Frozen Yogurt Pumpkin Pie

I'm not much of a Pumpkin Pie eater.  But I'll eat anything that is infused with a bit of pumpkin in it, which is what I did with this "Summer" pie over the weekend.  Living in California makes it easier to take Summer dishes and put a Fall twist on it without it being out of season.  This is going to be a smart pie for Thanksgiving, because not only does it still have all the pumpkin pie flavoring, it's light and refreshing... a dessert I could definitely clean off my plate after eating such a ginormous filling dinner. Oh, and the best part... you can make it days before the big feast to lessen your load and stress since it's kept in the freezer before serving.

All this Thanksgiving dessert talk conjured up a story from my mom and aunt.  Madalene's daughter, Josephine (my grandma) was notorious for always sneaking in the first slice of cake from the kitchen before it was ready to be served!  My mom and her siblings would often find their dessert with a big hole in it and knew exactly who the suspect was.  So in honor of my Grandma Jo, who passed away near Thanksgiving Day when I was 8 years old, I'll make sure to eat the first slice this Thursday.

What you'll need: 

1 can of pumpkin puree

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 cup ginger snap crumbs

6 tbsp of melted butter

1 tub (8oz) cool whip lite

2 (6oz) vanilla yogurt

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ginger

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of clove

In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker and ginger snap crumbs with the melted butter.  Press the crust firmly into a pie dish, allowing the crust to form walls along the sides of the dish.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree and spices.  Add in the yogurt and mix well until smooth.  Fold in the cool whip until everything is evenly incorporated and spoon over the crust.  With a spatula smooth out the filling and put the pie into the freezer for 4 hours, uncovered.  Take out 15 mins before serving.  Keep leftovers in the freezer.

I can't wait to introduce this nontraditional dessert to our Thanksgiving table this year.  And, of course, we'll also be having apple pie, owl cookies, pumpkin pie and cake!  It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without having way too many desserts, right?  I'm so thankful for food!