A Falltime Recipe

Thankful for the changing of the seasons!  Here in TX, we don't have "seasons," per se, but we do have signs of the times.  The season of omnipresent pumpkins is winding to an end, and the season of omnipresent peppermint is upon us!

Here's a quick'n'easy little dessert which a coworker of my mom's provided at a breakfast meeting.  She was kind enough to share the recipe.  Thanks, Sue!  Looks like it's a variation on Paula Deen's recipe.  It's a recommended recipe that is "easy, yummy, and feeds a crowd"!  What more could you ask for as we enter the season of holiday hosting?  Besides, it gives me a chance to use my trifle dish - even better!

I adapted it again, and it's my own variation that I've posted below.  It makes a little smaller batch (there's only 2 of us, after all) and it's not quite as sweet as the original recipe.  If you want the Paula Dean version, it's linked above.

PUMPKIN GINGERBREAD TRIFLE

Ingredients:

• 9x9 pan of gingerbread, your favorite recipe
• 1 (1.5 oz) box of instant vanilla pudding mix 
• 3 c. milk (for pudding)
• 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom or cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1 T. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 (12 oz.) container of frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps, optional

Directions:

1. Bake gingerbread; cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, prepare pudding and set aside to chill.
3. Stir the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and spices together.
4. Stir pumpkin mix into pudding.
5. Crumble gingerbread into bottom of a large, trifle type bowl.
6. Pour 1/2 of pudding mix over gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping.
7. Sprinkle with crushed gingersnaps, if desired.
8. Refrigerate overnight.

Notes:

• Sugar and spices (and everything nice) can be adjusted to your taste.  Using pumpkin pie filling instead (like in the original recipe) can yield a very sweet dessert, so sugar can be reduced if dessert is too sweet.  Likewise the spices can be increased or adjusted to your taste.  I ended up using the original 1/2 c. packed brown sugar, but used plain puree.  Also, I like using pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon.  But then, I like the mix of the Pumpkin Pie Spice blend :)
• The gingerbread recipe I used was the WeightWatchers Gingerbread Cake from the WW Comfort Classics cookbook, p.194.

Bon Appétit and Happy Thanksgiving to all!