Thanksgiving Dessert Trivia -- 40 Questions

Pumpkin pie. Over 50 million pumpkin pies are eaten each Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin, pecan, and apple. These three dominate holiday dessert tables.

Pumpkin pie spice. A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.

Early American colonists adapted English custard pies using native pumpkins. The first pumpkin pie recipes appeared in 17th-century cookbooks.

Corn syrup. Traditional pecan pie uses light or dark corn syrup, sugar, butter, and eggs.

Georgia. Georgia leads U.S. pecan production by a wide margin.

African American and Southern cuisine. It is a beloved alternative to pumpkin pie.

Sweet potato pie uses roasted sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin. It has a denser, richer texture.

Dried fruits, spices, and sometimes beef suet. Modern mincemeat rarely contains actual meat.

A molasses pie from Pennsylvania Dutch country. It has a sweet, sticky filling with a crumb topping.

A simple Southern pie made with sugar, butter, eggs, and cornmeal. It is a staple of Southern baking.

To pre-bake the crust before adding wet filling. This prevents a soggy bottom.

Chantilly cream. When sweetened and flavored with vanilla.

Gelato has less fat and less air. It is denser and creamier than American-style ice cream.

Stale bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and spices. It transforms leftover bread into a rich dessert.

Black walnuts. Native to North America, they have a stronger, earthier flavor.

A fruit and coconut salad with marshmallows. Common in the South, it includes mandarin oranges and pineapple.

3,699 pounds, made in Ohio in 2010. It was 20 feet in diameter.

McCormick introduced a pre-mixed blend in the 1930s. Before that, home cooks mixed their own.

All-butter or butter-shortening combination. Butter provides flavor; shortening adds flakiness.

A ceramic vent placed in the center of a pie. It allows steam to escape and prevents filling from boiling over.

19th-century marketing and WWII patriotism. 'As American as apple pie' became popular during the war.

A shallow pie baked in a rectangular pan. It serves more people and has a higher crust-to-filling ratio.

Candied yams are baked sweet potatoes with sugar; sweet potato pie is a custard pie. Both use the same main ingredient.

A custard pie with buttermilk, sugar, and butter. Popular in the South, it has a tangy-sweet flavor.

A Southern pie with pecans, coconut, and raisins. Named after the Confederate president.

A Kentucky chocolate and walnut pie. The name is trademarked by Kern's Kitchen.

A custard pie with coconut in the filling and topping. It is a diner and potluck classic.

A custard pie with sliced bananas and whipped cream. It is a mid-20th-century American classic.

It is a Florida specialty sometimes served as a lighter alternative. Not traditional, but popular in warm climates.

Pecan pie with chocolate chips or syrup added. It combines two favorite flavors.

Pecan pie with maple syrup replacing corn syrup. A Northern variation using local syrup.

A simple pie with a brown sugar custard filling. Popular in Indiana and the Midwest.

Indiana's official state pie. It contains sugar, cream, and flour in a simple custard.

A Kentucky pie with raisins, pecans, and coconut. Similar to Jefferson Davis pie.

A layered pie with cream cheese, chocolate, and whipped topping. The name refers to 'playing possum' — hiding the layers.

A tangy alternative for those who dislike sweet pies. Not traditional, but refreshing after a heavy meal.

Crumble has no oats; crisp has oats; cobbler has a biscuit topping. All are fruit desserts with different toppings.

A New England apple dessert with a broken pastry top. The crust is 'dowdied' or pushed down into the fruit.

A New England fruit dessert with dumplings steamed on top. Named for the sound it makes while cooking.