Pumpkin Mousse Parfait

Hurricane Sandy made herself known here in Virginia. I have been sitting in my apartment for two and half days all bunkered down. I lost power for close to 24 hours and only ventured out once today after the worst was over for a much needed cup of joe. There was no stopping me from finding fresh, hot caffeine. I mean really a girl has to have some standards of living.  But on a more serious note, my thoughts are with all my friends and family up in New Jersey/Long Island.  I hope you all faired the best you could through the storm.


So now that the power is back on and I've had some time to whip something quick up, I am sharing with you my post Sandy celebratory dessert! That's right I had to use up what was in the fridge since the room temperature cream cheese was only going to last for so long. This literally took me a total of 5 minutes to put together so there is no excuses for not having a sweet treat.

Pumpkin Mousse Parfait (makes 4 parfaits)
1 8 oz. package 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. all spice
1 sleeve triple ginger cookies, crushed/crumbled (I used Trader Joe's Brand)

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, and spices. Using an electric mixer, mix on high for 2 minutes until completely combined and smooth. In a glass or small bowl, layer 1 Tbsp. crushed cookies, then 2 Tbsp. pumpkin mixture, repeat and garnish with a full cookie.

If you don't have triple ginger cookies you can substitute with granola, crushed vanilla wafers, or crushed graham crackers. Any of these would be a tasty mix up! This is a nice, light dessert to finish off any meal. It is best to make the filling first and refrigerate then assemble right before serving. Otherwise, the cookies will become soggy and lose texture. I may just pack some up for tomorrow mornings breakfast (1/2 cup filling topped with 1/4 cup granola, yum!).