Michelle Fountain, Executive Pastry Chef, Biltmore Forest CC
Michelle Fountain, Executive Pastry Chef at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, N.C., says this festive cheesecake recipe is one of her favorite Thanksgiving desserts.
The combination of ginger and pumpkin together with the pecan crust is a huge hit, she says—and it’s gluten-free.
“Each year for Thanksgiving, we serve between 400-450 people at our buffet,” Fountain notes. “The first year here at the club, I made whole pies and cakes and noticed right away that the folks were making a huge mess with it all, cutting tiny pieces of cake and pie so they can sample as much as possible. From that point on, I decided to make minis of everything, from mini pumpkin pies to spiced carrot cake.”
Fountain and her team offer about 18-20 different desserts, including gluten-free and vegan options.
“I try to have a good mix of pies, custards, bread pudding, cakes, mousse, bars, and Thanksgiving-themed decorated sugar cookies,” she says. “The response was amazing; all the members love it. Some of my personal favorites are apple cider donut cake, spiced carrot cake, and cranberry white chocolate bread pudding with vanilla anglaise.”
