Recipe: Autumn fool

40 minutes, plus cooling and chilling times. Makes 8 individual fools or one family-style fool

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS

2/3 cup (2.8 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (1.5 ounces) whole-wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup (1 stick) cold butter, cubed

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, butter and brown sugar, pulsing until they come together to form a somewhat firm dough.

2. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to a thinness of approximately one-eighth inch. Place the dough, still covered, on a cookie sheet and chill for 20 minutes.

3. Carefully peel the top sheet of parchment paper and bake the dough until it is a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool the graham cracker completely, then crumble the cracker and pulse in a food processor until it is broken into coarse crumbs. This makes about 2½ cups crumbs.

PUMPKIN FILLING AND AUTUMN FOOL

1 cup pumpkin purée

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/4 cups mascarpone

Prepared graham cracker crumbs

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin purée with the ground cinnamon.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream, brown sugar and mascarpone on medium to high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks, about 5 minutes.

3. Carefully fold the pumpkin purée into the whipped cream mixture using a rubber spatula. Fill a large pastry bag set with a plain decorative tip with the pumpkin filling.

4. To build the fools, place 8 half-pint glasses or Mason jars on a tray. Put a tablespoon of the graham cracker crumbs into each glass, pipe about 2 tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture directly on top. Continue alternating until you fill the glasses to the top, finishing with graham crackers. Alternatively, to serve a family-style fool, build the layers in a trifle dish (4-quart capacity). Refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to 24 hours, before serving.

EACH SERVING

Calories 710

Protein 8 grams

Carbohydrates 38 grams

Fiber 2 grams

Fat 61 grams

Saturated fat 35 grams

Cholesterol 180 mg

Sugar 23 grams

Sodium 134 mg

NOTE: Adapted from Roxana Jullapat of Cooks County.