My husband Peter looks forward to Thanksgiving with great relish — not for the turkey and my famous sausage stuffing or for the decadent creamed cipolline onions that are always on the menu and not even for the "not from a can" cranberry relish, pun intended.

So what does he get excited about? It is the only time in our house where several different desserts are served all at once. This wonderful guy is in hog-heaven when it comes to sweets and never fails to have just a "taste" of each treat. (I serve his dessert on a dinner plate!)

Just a quick reminder before we embark on a delicious sugar-coma inducing recipe journey with holiday desserts: You have just a few more days to send me your special holiday recipe — you know, the one that everybody looks forward to and don't you dare do something different in its place? It can be for an hors d'oeuvre, a special cocktail, a side dish, a dessert, an unusual salad, etc.

I'm hoping you'll share a little bit of the history of the recipe with me so I can include it for everyone to enjoy in a special What's Cooking on Dec. 4. Please send it along to me ASAP. Contact information is included at the end of What's Cooking every week and deadline is this Saturday, Nov. 22. Hurry!

STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH WARM CARAMEL SAUCE

FOR THE PUDDING:

1 pkg. (10 oz.) pitted dates, coarsely chopped

2 cups water

1-1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

FOR THE SAUCE:

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

To prepare the pudding: Place chopped dates in a saucepan and add 2 cups water. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat; carefully stir in baking soda. (Mixture will foam.) Let stand 20 minutes.

Sift together flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt; set aside. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add reserved flour mixture in 3 batches, beating after each addition just until combined. Add date mixture and stir (by hand) until just combined.

Pour batter into an 8-inch square buttered and floured baking pan. Set this pan into a larger baking pan and add enough hot water (to larger pan) to reach about halfway up the sides of the smaller pan. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 35-40 minutes or until tester inserted near middle comes out clean. Remove smaller pan from water bath; set pudding on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cut in squares and top with warm caramel sauce. Yield: 8 servings.

To prepare the caramel sauce: Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan set over low heat. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Increase heat and bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring for 8-9 minutes or until sauce thickens. Yield: about 1-1/4 cups.

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE WITH KAHLUA WHIPPED CREAM

Pastry for single-crust pie, purchased or home made

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup white corn syrup

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup Kahlua (or other coffee flavored liqueur)

1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Roll pastry out on a lightly floured sur­face and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim pastry and turn under and crimp or flute edges. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup chocolate chips over bottom of pie shell. Set aside.

Combine eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, Kahlua, flour, and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in the pecans; slowly pour filling over chocolate chips in crust, spreading evenly. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent over-browning and bake in a preheated 375 F oven 25 minutes. Re­move foil; continue baking about 10 more minutes or until tip of sharp knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool pie to room temperature. Serve with Kahlua Whipped Cream (recipe below) and garnish with a drizzle of melted chocolate chips. Yield: 8 servings. (NOTE: Pie may be prepared 2 days in advance — cover and refrigerate.)

KAHLUA WHIPPED CREAM

2/3 cup well chilled whipping cream

1 Tbsp. Kahlua

Combine whipping cream, and Kahlua in a chilled mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer on medium high speed until soft peaks form.

EGG NOG SPICE BUNDT CAKE

1 box (18-1/4-oz.) spice cake mix

1 pkg. (4-serving size) instant cheesecake flavored pudding and pie filling mix

1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup light eggnog

1 large egg

3 large egg whites

1-1/3 cups chopped pecans, lightly toasted

Sifted powdered sugar

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, yogurt, oil, eggnog, egg and egg whites in a large bowl and beat on medium speed of electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in pecans. Pour into a Bundt pan coated with non-stick cooking spray and bake in a preheated 350 F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. Slice and dust each serving with sifted powdered sugar. Yield: 16 servings.

PUMPKIN PIE TRUFFLES

(The perfect little bite of dessert when you are just too full!)

3 Tbsp. butter, divided use

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided use

2 (4-oz. each) white chocolate baking bars, chopped

1/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. salt

9 gingersnaps, crushed

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat; add all of pecans and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often. When golden brown, remove from pan and let cool completely. Pulse pecans in a food processor until very finely chopped.

Combine white chocolate and remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a glass bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir until smooth. Stir in pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and salt. When well combined, add 1/2 cup pecans and mix well. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until almost firm.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and crushed ginger­snaps in a shallow dish. Shape pumpkin mixture into 1" balls; roll in pecan/gingersnap mixture. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.