Gift of the Gourd

Attending Pumpkinfest in Port Elgin has really put me into the swing of the fall season. Evidently, I'm not the only one. After purchasing a pumpkin pie to bring home, I had to make a second stop at a grocery store as the first place was completely sold out of whipped cream.

Whether it's pie, pumpkin muffins, cookies or delicious pumpkin spice soup, the many available recipes out there will tantalize your taste buds as we anticipate Thanksgiving.

In honour of the gift of the gourd, I thought I'd share an apparently quick, easy and very tasty variation of traditional pumpkin pie:

Pumpkin Cream Pie
2 cups cold milk
2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (9-inch) pie crust, baked

Combine milk, pie filling mix, pumpkin, spices and whipped topping in a deep, narrow-bottom bowl. Beat at lowest speed of an electric mixer for about 1 minute. Pour filling into cooled pie shell. Chill until set, about 3 hours.

Dish up and dive in!