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1 The Martha Stewart Pies & Tarts book has so many great ideas for Thanksgiving desserts

2 One apple pie recipe uses antique apples

3 Our sky-high apple cranberry pie uses 5 pounds of apples

4 A chai-spice apple pie recipe has Indian flavors

5 Apple-walnut cake is delicious

6 Caramelized apple spice cake is very elegant

7 Pecan pie is a tried and true Thanksgiving dessert

8 Pecans are also great in a butterscotch cake

9 Make bourbon pecan chews

10 Or toasted pecan butter bites

11 Quince is an unusual but seasonal fruit that makes a great dessert

12 A quince slab pie is one way to go

13 A quince biscuit pie is another choice

14 Persimmons are another seasonal fruit to use in a Thanksgiving dessert

15 A steamed persimmon pudding is garnished with oven-dried persimmon slices

Pies and tarts are the quintessential Thanksgiving desserts -- and there are so many to choose from. There are also delicious cakes and cookies that will put a sweet touch to the end of your meal. Here are some ideas for you to consider for your Thanksgiving dinner.

Think Apple Desserts

"Make a dessert with apples for Thanksgiving," my daughter, Sarah, requested of me. One way to go is to bake an apple pie. There are three recipes I like to choose from. One recipe uses antique apples often found in Farmers' markets or straight from orchards, if you go apple picking. Or you could make a sky-high apple-cranberry pie that is packed with 5 pounds of apples. The third apple pie recipe is the most unusual. It's a chai-spice apple pie which uses cardamom among other spices for an Indian flavor.

Apples work really well in cakes too. An elegant apple-walnut bundt cake is a great dessert. The apple cider glaze is a nice finishing touch. A caramelized apple spice cake is another good choice. It's garnished with gold marzipan pumpkins, acorns and leaves.

Go Nuts With Pecans

Pecan pie is another popular Thanksgiving dessert. But pecans cans also be used in other desserts like a butterscotch-pecan cake. Or you can make cookies like bourbon-pecan chews or toasted-pecan butter bites.

Be Unusual

You might want to surprise your guests with an unexpected dessert. For example, use quince, a cross between an apple and a pear, for a different fruit dessert. One way to go is a quince slab pie. Or a quince biscuit pie is another option.

Persimmons are another seasonal fruit that make an unexpected Thanksgiving dessert. A steamed persimmon pudding is elegant and delicious. The cake is garnished with oven-dried persimmon slices.