s left.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a seven-inch springform cake pan. Mix a teaspoon and a half of mixed spice into 7 oz of self-rising flour in a stand mixer, then add 7 oz soft brown sugar, 7 oz of softened butter and 4 beaten eggs.

Beat for two or three minutes, then add four small apples that have been peeled and diced and stir them in. Spoon the mixture into the pan and arrange a large apple, cut into thin slices, across the top. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then bake for up to an hour until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Hearty, filling and surprisingly rich, it’ll be exactly what you need once you’ve run out of Thanksgiving leftovers and are staring sadly at the empty shelves of your fridge.