LOL! I don't think it'll ever be "over". More like Cajun food. Everybody had to try it, and some in the worst and most inappropriate ways, then it settled down into "blackened" being a standard part of the American cooking vocabulary with no real ties anymore to Cajun cuisine, or Caribbean, or anywhere it might have originated. Or maybe it's like birthday party magicians. Now that home cooks are making foams, maltodextrine sands, those oil spheres I can't remember the name of, and using liquid nitrogen--and they make home anti-griddles and blast chillers but those are still way expensive in a way nitrogen is not-- it's no big deal or source of wonder. We know about the mirror in the cage and pocket in the hat. OTOH, people still pay good money to see the best magicians because they're showmen rather than just tricksters. The chef whose pie this is sounds like a showman to me. :)

Colleen, thanks for that reminder. I have squash in the fridge that I need to use up and I'm thinking maybe a custard type dessert, minus the crust. Grandma used to bake pumpkin pie in custard cups because I never wanted the crust, so I'm thinking that might be the way to use up that leftover squash. I used to use the Libby's recipe, but I've found a 4 egg pumpkin pie from Genius Kitchen and that's become the family favorite. I've also found that squash or sweet potatoes make a reasonable substitute, and so I quit growing pumpkins and use that space for something else, like butternut squash. I can purchase the "sugar pie" pumpkins at my local farmer's market, if I decide that's what I want. Since the "great pumpkin shortage" a couple of years ago, I quit using canned pumpkin at all. Annie

I used to make Martha Stewart’s pumpkin cheesecake because my oldest son loves it. I made my own pumpkin purée from a pie pumpkin, but haven’t made it lately because it’s lots of work. I saw this recipe recently in my NYT recipes email, and thought it sounded good and a little different. I’m not making it for Thanksgiving but might try it at Christmas when I have more time. https://www.richmond.com/food-drink/recipes/pumpkin-pie-reaches-its-gingery-peak-spiced-pumpkin-pie/article_31c71217-886c-59ed-a8ef-b6565350295b.html

I'm not a big fan of apples, but I love pears. My favorite dessert of all time is this Pear Maple Cobbler from Epicurious. I don't usually make individual cobblers, I just make it in a 9 inch square glass baking dish because that's what I have. I usually skip the whipped cream too, because my family likes it warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Homemade if they can get it! PEAR MAPLE COBBLER Filling 3 pounds ripe Barlett pears, peeled, quartered, cored 2/3 cup pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon (generous) ground nutmeg 1 1/2 tablespoons butter Topping 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 9 tablespoons half and half 9 tablespoons pure maple syrup 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Melted butter Sugar Ground nutmeg 1 cup chilled whipping cream Additional pure maple syrup Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut pears crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine in large bowl with maple syrup, flour, vanilla extract and ground nutmeg. Divide among six 2/3-cup custard cups of soufflé dishes. Dot tops with butter. Bake filling until hot and bubbling, about 18 minutes. Meanwhile, Prepare Topping: Mix first 3 ingredients in processor. Add 6 tablespoons chilled butter and cut in until mixture resembles fine meal. Transfer to large bowl. Mix half and half, 6 tablespoons syrup and vanilla in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Working quickly, drop batter in three mounds, 1 heaping tablespoon per mound, atop hot filling in each cup. Brush topping with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. Immediately return cups to oven and bake 8 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F. and bake until toppings are golden and just firm to touch, about 14 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes. In medium bowl, beat 1 cup chilled cream with 3 tablespoons maple syrup to soft peaks. Serve cobblers warm with whipped cream. Drizzle additional maple syrup over. Second on my list would be a Pumpkin Roll, I'm not a big fan of pie crust, although I love filling. My pies are always deep dish, LOL. Grandma used to bake pumpkin pie filling for me in a custard cup, so everyone else got pie but I didn't have to pick apart the crust... Annie