Gingerbread and Pumpkin Cream Trifle

Perfect fall dessert.  But my husband does not like pumpkin.  So weird.  The kids used to not like it either, but I am slowly turning them.  I made this to bring to home fellowship on Friday, because otherwise we would eat it all ourselves and that is not good.  This is from the Oct/Nov 2015 Simple & Delicious.

Gingerbread and Pumpkin Cream Trifle
1 pkg (14.5 oz) gingerbread cake/cookie mix (I used my usual gingerbread recipe.  And I made it gluten free and didn't tell anyone til after, and then I only told 3 people ha)
1 pkg (3 oz) cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 2/3 cups canned pumpkin pie mix
1 carton (8 oz) cool whip, thawed
Caramel sundae syrup for topping

Bake gingerbread according to package directions; cool on wire rack.  Cut into 3/4-inch pieces.

Prepare pudding mix according to package directions; stir in brown sugar and pumpkin pie mix.  Transfer to a bowl; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Layer half the cake, half the pumpkin mixture, and half the cool whip into a 3-qt trifle dish.  Repeat layers.  Drizzle with caramel sundae syrup.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

This was my first experience with cook-and-serve pudding vs using instant pudding.  I'm not sure what the rationale is for using this instead of instant.  But I could definitely tell a difference in the texture.  I didn't love the pumpkin layer.  But Nathan (and some other kids too) said that was the best part.  As for the gingerbread layer, gluten free baked goods tend to be a bit drier than traditional ones, so I figured it would be good in a recipe like this and I was right.  I have a really good GF flour blend anyway and I've been having very good luck with it lately.  If you've read my blog for any length of time then you know that I try to be a sneaky cook, like a spy.  So I made sure to not eat any of this until everyone had been served, because then the observant would have guessed that it was gluten free.  So then I ate some and stood by my friend.  She was pleasantly surprised when I said it was GF.  Or at least she played the part well.  Sometimes I see the plates of children and see that they did not like my dessert because it is still there after the Oreos and cupcakes are gone.  But it seemed like most of this was eaten.  If I make it again, I will use instant vanilla pudding instead of cook-and-serve.  But otherwise a good one.