The first Thanksgiving was observed by the Pilgrims after a particularly bad growing season. A combination of bad seed (brought from England) and the late arrival of warm weather had contributed to the disappointing harvest. But they did have corn and for that they decided to have a day of thanksgiving. Some of the men were sent out to hunt, and with the help of ninety Native American men, they brought in deer, duck, goose, and turkey. Other items enjoyed that day were clams, shellfish, smoked eel, corn bread, leeks, watercress and other greens, wild plums, and dried berries. There was also wine made from wild grapes. The first Thanksgiving was a great success, and the Pilgrims repeated it, created a holiday tradition in New England. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day nationwide. Today Americans observe the holiday on the fourth Thursday in November.

MINCEMEAT MINIMUFFINS WITH SHERRY BUTTER

Makes 36 miniature muffins

These little muffins are a nice addition to the bread basket on Thanksgiving Day and also a high point of any holiday breakfast or brunch.

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup plain yogurt, stirred
2 large eggs
1 cup prepared mincemeat (from a jar)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Sherry Butter (below)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 36 miniature muffin cups.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, sugar, and nuts.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, eggs, mincemeat, and butter. Add the mincemeat mixture to the dry ingredients and blend just until combined; don't overmix.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from cups and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with Sherry Butter.

The recorded history of mincemeat can be traced to King Henry V of England when it was served at his coronation in 1413. This rich, spicy fruit preserve usually includes chopped cherries, dried apricot, apples, pears, raisins, candied citrus peel, nuts, beef suet, spices, and cooked chopped meat, which gives this condiment its name. However, many modern mincemeats do not include the suet and the meat. Homemade mincemeats should be aged for a month to allow the flavors to blend.

King Henry VIII liked his Christmas pie to be a main-dish pie filled with mincemeat. In America, mincemeat pie became a dessert, and today commercially prepared all-fruit mincemeat is available in jars, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

FRENCH APPLE TART
(Tarte Tatin)

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling

8 large (about 4 pounds) crisp cooking apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the pastry, mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in the butter and the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with the ice water and stir with a fork until the dough gathers together into a ball. Knead 2 or 3 times, then wrap in plastic wrap and chill.

Cut the apple quarters crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Toss them in a bowl with 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar and the cinnamon.

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy baking dish or ovenproof cast iron skillet. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is melted. Arrange the apple slices over the syrup in layers, sprinkling with the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar as you go. Melt the remaining butter and drizzle over the apples.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to fit over the top of the tart with 1 inch to spare all around. Place on top of the apples and tuck the edges into the side of the dish. Slash in 4 or 5 places.

Bake in the lower third of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes, until the pastry is golden and filling bubbles through. Unmold immediately onto a heatproof serving dish and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Preheat the broiler and broil for a few minutes until caramelized. Serve warm.

APRICOT BABA

Makes 8 to 10 servings

1 package active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up
4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots

Apricot Syrup

3/4 cup (6 ounces) apricot nectar
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup light or dark rum
1 cup whipping cream, for serving
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast, flour, sugar, and salt.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk to boiling. Add the butter; remove from the heat and stir until the butter is melted. Cool at 130 degrees F.

Stir the butter-milk mixture and the eggs into the flour mixture until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the chopped apricots. Beat until the batter is very smooth and satiny. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until dough has doubled.

Butter a 7- to 8-cup baba mold or fancy ring mold. Stir the batter down and pour it into the prepared mold. Let rise until the mixture has almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bake the baba for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake 30 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes, loosen the cake from the mold, then return it to the mold.

To Make the Apricot Syrup

In a small saucepan, heat the apricot nectar, sugar, and lemon juice to boiling. Add the rum to the syrup. Spoon it over the warm baba. Let the syrup soak in. When ready to serve, invert the baba onto a serving plate.

In a small bowl, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff. Cut the baba into slices and spoon whipped cream over each serving.

NOTE: To make the Apricot Baba ahead and freeze it, wrap the cooled, soaked cake in its baking pan in a plastic freezer bag. Before serving, remove from the wrapping and place the cake in the pan at preheated 300 degrees F oven for about 20 minutes, until heated through.