S’mores Toffee Pumpkin Pudding Trifles

Not to sound desperate or anything, but there are less than 65 days standing between me and a pumpkin ale. {Ok, maybe a few more considering the last thing I’ll be thinking about is beer when I’m trying to juggle the joys of bringing home a newborn. But you know what I mean.}

I joked around with Steve and told him that he better start a stockpile for me since I’m due the 2nd week of November, just in case there’s a shortage or something. That would be disastrous.

Meanwhile, I’ve got one foot in summer and the other wanting to crunch in some fall leaves. {Not in Florida, of course, but somewhere.} It’s just too darn hot to trade in the flip flops for suede flats. The tank tops for sweaters. The ice tea for apple cider.

At the same time, all my favorite bloggers are throwing pumpkin recipes out like they’re goin’ out of style. I’m not gonna lie, it’s made me want to be in a pumpkiny mood. But then I remember that it’s 95 degrees outside and I retreat to the kitchen, sticking my head in the freezer.

Since I still have some waiting to do until I can simultaneously cool down and get into the fall spirit with a frosty pumpkin beer, I decided to do the next best thing: Make pudding. Naturally, that’s a logical alternative.

I must confess that I didn’t come up with the idea for these all by myself. A few weeks ago Steve and I were up in Orlando for a business thing and we went to lunch in Winter Park at a place called The Porch. The food was pretty yummy — specifically the little Pretzel Poppers that I could probably eat by the truckload. Save me.

Though I usually don’t order dessert, I was tempted by something on the menu called the “Fluff & Nuts” — “Layers of homemade Nutella pudding, chocolate chips & graham crackers then topped with toasted marshmallow fluff.”

Why, yes, I do want you in my belly. {This happened to occur a few weeks after my nerve-racking glucose tolerance test, so I thought of it as a rebellious celebration for passing the darn thing and having a functional pancreas.} It was delightful.

This S’mores Toffee Pumpkin Pudding version I made at home is an autumnal knock-off of The Porch’s version – Layers of homemade pumpkin pudding, toffee chips, graham crackers and toasted marshmallow fluff.

I made my own pudding, but if you want to cheat, you can buy your favorite pumpkin pudding mix and shave some more time off of satisfying your sweet tooth. I won’t tell.

Happy {early} Fall, y’all.

S’mores Toffee Pumpkin Pudding Trifles

Inspired by The Porch Restaurant — Winter Park, FL Pudding recipe adapted from Health.com

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Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 12

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup milk {I used 2% but you can use whatever you prefer}
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree {not pumpkin pie filling}
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions 

• In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, whisk together brown sugar and corn starch. Slowly pour in milk and whisk until smooth. Heat until steaming and beginning to thicken, whisking constantly.
• In a small bowl, beat egg. Slowly pour in about half of the hot milk into the egg, whisking constantly until incorporated {this will help you not to make scrambled eggs when you add the egg to the hot mixture}. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and whisk until thickened, about a minute or two.
• Remove from heat and whisk in pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice until well incorporated.
• Transfer to a bowl. {Optional: Whenever I made pudding, custard, or anything with heated egg, I like to ensure there are no lumps by running it through a fine mesh strainer. Just pour the pudding in and press it through the strainer with a spatula or spoon to make sure that it’s silky smooth.} Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture, patting it down lightly to make sure it’s all covered. {This will prevent a “skin” from forming.}
• Refrigerate until chilled.
• Alternatively, you can make instant pumpkin pudding or use your favorite pudding recipe.

Trifles

Rate Recipe

Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 12

Author Dianna Muscari

Equipment

• small jam jars

Ingredients  

• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• Pumpkin Pudding
• ¼ cup toffee chips such as Heath Bits o’Brickle
• ½ cup marshmallow fluff
• 2 small jam jars

Instructions 

• Set your oven to broil.
• Create a base: Scoop about 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of each jar.
• Scoop a couple of tablespoons of pudding over each base.
• Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of toffee chips over the pudding.
• Scoop another few tablespoons of pudding over top.
• Repeat as many times as desired {or as much as will fit in the container you’re using}, leaving some space at the top for the marshmallow fluff.
• Scoop about 1/4 cup of marshmallow fluff to top each trifle. Place the jars on a small cookie sheet and place directly under broiler to toast the marshmallows — keep an eye on them, they tend to brown quickly! {You could probably also do this with a mini blow torch, the type you’d use for creme brulee… but I don’t have one of those, so this method worked for me.}
• Serve immediately & make sure to dig deep with each spoonful to get each of those yummy layers!