​We are obsessed with pumpkin so much over here at Chow Bella that we thought it was time to take all the smack talk to task with a pumpkin showdown. All the blog contributors gathered 'round the table with their best pumpkin recipes to see whose dish gets the Great Pumpkin award. Today's contender? Zach Fowle's pumpkin mousse. Stay tuned each day through next week for more dishes in the showdown.

A good mousse is a study in contradiction: light yet decadent, fluffy yet rich. This pumpkin-based mousse has the added benefit of being extremely easy to make, and it's become a yearly favorite at my Thanksgiving table. Pair it with some cinnamon-coated graham crackers or ginger snaps and you'll be saying, "I can't believe it's not pumpkin pie!" with every bite.

Get the recipe after the jump. 

Pumpkin Mousse

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Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can organic pumpkin
3 cups heavy cream
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cinnamon graham crackers

Directions:
- Combine pumpkin, 1 cup cream, powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan.
- Bring mixture to a simmer and let it bubble for 5-7 minutes.
- Allow mixture to cool fully.
- Whip remaining heavy cream and vanilla to soft peaks and fold into the cooled pumpkin mixture.
- Stir in fresh-grated nutmeg.
- Pour into a serving dish. Using graham crackers, scoop out some mousse and enjoy.

Tip: If you desire a thicker texture, refrigerate overnight and serve chilled.

Check out the earlier entries, pumpkin-swirl brownies, pumpkin curry, pumpkin cookies with brown sugar frosting, chocolate chip pumpkin cake and pumpkin pecan craisin muffins, and check back each day this week for the rest of our competition.