By Mid-October. Diego came home for the weekend. CSU had a bye week. He drove down Friday night, surprised the family. He walked into the house at nine. The twins screamed. Lisa cried. Sofia hugged him without complaint. I hugged him for a full minute.
He stayed Friday night and Saturday and most of Sunday. He ate everything in the house. I made him green chile cheeseburgers Saturday night. Tortilla soup Saturday for lunch. Breakfast burritos Sunday morning. He ate two of each. He is six-three now. He has gained another four pounds. He is one-ninety-two. The CSU strength coach has been working him.
He told us about college. The classes. The football. The teammates. The dining hall. The dorm. Hayley, who is at CU Boulder and who he sees on weekends sometimes. He is happy. He is tired. He is doing it.
Sunday night he drove back to Fort Collins. The house was quieter again. The chair was empty again. We will see him for Thanksgiving. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.
That Saturday lunch, I made tortilla soup—but it was dessert that really sealed the weekend. October called for something layered and cool and unmistakably fall, something that could sit on the counter and wait while the stories kept coming. This Gingersnap Pumpkin Dessert was exactly that: a little spice from the crust, cool cream underneath, the kind of thing you cut a second slice of without thinking twice—which Diego did, because of course he did.
Gingersnap Pumpkin Dessert
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 4 hrs 20 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookies (about 40 cookies)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
- 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree
- 2 packages (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup cold whole milk
Instructions
- Make the crust. Combine crushed gingersnaps and melted butter in a bowl and stir until evenly moistened. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9—by—13-inch baking dish. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling layers.
- Prepare the cream cheese layer. Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Fold in half the whipped topping (approximately 1 cup) until just combined. Spread evenly over the chilled gingersnap crust.
- Prepare the pumpkin layer. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, both packages of instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and cold milk. Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Spread evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Add the topping. Spread the remaining whipped topping in an even layer over the pumpkin filling. Smooth with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Chill. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the layers are fully set and the dessert slices cleanly.
- Serve. Cut into 12 squares. Garnish with a light dusting of pumpkin pie spice or a few crushed gingersnap crumbles on top if desired. Keep leftovers refrigerated.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 318 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 45g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 375mg