Pumpkin Mousse

1.5 c fresh pumpkin puree (you can use canned, but you know…)
2 cups of “Magical Mystery Blend” (MMB; see note below the recipe)
1 1/3 c cottage cheese
1/3 c sour cream
1/4 c plain yogurt
2 t unflavored gelatin
1/4 c candied ginger, chopped fine
3/4 c sugar
2 egg whites at room temp
freshly grated nutmeg

1. Place pumpkin, MMB, and yogurt in food processor or blender and process til just pureed, set aside

2. In small sauce pan, soften gelatin in 1/2 c cold water and let stand for 1 minute

3. Dissolve gelatin over low heat, stirring until completely dissolved

4. Add ginger to gelatin

5. Slowly whisk pureed mix into gelatin and combine well

6. Refrigerate 30-40 min until mix is quite thick; whisk occasionally to prevent lumps

7. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Add sugar and beat until stiff (like meringue)

8. Gently fold in egg whites into pumpkin mix and blend well

9. Transfer to serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours

10. Sprinkle with nutmeg - Voila! Here is your Pumpkin Mousse!

Note: The original recipe came from my mom’s new favorite cookbook, “Great Good Foods” by Julee Rosso. Mom never met a recipe she couldn’t make better, so instead of 2 1/4 cups plain yogurt, she used 1/4 cup and ditched the rest for “The Blend,” which is something she and my stepdad Thom came up with to go on just about everything sweet or savory. Basically it’s just 4 parts low-fat cottage cheese to 2 parts low-fat sour cream. She also substituted candied ginger for crystallized ginger. She said to make sure to include this info that was printed across bottom of the page in the cookbook:
Cal 161, Carb 32 g, Protein 7 g, Chol 4 mg, Fat 1 g / 6%
I asked her if the substitutions make any difference, and she said that if you use low fat everything it comes out about the same. I stop counting this kind of stuff around Halloween and start again after New Years Day. I recommend this policy: consider this your window of opportunity to focus on the important things in life!

Thank you.