Pumpkin Mousse

I came across a Pumpkin Mousse recipe in my Taste of Home magazine and it sounded like a perfect dessert to serve at my Murder Party that I hosted the weekend of Halloween. The first time I made it I added a little too much orange peel and so the orange flavor really over powered the pumpkin. I decided to try and make it again for book club the other night and this time you could taste the pumpkin flavor. I must not be a huge pumpkin fan anymore because I preferred the more orange taste over the more pumpkiny taste. The recipe calls for a pie pumpkin that you clean out and serve the mousse in, but for my Murder Party I thought it would be fun to have individual servings in a mini pumpkin. I think they turned out beautiful!

Pumpkin Mousse (Taste of Home Magazine Fall 2009 pg. 70)

1 medium pie pumpkin

2 T sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon, divided

1/3 C vanilla or white chips

2 T milk

1 package (3oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 C confectioners' sugar

1/3 C solid-pack pumpkin

1 tsp grated orange peel

1 C heavy whipping cream, whipped

Cut top off pumpkin; scoop out and discard seeds. In small bowl, combine sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon; sprinkle inside of pumpkin. Replace pumpkin top. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 min. or until crisp-tender. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, microwave vanilla chips with milk at 70% power; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, orange peel, reserved chocolate and remaining cinnamon. Fold in whipping cream. Remove pumpkin top. Spoon mousse into pie pumpkin. Refrigerate leftovers.

Magazine Editor's Note: The sugar pumpkin is not fully cooked so that it holds its color and shape. It is used as a serving bowl for the mousse.