Almond Cookie Cup ingredients

• ½ cup whole almonds
• ⅔ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup flour
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites (reserve yolks)
• ¼ cup water
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Rum pumpkin mousse (see recipe below)
• Sweetened whipped cream

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and chop coarsely.
Combine sugar and ¼ cup chopped almonds in a food processor bowl. With the metal blade in place, chop very finely.
Combine almonds and sugar with flour in a large bowl. Combine whole egg, egg whites, and water, beating with a fork. Beat into almond mixture until well blended. Beat in butter and vanilla. The batter should be very thin.
Butter a large, heavy cookie sheet. Using a tablespoon measure, drop 4 separate tablespoons of batter on the sheet, allowing ample room for spreading. Spread the batter into about 4-inch circles.
Bake in the lower third of the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until each cookie has a golden-brown border about 1 inch wide.
Meanwhile, place 4 custard cups upside down on a working surface. Remove cookies from the oven. Lift each cookie from the baking sheet and shape it over a custard cup to mold into a cup shape. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in a warm, dry place until ready to serve.
To serve: Place one cookie cup on each plate. Spoon about ⅓ to ½ cup Rum Pumpkin Mousse into each cup. Top with sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of remaining chopped almonds.

Rum Pumpkin Mousse

• • 2 reserved egg yolks (from above)
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 package (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
  • 1 cup heavy cream, divided
  • 1½ cups canned pumpkin
  • 1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ¼ cup dark rum

Instructions:

Combine 4 egg yolks, all but 1 tablespoon brown sugar, flour, gelatin, and ½ cup cream in a medium saucepan. Stir in pumpkin. Cook, stirring constantly with a wire whisk over medium heat, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in pumpkin pie spice and rum. Chill the mixture until it just begins to set.
Meanwhile, beat egg whites with the reserved 1 tablespoon brown sugar until stiff but not dry. Beat the remaining ½ cup heavy cream until stiff.
Fold a little pumpkin mixture into egg whites to blend first, then fold in the remainder. Fold in whipped cream.
Cover and refrigerate the mixture until ready to serve.