Pumpkin Tiramisu

This is is inspired by the Italian Tiramisu with the similar result of cookies that soak up flavors and cream, mascarpone cheese, and pumpkin create a fluffy, rich, and creamy mousse-like finish.

Ingredients:
2 appx. 10-oz boxes ginger or spiced wafer-thin cookies (e.g., Lars' Swedish Ginger Snaps or Moravian Spice cookies)
1 16-oz can or box of pumpkin puree (if canned, it's usually pretty thick as-is; if using Pacific organic boxed, it's somewhat watery, so i put it in a fine-meshed strainer to get some of the water out then proceed)
16 oz. Mascarpone cheese
2T-3T honey (more if you like a sweeter dessert; I prefer less)
1t molasses
1t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t allspice
1c heavy whipping cream
2T powdered sugar
1/2c. roasted pepitos (can be salted or not; also known as pumpkin seeds)

1. Bring mascarpone cheese to room temp (about 1 hour on counter). Whisk together pumpkin, mascarpone cheese, honey, molasses, and spices. Set aside.

2. Whip cream till it is shaping into whipped cream, then add the powdered sugar then finish beating till somewhat stiff peaks stay (do not over whip or you will get sweet butter!)

3. Fold the pumpkin/cheese mixture into the whipped cream till blended (it can have some unblended streaks; no biggie).

4. Assemble. Starting with the pumpkin mixture on the bottom, layer about 1/4"-1/2" then a cookie; then more of the mixture, then a cookie, alternating until the the desired height. I use ramekin-sized little clear punch cups, but you could also do this in a 9x11 glass pan so that you can cut squares to "show off" the layers created. Finish the top with the cream mixture.

TIP: use a small ice cream scoop that you squeeze to drop the mixture out of it (ones that work have a "swiping" metal bar that glides inside the curve of the scoop to help release what you're scooping).

5. Chill for about an hour.

6. When ready to serve, finish by angling in one additional cookie per serving and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds (about 1t of seeds per dessert).

Serves 6-8, depending on how tall you make these.
Variation: add 1 shot of your favorite bourbon or whiskey to the pumpkin mixture.