Spiced Pumpkin Parfaits

I have a confession. A true confession. A truly horrifying Thanksgiving-day confession. You see, the truth is, I don't really care for ... pumpkin pie. Or most fruit pies in general. I mean, I love fruit, and I can certainly eat just about any pie you put in front of me (major exception being coconut - I cannot handle coconut). But let's just all be straight-up at this point: we eat pie for the crust. Or at least I do. Some of my earliest memories involve my mother slapping my hands because I was once again picking off pieces of pie crust (from an as-yet-uneaten-pie). And to me, the true mark of adulthood comes when you can make your own pie and pick off crust pieces with no consequences.

So getting back to the point, I don't like pumpkin pie. But last fall, I had the first-time privilege of hosting my in-laws (famous for

This is my very first turkey.
I just thought you should all see it.
I slaved over him.

gargantuan Thanksgiving feasts) for Thanksgiving. At our house. Where I wasn't planning on making a pumpkin pie ...

The answer (in my opinion at least) was to try to create the mirage of a pumpkin pie without actually having to make and eat a pumpkin pie. So when I saw these charming little Spiced Pumpkin Parfaits over at The Cozy Apron, I knew where Thanksgiving Day dessert was headed. To Parfait of Pumpkin Bliss.

These turned out so well and were such a hit that I made them again at Christmas last year (when MY parents came to visit). However, that's where my other confession comes in: I was 7 months pregnant then, and by the time I got done cooking our meal and prepping that dessert, I was so wiped, I couldn't even finish my meal - or dessert. Both times. But I know the parfaits are amazing because, well, I sort of picked at stuff while I was making them. Snitching is my game. :-)

I hope if you are looking for something fun and pumpkin-y for the holidays, you can try these out. They really are amazing, and I thought a much better finish after a big meal than a heavy piece of pie.
(NOTE: I did make a blueberry pie later in the week so we could say we DID PIE.)  

Below is a link to the original recipe with a few notes: 

Spiced Pumpkin Parfaits 

with Chantilly Whipped Cream and Honey-Graham Crumble

a few notes

• You can substitute vanilla extract for the dark rum.
• I used just regular granulated sugar in the whipped cream and pumpkin cream. 
• If you're wondering where the mascarpone cheese is in the grocery store, check the deli section (wisdom learned after 40 minutes wandering all over Target's grocery section). 
• I would advise removing any rings before making the crumble. 
• Also, this recipe makes a lot of extra crumble. You could almost cut the crumble part in half. Or refrigerate leftovers and use them for something else (or just give kids a fun bowl of crumbles). 

The four finished parfaits.

Megan for The Sisterhood