This autumnal twist on an Italian classic comes to us from Jill Meredith, a pastry chef and contributing writer to the Pastry Arts Magazine site. Jill also happens to be the lead instructor at Born Baker, an online platform that offers a variety of culinary classes for kids. She developed this recipe for one of her weekly classes, and we love her artful combination of pumpkin, spices, mascarpone and espresso-soaked ladyfingers. An added bonus is that there’s no baking required and because it’s actually best when made a day ahead, it’s really an ideal dessert for a holiday gathering.

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Makes 12 servings

Special equipment: 9 x 13-inch baking dish

Ingredients

6 large (112 grams) egg yolks
¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
1 ½ tablespoons Marsala wine
1 1/3 cups (340 grams) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (348 grams) heavy cream
1 1/3 cups (319 grams) unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 ½ tablespoons (20 grams) light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of grated nutmeg
2 cups (472 grams) brewed espresso
¼ cup (60 grams) amaretto or dark rum
About 48 crisp ladyfingers (usually in the cookie aisle of the supermarket)
1 ounce (28 grams) semisweet chocolate, for grating
Sweetened whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans, for garnish

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled one-third of the way with simmering water and continue to whisk the yolks and sugar until they are pale yellow and have thickened slightly. Whisk in the Marsala wine and continue to whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160˚F on a thermometer. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the mixture on medium speed until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Cover the surface of the bowl and refrigerate just until mixture is at room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk the mascarpone for a few seconds until lightened (don’t overmix). Drizzle in the cooled egg yolk mixture while whisking. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, light brown sugar and the spices. Gently fold this mixture into the yolk mixture.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream to firm peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the custard mixture.

Have a 9 x 13-inch baking dish ready. In a small bowl, combine the expresso and amaretto or rum. Quickly dip both sides of the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture (being careful not to saturate them, or they will fall apart), then arrange enough of them in the baking dish to cover the bottom in a single layer. Spoon half of the custard mixture on top and spread it into an even layer. Using a fine grater, grate semisweet chocolate over the top of the custard, covering it. Repeat the layering another time. Loosely cover the top with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu for at least 6 hours, or overnight. To serve, cut into squares and garnish with a little whipped cream and chocolate-covered espresso beans.