Thanksgiving Dessert - Pumpkin Tiramisu

Alright, now I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of my 'sweet creation', but at that moment, the Thanksgiving dinner is slowing turning into a food coma and I was too exhausted (from cleaning and helping out) to whip out my camera. But I swear. I DID make this pumpkin tiramisu.

I wanted to break away from the conservative 'pumpkin pie' mode and lucky that I did because the host of the family (my mom and I were invited to her friend's house) baked THREE pies - pumpkin, apple, and sweet potatoes. I figured that everyone is going to expect some sort of pie at the dinner table, but I really wanted to celebrate one of my favorite squashes and how could you go wrong with tiramisu?! And there's no baking involved, especially since the stove is preoccupied almost the entire time to prep for dinner. So, I researched on the Internet and came up with my own little creation (since I couldn't find any mascarpone cheese at my local supermarket and by Thanksgiving Day, most markets across the Tri-State areas are practically bare!) Without further ado, here's the recipe. Actually, since I still have some ingredient remnants in the fridge, I might just make another one. :)

Pumpkin Tiramisu (chill for 8-24 hours)

- 2 tablespoon of honey mixed in 1/4 cup of hot water and let it cool
- a 15 oz can of pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese (but I used ricotta cheese, so whip it up to create a creamier consistency)
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
- ladyfingers (or sponge cake, depends on what you've on hand)

Directions

1 - For filling: combine pumpkin, all the spices. In another bowl, beat whipping cream and granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into pumpkin mixture.
2 - For topping: in another bowl, combine mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar. Beat in 1/2 cup of whipping cream until thickened.
3 - Now to assemble: layer the ladyfingers or thinly sliced sponge cake on the bottom of a pan. Drizzle a bit of the honey syrup on top. Using a spatula, spread some of the filling on top. Not too thick though. Now repeat the same process - layer the cake part, drizzle some honey water, then spread the filling again. The last layer should be the whipped cream. If you like, you can sprinkle some cinnamon on the final top. Cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours.

Once the tiramisu has firmed up, just slice it up and serve. The adults at the party actually prefer my cool and light dessert is a satisfying ending after a heavy meal.

Enjoy and hope you all had a wonderul and fulfilling Thanksgiving!