Author Notes
This delicious mousse does away with making and blind-baking a pasty shell, and results in a velvety smooth and full flavour dessert for Thanksgiving...or anytime of year! The mousse is based on my mother's pumpkin chiffon pie (see Margaret Main's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie on food52.com) and eliminates pastry but adds crunch and texture with the addition of your favourite gingersnap cookies crumbled onto the dessert during the assembly stage. Lots of flavour, creamy, spicy, velvety smooth, and just as good a couple of days later, without any soggy pastry...YUMMY. Enjoy! —Don Main
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Ingredients
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1.5 teaspoons
gelatin
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2 tablespoons
cold water
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1 cup
pure pumpkin puree
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2
well beaten egg yolks
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0.25 cups
half n half or light table cream
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0.25 cups
brown sugar
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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0.25 teaspoons
each of ground ginger, nutmeg and sea salt
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0.125 teaspoons
ground mace
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0.25 teaspoons
pure vanilla extract
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0.75 cups
whipping cream
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1.5 teaspoons
icing sugar
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more
whipped cream with a little sugar and vanilla for serving
Directions
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Combine the gelatin and water in a small microwavable dish and set aside.
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Combine pumpkin puree, egg yolks, half n half, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, mace and vanilla in the top of a double boiler. Set over simmering water and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin (Note: if the gelatin has not dissolved, give it a couple 5 second blasts in the microwave to liquify). Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
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Beat the whipping cream with the icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
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Fold the cool pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream and scrape into a bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent drying and place the bowl in the refrigerator to set (at least 6 hours before serving.)
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Beat whipping cream, add sugar and a little vanilla.
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Sprinkle a little crushed gingersnap in the bottom of each serving dish, add a heaping tablespoon of mousse, then some whipped cream, and more crushed gingersnap...and repeat. This dessert looks great served in glass parfait dishes.
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