Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbs sugar, divided
• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Pour the heavy cream into a glass or metal mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or a whisk, beat it until it starts to thicken and the beaters leave visible lines. Add the vanilla extract and 2 Tbsp of the sugar, then keep whisking until the cream holds firm peaks.
2. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese with the pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar until the mixture is smooth. Take a peek for any little cream cheese lumps and keep going until they are gone.
3. Add a generous scoop of whipped cream to the pumpkin bowl and fold it in. This loosens the pumpkin mixture so it folds into the rest more easily.
4. Move about 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture into the bowl of whipped cream and fold gently. When it is combined, add the second 1/3 and fold again, then do the same with the last third of the pumpkin mixture. Keep your hand light here and avoid stirring hard, so the whipped cream keeps its volume.
5. When the mousse is smooth and fully combined, it is ready to serve. Or chill it until you are ready to eat.