Thanksgiving Pumpkin Slush Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Stir 1 cup pecans, flour, butter, white sugar, and 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar together until crumbly. Press pecan mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

3. Bake pecan crust in the preheated oven until golden, 20 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Fold 1 1/2 cups whipped topping into cream cheese mixture. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled pecan crust.

5. Beat pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice together in a bowl with an electric mixer until mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently fold in 4 ounces whipped topping. Spread pumpkin mixture in a layer over the cream cheese mixture.

6. Spread remaining whipped topping over the pumpkin mixture layer. Sprinkle cinnamon and remaining 1/4 cup pecans over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Cook's Note:

You can substitute walnuts, finely chopped almonds, crushed graham crackers (any flavor), finely chopped pretzels, or crushed Oreo(R) cookies for the pecans.

You can use Jell-O(R) brand Pumpkin Pie Instant pudding instead of the vanilla pudding and pumpkin with spices. It is not always available, however. When I make this I use one large package of Jell-O(R) cooked vanilla pudding and let it thicken and cool before folding in the pumpkin and spices and whipped cream.