Pumpkin Mousse, yes please!

I have a confession. Since I was a young child, I have never really enjoyed pumpkin pie. In all honesty, I only ate it because it was socially acceptable to add a heaping spoonful of Cool Whip on the top of the tiniest of slices. The sliver of pie would serve as a vehicle for cold, fluffy whipped topping, and I would more than likely eat around the pumpkin. During my adulthood, I tried to revisit this holiday staple, with the hope that my palette had developed, and I could enjoy pumpkin pie. Nope, I realized it was strictly a textural aversion. I enjoy the pumpkin flavor mixed with spice and pie shell, but the body of the filling is always a little too mushy for me. So, this is my solution to thick and mushy pumpkin pie filling.

Pumpkin Pie Mousse

1 cup sugar (200 grams)  or 10 oz fluff

5 egg whites 

1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. vanilla 

8 oz. heavy cream

I started by making an Italian meringue with the sugar and egg whites, whipping it until the bottom of the mixing bowl was warm, but not so hot that I couldn't keep my palm on it. While it was whipping, I mixed together the pumpkin and spices. I then added this into the warm meringue and let it thoroughly mix together, and then set it aside. I whipped the cream into soft little peaks, making sure not to over mix it. I then folded the whipped cream into the pumpkin and meringue, and then quickly put it into its shell and placed it in the fridge.

I let the mousse firm up, and then piped whipped cream rosettes along the edge. The finished product should be fluffy, spicy, and delicious and should fill two regular sized pie shells.

(If you would rather use fluff, just put the 10 oz in a mixing bowl, and whip the pumpkin in just as you would with the meringue)

happy thanksgiving

this past thanksgiving came with a fair amount of work.
first there was a christening cake for the upstairs neighbor. it was a canolli cake with a simple exterior.

second there was pie. oh my, we made pie. for a week we made pies every night for the holiday pie orders and family.

and third, getting everyone over to sophia's grandma's for dinner. it was, no contest, one of the most enjoyable thanksgiving dinners to date.

and once again, i realize it is much more difficult to function in a kitchen when you look like this.

the big belly is constantly getting in the way.