Spiked Pumpkin Tiramisu with Chocolate Pecan Crunch Topping

I'm back on the pumpkin crack again only this time it's a fall reboot to a classic I made last year. I saw a pin for pumpkin tiramisu on Pintrest but quickly lost it. I fucking hate when that happens.

So I thought I would play around with my recipe and see what I could do.

The original wasn't too hard to switch up but it calls for coffee and while I know pumpkin spice coffee is the white girl meth, I wanted this to have a different fall taste. I decided to soak the lady fingers in apple cider and brandy b/c why the hell not.

I also added a crunchy, chocolatey, pecan-y topping just to make it all the better. 

The result was a complex dish where you could taste every flavor. It was sweet but smokey, sharp yet smooth. I think the spiked apple cider really added something to what might be an otherwise boring dish. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup heavy cream 

2 large eggs, separated 

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar 

1 cup mascarpone, room temperature

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons brandy

1 cup apple cider

1 7-ounce package dry ladyfingers

For the crumb topping:

6 cinnamon gram crackers, crushed into fine crumbs

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 bar chocolate for chocolate shavings

  

Directions:
~In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the 1/3 cup of sugar until light in color. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar to the whites and beat until they're firm and glossy. In separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it is firm. In a separate bowl (yes, for separate bowls. I am sorry about the clean up but it will be worth it, I promise!) mix the mascarpone, pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the pumpkin mascarpone mixture and one-third of the beaten egg whites. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

~Pour the apple cider and brandy into a shallow bowl. Quickly dip both sides of half of the ladyfingers in the spiked cider and line the bottom of an 8-by-10 baking dish. Spoon half of the pumpkin mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and spread it in a smooth, even layer. Repeat until you have two layers of cookies and cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

~To make the crumb topping, combine chopped pecans and crushed gram crackers in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. Before you are ready to serve, top the tiramisu with the crumb topping and chocolate shavings. Cut into squares and enjoy!

recipe by: The Good Wife