A Twist on an Old Favorite – Pumpkin Mousse Pie- by the Aubergine Chef
A few years back my family asked me to develop a new recipe for Thanksgiving. Each member of my family has their own unique favorite dessert, but pumpkin pie being my favorite took the spotlight. It wasn’t long before I found an easily customizable pumpkin mousse recipe in an old Reader’s Digest magazine that I had been interested in trying for ages.
My first try with the recipe was an instant hit. The original recipe suggests making the dessert in glasses, which, while looking pretty, is not practical for travel. I decided to complement the filling with a vanilla wafer crust and top it with a Chantilly cloud – pastry chef speak for soft-peaked whipped cream. My brother loved the pie so much the first time I made it that he ate half the pie in one sitting. Now this pie is our holiday favorite and I make it every year for all my friends and businesses in the area that I’m close with.
Because the recipe was converted over from a glass dessert, the amount it makes is unusual. Since you don’t want to be left with half a can of pumpkin puree or half a can of sweetened condensed milk, the smallest batch actually makes enough for about 1 ½ 9” or 10” pies. You could make two smaller less filled pies, or you can make one standard pie and pour the rest in glasses. If you ever plan to double the four-pie batch, you should be able to squeeze out nine pies. You’re probably wondering why, as a pastry chef, is my recipe so unpredictable. A lot of it has to do with the heavy cream that is folded in. Because you’re increasing the volume – without increasing the weight – the recipe becomes slightly unpredictable. If my whipped cream holds and retains more air than your whipped cream, I’ll be able to squeeze out a few more pies than you can. Once you figure out how your homemade whipped cream behaves, you’ll be able to plan better for the future. Moral of the story: Make one extra crust. If you don’t end up using it – freeze it for next time. I’ve included the recipe for how to make the vanilla wafer crust from scratch but I’m not ashamed to say I’ve ran to the grocery store to pick up some of those premade crusts in the baking section. They come in the handiest packaging because the plastic lid is built right in! PUMPKIN PIE MOUSE FILLING Ingredients | 1 ½ Pies (Weight) | 3-4 Pies (Weight) | 1 ½ Pies (Measures) | 3-4 Pies (Measures) |
Granulated Gelatin | ¼ ounce | ½ ounce | 1 package | 2 packages |
Heavy Cream | 14 ounces | 1# 12 ounces | 1 ¾ cups | 3 ½ cups |
Sweetened Condensed Milk | 14 ounces | 1# 12 ounces | 1 can | 2 cans |
Pumpkin Puree | 14 ounces | 1# 14 ounces | 2 cups (1 regular sized can) | 4 cups (1 large can) |
Ground Nutmeg or Pumpkin Pie spice | 1/8 ounce | ¼ ounce | To Taste | To Taste |
Heavy cream (for topping) | 12 ounces | 1# 8 ounces | 1 ½ cups | 3 cups |
Vanilla Extract | To Taste | 1/8 ounce | 1 teaspoon | 3 teaspoons |
Powdered Sugar | ¾ ounce | 1 ½ ounces | 2 ½ tablespoons | 4 ½ tablespoons |
The 1½ pie amount is the smallest amount, because I didn’t want to use less than 1 can. With the extra mousse you can make single serving desserts in nice glasses, like wine goblets, with additional cookie crumbs and any leftover whipped cream.
Now, if you are really ambitious and want to make your own pie crust as well, follow the directions for homemade Gram Cracker Pie Crust.
Written by Jason Shriner, the Aubergine Chef. Find more recipes and baking tutorial videos on Jason's site: www.theauberginechef.com
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