Pecan Pumpkin Pudding Cake

Pecan Pumpkin

 Pudding Cake

The Three P's - Pecan, Pumpkin, Pudding - team up on this easy, yet oh so tasty, fall dessert dish I'm calling Pecan Pumpkin Pudding Cake. A perfect compliment to your Thanksgiving menu, this simple to prepare taste treat is very flavorful combining a little crunch from the pecans with a smooth, creamy mix of pumpkin and vanilla pudding. The added spice kicks it up a notch! And this dessert provides a very light finish to what is usually the more filling "Holiday" dinner. This is also a good "make ahead" dish to minimize that last minute rush to get everything prepared at once. 

Did you know the pecan is technically a "drupe" (aka stone fruit)? So I guess you could say this is a"fruit cake", not to be confused with those other, heavier fruit cakes... You know the ones... grandma used to make. Just a little reminder to your left. The pecan is native to Mexico, southcentral & southeastern United States. The U.S. produces between 85% - 95% of the worlds pecans, approximately 200 tons per year from approximately 10 million trees. 

Now Pumpkins, on the other hand, are technically a "squash". Typically we think of squash as vegetables. So, I guess you could say that this is a combination "fruit & vegetable" cake! Have you ever heard of a "fruit & vegetable cake"? While that doesn't sound very good, trust me, this is a great little dish. So,

Let's Try It!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. Butter(1/2 stick), melted
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 (8 oz.) pack cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 (8 oz.) containers Cool Whip
• 1 (3.4 oz.) package Jello Instant Vanilla Pudding
• 1 c. pumpkin pie mix
• 2 c. cold milk
• 1 c. (approx.) pecan halfs (for topping/decoration), optional
• Nutmeg to garnish

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375˚.

2.  Combine the butter , flour, chopped pecans & sugar. Place in an 8x8x2, or similar size, baking dish. Press into bottom of dish.

3. Bake 10-15 minutes. Cool completely!

4. While crust is cooling, whisk together pudding mix, cold milk & pumpkin pie filling. 

5. Chill in fridge to thicken for approximately 15 minutes.

6. After crust is completely cool, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar & 1/2 Cool Whip.
7. Spread mixture evenly over cooled crust.

      

8. Gently, ever so gently, spread the thickened pudding/pumpkin mix over the Cool Whip layer trying not to mix the two, creating a layer.

9. Gently, ever so gently, spread the remaining Cool Whip over the pudding/pumpkin mix. Again, try not to mix the two, creating your third layer! You can see the layers in these two pics. Top with pecan half's & dust with nutmeg! Cool, covered, in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours or until ready to serve. You are done!

This makes a great little fall treat for after dinner or maybe to share with friends during your next card game. And for a "cake", there is virtually no baking! How great and easy! Enjoy your Pecan Pumpkin Pudding Cake!

Pecan Pumpkin Pudding Cake

Enjoy! WildWSS outta here!