From The American Institute for Cancer Research

WASHINGTON, DC – At the first Thanksgiving feast, the pilgrims didn't have the high-calorie, high-fat desserts served today. Most likely, their dessert was a simpler – and healthier – Indian pudding sweetened with molasses or maple syrup. With recipes from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), holiday diners can have both traditional and contemporary desserts – and enjoy rich, flavorful treats that are healthy as well.

"Pie is the traditional Thanksgiving dessert today," notes Melanie Polk, AICR's Director of Nutrition Education. "But for the English colonists who landed at Plymouth Rock, dessert meant a pudding." Food historians believe the first Thanksgiving feast included a cornmeal-based pudding that was learned from the Narragansett Indians and came to be called "Indian Pudding."

"Indian Pudding has survived through the centuries and remains a traditional dessert in New England," says Polk. "It deserves wider popularity because it can be as healthful as it is delicious – and it's easy to make."

Cornmeal supplies important nutrients like vitamin A, potassium, folate and phosphorus. The blackstrap molasses of a traditional Indian Pudding is rich in potassium, calcium and iron.

Pilgrim's Pudding

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a baking pan or casserole with cooking oil spray.

Put cornmeal in top of a double boiler and hot water in the bottom pot. Set over medium high heat and bring water to a simmer.

Meanwhile, heat milk until hot and tiny bubbles form along the sides. (Do not let it come to a boil.) Stir milk into cornmeal, blending well. Cook over hot water for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add molasses, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Pour into baking pan and bake 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare fruit, depending on what version you use. Drain canned fruit. Defrost frozen berries, or wash and hull fresh berries, and lightly sweeten with sugar. Cranberries, frozen or fresh, can also be used after cooking in water and sugar, according to package instructions.

Divide pudding among 6 wide and shallow bowls. Place two or more varieties of fruit along the edge of the pudding, in concentric circles, placing lighter-colored fruit on the inside (like peaches and strawberries) and darker-colored fruit (like cranberries and blueberries) on the outside.

Note: Scalding milk helps blend cornmeal more easily and speeds the cooking process. Scald milk by heating it to the point just before it would begin to boil, or when tiny bubbles form along the sides. At that point, immediately remove from heat and promptly add to cornmeal.

Makes 6 servings, each containing 309 calories and 4 grams of fat.

"The classic pumpkin or sweet potato pie so often served on Thanksgiving is a mixed blessing in regard to health," says Polk. "The pumpkin and sweet potato are rich in health-protective substances but, unfortunately, the pie filling usually contains far too much fat."

As with other orange-colored vegetables, pumpkin and sweet potato are rich in beta carotene and other carotenoids, which play an anti-cancer role and boost immunity. Beta carotene in food has been linked to decreased risk of lung and oral cancers, prevention of cataracts and the slowing of plaque buildup in arteries.

"There are ways to make healthy pumpkin and sweet potato pies," says Polk. "With a few easy techniques, these pies can be made without sacrificing rich flavor. You can enhance the naturally sweet, rich taste of these vegetables if you briefly cook canned pumpkin or bake sweet potatoes before you make the pie filling."

The recipe below illustrates how Polk's technique works for pumpkin pie.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large frying pan, cook the pumpkin over medium-high heat, stirring often so all the pumpkin comes in contact with the pan, until pumpkin is reduced to 1 3/4 cups, about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn pumpkin into a large bowl and let it cool slightly.

Add milk, sugar, egg, egg white, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and allspice. Mix well until sugar dissolves and the mixture is well blended. Sprinkle flour mixture evenly over bottom of pie shell. (This helps prevent the shell from becoming soggy and adds flavor as well.)

Pour filling into pie crust and bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes more or until filling is set. If edges of pie crust brown too quickly, use strips of foil as a loose cover. The pie filling is done when filling looks set and a knife comes out clean.

Set on a rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Makes 8 servings, each containing 254 calories and 6 grams of fat.

"Cranberries, the traditional Thanksgiving fruit," according to Polk, "aren't always thought of in terms of dessert, yet they make a wonderful pie filling – and offer great health benefits as well." They are rich in flavonoids, natural substances that protect against carcinogens and reduce the damage done by LDL (the bad) cholesterol. Cranberries are also high in vitamin C and are a good source of fiber.

"Any fruit pie," says Polk, "can be made more healthful by replacing the top crust with decorative pastry cut-outs, which use very little pastry dough. A lattice-style top crust also reduces the amount of dough needed." The recipe below eliminates the bottom crust as well, making a classic "deep-dish" pie.

Cranberry Pie with Lattice Crust

Combine cranberries, apples, raisins, ginger, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a deep saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Add 1/4 cup of cider. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook until cranberries pop and mixture is moist and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Stir well, cover and cook until cranberries are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in walnuts.

Combine cornstarch with remaining cider in a cup. Mix into hot filling and cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Turn filling into a 9-inch pie plate, spreading it evenly. Let sit until filling is just warm, about 30 minutes. Filling can be made ahead, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If filling has been chilled, bring it to room temperature.

Cut pie crust into at least 12 1/2-inch strips. Space 6 strips evenly over top of pie. Place 6 more strips at right angles, weaving them through to make a lattice. Trim away over-hanging crust from edges. Use remaining crust to make a border along rim of pie plate, crimping it nicely. Brush crust with beaten egg. Sprinkle sugar on lattice crust, including edges.

Set pie on a baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees. If rim of crust has started to brown, cover with strips of foil. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until lattice is golden. Remove pie and let sit 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 8 servings, each containing 353 calories and 9 grams of fat.

The American Institute for Cancer Research is the nation's third largest cancer charity and focuses exclusively on the link between diet and cancer. The Institute provides a wide range of consumer education programs that have helped millions of Americans learn to make dietary changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals and research centers across the U.S. The Institute has provided over $55 million in funding for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. Visit the Institute online at www.aicr.org

_{Copyright © 2006 Ann Hall Every, CCP}