By Jennifer Wake, Family Traditions, Special Needs
Pumpkin. Apple. Pecan. Cherry. What is your favorite pie?
When I was in high school, I made four different types of pies for my family. I had a knack for creating my father’s favorite pie crust, so pie-making became my job. My mom was more than willing to hand over baking to me. She loved making the rest of the meal but desserts and cinnamon rolls were my area of expertise. I mastered pumpkin, apple, minced meat, and cherry pie baking.
Fast forward many years to my son with sensory issues. Textures of foods, clothing, and other surfaces bother him. Temperature and light intensity also cause him problems. I had to learn how to handle his differences.
Sensory different people are more common than I realized. Some are bothered by the texture of foods like pudding or lumpy mashed potatoes. Some are disturbed by temperature differences, so ice cream or hot chocolate can set them off. Each sensory different person is unique, but they learn to adapt to the world around them.
Sometimes the people around them adapt their world to help. This meant changing my traditional pie recipes to soothe his senses. When my son was little, he did not eat ice cream, pudding, or anything with sauce. The texture was just not something he could accept. As he grew, he learned to voice his preferences and dislikes, but he could not always explain why he did not like something. For a while, we knew something about Thanksgiving dessert caused issues for him. Finally, together, we figured out that it was the pie crust texture that bothered him.
I started experimenting with new crustless Pumpkin Pie recipes. The one that became our family favorite is Pumpkin Pie Cake. I have modified it to be gluten-free to help my friends who cannot have gluten.
Once I gave up on having pumpkin pie, my daughters wanted to replace apple pie with apple crisp. Yet my husband never wavered on his favorite Toll House Cookie Pie. He loves chocolate, so I added that to my list of pies. My favorite is mincemeat, but since no one else likes it I don’t make it. My hips don’t need a full pie.
How have your favorite holiday desserts changed over the years?
Pumpkin Pie Cake 350°
4 Eggs
16 oz Can of Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
½ c Sugar
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp Salt
13 oz Evaporated Milk
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (I use King Arthur gluten-free yellow cake mix)
1 c Chopped Pecans (optional)
1 1/2 Sticks Melted Margarine or Butter
Beat eggs, pumpkin, sugar, spice, salt, and milk together.
Pour into Ungreased 9×13 pan.
Sprinkle with cake mix. Evenly distribute pecans on top, if using.
Drizzle melted butter or margarine over the top.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Best served warm.
Jennifer Wake is an Army wife, mother of three grown children, teacher, and writer. She loves mentoring military spouses, especially chaplain spouses who serve sacrificially. Her various passions include writing books and blogs, developing training material, networking with women, and quilting. She resides in Bristow, VA, with her wonderful husband and two dogs.
