Are You Ready for the Ultimate Make-Ahead Holiday Dessert?

"Consider this scenario: You've spent hours crafting the ultimate holiday meal and devoted no time whatsoever to making an equally excellent sweet. Sound familiar? (Don't be embarrassed, it's happened to all of us!) This year, why not make things easier and prep your dessert ahead? Today's recipe for icebox pumpkin mousse pie is the perfect treat to let you do just that. And since the crust in this dish is made from crumbled wafer cookies, you won't have to spend a minute mixing, chilling, or rolling out a dough. Of course, not only is this pie incredibly easy to make, it's also incredibly delicious to eat! Try it for yourself this holiday season."


-Everyday Food's Sarah Carey


Icebox Pumpkin-Mousse Pie

Related: All of the Turkey Recipes You'll Ever Need

For the Crust:

30 chocolate wafers, such as Famous

2 tablespoons dark-brown sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted


For the Filling:

1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup cold heavy cream


For the Topping:

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar


Related:
21 New Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas to Try This Year

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor, process wafers and brown sugar until finely ground. With machine running, slowly add butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand. Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until crust is dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely in plate on a wire rack.

2. Make the filling: In a clean food processor, process pumpkin puree, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. With machine running, add maple syrup in a slow, steady stream. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently fold pumpkin mixture into whipped cream. Spoon filling into crust and refrigerate until set, 3 hours (or up to 1 day).

3. Make the topping: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream and confectioners' sugar on high until stiff peaks form, 3 minutes. With spatula, mound topping over pie and serve immediately.

More from Everyday Food:
Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family
20 Classic Comfort Food Recipes from Martha Stewart
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
25 Make-Ahead Recipes For a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Day