Thanksgiving is a holiday where food takes center stage. The pressure of having to bring a dish that is going to be entered into a popularity contest on the most extreme eating holiday of the year can be a little daunting for cooks and non-cooks alike.
This year, I decided to create a dish that was delicious, easy, do-ahead, and, since oven space is at a premium on Thanksgiving, requires no baking. Meet Pumpkin Tiramisu.
For those unfamiliar with tiramisu, the name is Italian for "pick me up." Most Italian versions of this recipe call for ladyfingers dipped in espresso. In America, you can brew strong, regular coffee as a substitute for the espresso. In my experience, ladyfingers can be a little challenging to find as well. They are available this time of year (usually through the end of December) at Trader Joe's. If you want to make some season and haven't stocked up, you can substitute them with sponge cake or even pound cake. Just make sure to soak thoroughly, or else the texture can turn out too gritty.
The recipe starts off like a regular tiramisu, but by using some seasonal ingredients, it has been transformed into the perfect thing to bring on Thanksgiving. My favorite recipe for tiramisu is found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tiramisu-ii/. I change it by doubling or even tripling the coffee and rum. You will need more than the recipe states to make sure that the ladyfingers are well-soaked.
To turn this into pumpkin tiramisu, begin with the traditional recipe and create your egg-yolk mixture. The recipe then calls for one pound of marscarpone cheese. Instead of using one pound, I use 1/2 pound marscarpone and 1/2 pound pumpkin cream cheese, which can be purchased at Trader Joe's. (You can make your own by combining pumpkin, regular cream cheese, and pumpkin pie spice, but this is easier.)
Continue following the recipe (with coffee and rum doubled) but do not add cocoa. Refrigerate covered for at least a day, but preferably two or three. When ready to serve, top with cinnamon and a little shaved white chocolate if you can find it, but omit if you can't (because I promised this would be easy, right?). Leave the stress to everyone else.
Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!
