pumpkin Archives - Experimental Epicurean

A few months back I saw a post for a pumpkin cheesecake trifle, which sounded like a delightful holiday dessert. It got my attention because (1) my husband LOVES cheesecake and (2) I love pumpkin pie. Since some family gatherings don’t always net a hoard of people, being able to combine two favorite desserts instead of having multiple dishes to tempt us seems great.

Over the last few weeks I’ve seen a variety of Thanksgiving trifles pop up, so I have been itching to put my spin on one. For my recipe I wanted to keep the pumpkin and cheesecake as two separate layers. The pumpkin butter is quickly made with a bit of brown sugar, maple syrup, and a blend of spices. The richly flavored butter is a perfect complement to the cheesecake layer. The fluffy cheesecake layer is part cream cheese part whipped cream, and flavored with maple extract.

The final piece to my trifle is soft, gingerbread cookies. I used store bought cookies to keep prep time down, but feel free to make your own. Layers of the gingerbread cookies, pumpkin butter, and cheesecake filling were sprinkled with a few toffee bits as a final touch. Both my husband and I gave the trifle a thumbs up, I think we have our Thanksgiving dessert figured out!

Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake Trifle

1 15 ounce can pumpkin
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
one 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature for an hour
2 cups whipping cream
8 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon maple extract
24 soft, gingerbread cookies*

toffee bits for garnish

Place the pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice in a medium sized pan. Stir to mix, then place over low heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

Whip the cream cheese in a small bowl until soft and light. In a larger bowl whip the cream until it forms soft peaks then add the cream cheese and continue whipping on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Beat in the sugar and maple extract.

Break the cookies into small chunks. Add half to the bottom of a trifle bowl or two 7-inch diameter bowls, then spread half of the cheesecake filling on top. Next layer the pumpkin butter on top, followed by a layer of the remaining cookies. End with a layer of the cheesecake, sprinkling on toffee bits if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*I made mine gluten free using Enjoy Life cookies

(135)

These days it seems that the arrival of fall is announced with pumpkin everything. Yet when thanksgiving rolls around, people are divided between pumpkin pie and pecan pie. This Fall Favorites Trail Mix allows you to stop the bickering.

Homemade pumpkin granola, pecan pie M&Ms, caramel pieces, and raisins get tossed together for a sweet treat. It’s such a hit, you will have to make batch after batch to keep it on hand.

Fall Favorites Trail Mix

½ cup canned pureed pumpkin
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
4 cups quick cook oats
5 ounces pecan pie M&Ms (1/2 a bag)
2 ounces caramel baking chips
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup pecans

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a half sheet baking pan with parchment paper. Stir together the pumpkin, honey, oil, maple extract, apple pie spice, and salt. Fold in the oats until coated evenly. Spread the oats onto the parchment lined pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, stir and redistribute and then bake for 20-30 minutes longer until golden brown. Cool completely, than add to a large container. Add the M&Ms, caramel baking chips, raisins, and pecans and toss gently.

(145)