Mini Pumpkin Spice Trifles

It's pumpkin time, one of my favorite times of the year!  We're going to a "Punkin' Pairing wine dinner and I am bringing dessert along with a nice Italian dessert wine.  Pumpkin latte, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin soup, and how about your own personal pumpkin trifle?  I have two types of 4-ounce canning jars... one is very short and wide and the other type is taller and less wide.  The taller, less wide jar works best for trifles, since there's layering to be done!  If you want to make larger 8-ounce individual trifles, you could use regular jelly jars.  Or, if you want to make one large trifle, just layer the ingredients in your beautiful glass trifle dish.  Either way you do it, I think you will love this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small box cheesecake instant pudding
• 1 small box vanilla instant pudding (I used sugar free/fat free)
• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Lite Cool Whip, about 2 cups*
• 1 Spice cake mix
• 1 pkg. Heath English toffee bits (you will only need about 1 cup)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make cake mix according to package directions.  Cool and cut in half (you will have half a cake left so you can frost it and have two desserts)!  Cut one half into 1-inch slices and cube each slice.

Whisk together pudding mixes and milk until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and whisk to combine.  Put this mixture in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Place a layer of spice cake cubes in the bottom of each of 12 4-ounce canning jars. Add a pudding layer and then a Cool Whip layer.  Continue alternating layers until jars are full. Divide remaining cool whip on the top of each jar. Top with a teaspoonful of toffee chips.  Put the lids on each one and refrigerate until ready to serve!  So cute and so yummy!

*Note you could use whipped cream rather than Cool Whip, but I've found that Cool Whip "stands up" better in this dessert.