Pumpkin Mousse & Homeade Whipped Cream

 As you know, I LOVE to bake. Recently, for the Halloween Bash we had at our house in October, I made this Pumpkin Mousse and everyone has been asking for the recipe. This is a great item to add to the Thanksgiving table!

Well here it is and when I say this is scrumptious... I mean it!


Ingredients:
5 large egg yolks
3 1/2c heavy whipping cream
1c sugar
15oz. canned pumpkin
2 tea vanilla extract
1 1/2 tea. ground cinnamon
1/2 tea. ground ginger
1/4 tea. ground nutmeg
1/4 tea. salt
2 Tbsp. dark rum
1 tea. powered unflavored gelatin
1 bag of Hershey chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice eater and set aside. (I usually pick the largest mixing bowl in the set that way the medium bowl will fit inside)


2. Whisk the yolks, 3/4c plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, & 3/4c heavy whipping cream together in a medium saucepan.  Heat on medium heat while stirring continuously with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon.  You want to heat until it thickens & coats the spatula- about 10 minutes.


3. Transfer this to a medium bowl and place in the ice bath.


4.  Fold pumpkin, vanilla, spices, & salt to the bowl in the ice bath.  


5.  In a very small bowl, add just the rum. Heat in the microwave for 12 seconds.  Pour in the gelatin and stir until it is dissolved.  Gently whisk this into the pumpkin mixture.


6.  Beat 1/2c heavy cream to stiff peaks and fold it into the pumpkin mixture. 

  

7. Place this in a shallow dish and cover. Chill until cold and thick enough to fall from a spoon in heavy dollops- about 8 hours or overnight.

This is what mine looked like after removing from the fridge.

 8. Beat the remaining cream and sugar to stiff peaks- this may take a while (I'd recommend a Kitchen Aid stand up mixer, my dad purchased  for me several years ago and I literally use it for everything!)

9.  Get a container of some sort- I used a tiramisu dish, but you can use anything. You want it to be clear glass so the layers are visible. 

10. Divide the pumpkin in half. Place half of the pumpkin mixture in the bottom of the bowl. Then add half of the whipped cream. The third layer is chocolate chips.  Repeat this and add lots of chocolate chips to the top.


11. Cover and chill until time to dig in!