Pumpkin Tira Misu

I used a recipe I had for tira misu to make up the recipe for this pumpkin version. It's a bit of work, but well worth it. I used fresh pumpkin, but canned will work just as well.

5 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup Frangelico liqueur

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups pureed pumpkin

1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

40-45 ladyfingers (I prefer the imported Italian "savoiardi", they are the hard kind)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ginger

Separate the eggs. Put enough water into the pan of a double-boiler so that it does not touch the bottom of the bowl and bring to a simmer.

Put the egg yolks into the bowl of the double boiler and whisk lightly. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and mix to blend. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly as the mixture begins to cook (you may need to scrape the sides of your bowl with the whisk). After about a minute or so, the mixture will begin to thicken. Add the pureed pumpkin and the spices. Continue whisking and cooking over the simmering water for 5 minutes or longer, until the mixture expands and thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Pour the Frangelico, the water, and 1/2 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to disolve the sugar. Boil for 5 minutes so the alcohol evaporates. Remove from heat and let it cool.

In a large bowl, stir the mascarpone until it seems creamy. Whip the egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until they hold firm peaks. When the pumpkin mixture is cooled, fold it into the mascarpone in several additions. Then fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture, again using several additions.

Pour the cooled frangelico syrup into a jelly-roll pan. Working with one ladyfinger at a time, roll the ladyfinger in the syrup and place it in a 9x13 pan. Wet each ladyfinger only briefly. Continue wetting the ladyfingers and arrange in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. You should use around 20 ladyfingers or so. Scoop half of the pumpkin-mascarpone mixture onto the ladyfingers and spread it to cover them completely. Dip and arrange a 2nd layer of ladyfingers in the pan and cover it completely with the remainder of the pumpkin-mascarpone mixture. If desired, you can sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with cinnamon or cinnamon-sugar. Cover the tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, before serving.