Pumpkins
Cornbread, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffed Pumpkins
Maple and Pear Roasted Pumpkins
Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee
by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Cornbread, Cranberry, and Apple Stuffed Pumpkins, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Select small sugar pumpkins or other pumpkins that weigh between 3-5 pounds for this recipe.

Serves 6

3 Cups water 1/4 Cup trans fat free margarine or butter
1 Small carrot, finely chopped
2 Ribs celery, finely chopped
1 Small parsnip, finely chopped fresh corn kernels cut from 1 ear of corn, about 3/4 cup or use frozen kernels
2 Medium apples, any local apples will be fine, cored and coarsely chopped
1/4 Cup dried cranberries, or dried cherries
salt and pepper to taste
5 Cups cornbread stuffing cubes, found in supermarkets
1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
3 Tablespoons chopped pecans
1 Tablespoon peeled and finely chopped gingerroot, or ½ teaspoon ground dried ginger
3 Sugar pumpkins or other pumpkins weighing around 3-5 pounds, cut in half and seeded

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bring the water and the margarine to a boil in a large covered pot over high heat. Stir in the carrot, celery, parsnip, corn kernels, apples, and cranberries, salt and pepper. Cover, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring once. Remove from the heat. Stir in the stuffing cubes. Stir well to mix. Add the orange zest, the pecans, and the gingerroot. Stir well to mix. Taste for seasonings.

Spray a large roasting pan with non stick oil spray. Divide the stuffing among the 6 pumpkin halves. Arrange the stuffed halves in the roasting pan, leaving a little space in between each for even roasting, using a second pan if needed. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the pan, around, not over the stuffed squash. Cover the pan with foil, tenting it to avoid touching the stuffing. Bake for about 1 hour or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Maple and Pear Roasted Pumpkins, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Serves 6

6 Small pumpkins, under 1 pound each
3 Large pears, any local pears will be fine, cored and coarsely chopped
1 Cup apple cider
3/4 Cup pure maple syrup
3 Teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Using a paring knife, carefully cut the top off of each pumpkin, then using a teaspoon, scrape out the seeds and any fibers from the inside cavity. Arrange the pumpkins, cut side up, in a large roasting pan. Divide the pears evenly into each pumpkin, then spoon a couple of heaping tablespoons of the apple cider into each pumpkin. Spoon two tablespoons of the maple syrup on top of and into each pumpkin, then sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the top of and into each pumpkin. Pour 2 cups of hot water into the roasting pan around, not on the pumpkins. Cover the pan tightly with foil, tenting as necessary. Bake for about 1 hour or until the pumpkins are tender when pierced with a fork.

Maple Pumpkin Creme Brulee, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

To cook and puree fresh pumpkin: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut 3-4 pound pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds. Place, cut side down into a roasted pan. Pour ½ cup of hot water over the pumpkins and into the pan. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes to and hour until the pumpkin is soft when pierced with a fork. When cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape the cooked pulp into a bowl. Mash using a potato masher or place the pulp into the bowl of a food processor that has been fitted with a metal blade. Cover and puree for about 30 seconds, stopping once or twice to scrape the sides using a rubber spatula. A 3-4 pound pumpkin will yield about 3 cups of pureed pumpkin. Store cooled and pureed pumpkin in the refrigerator for up to three days. Other uses: Add pureed pumpkin with a little brown sugar and cinnamon to your French Toast, puddings, or oatmeal.

Makes about 6, 1 cup servings

2 Cups half and half
1 Cup whole milk
7 Eggs
1/4 Cup pure maple syrup
½ Cup packed brown sugar
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ Cups pumpkin puree
1 Teaspoon pure rum or vanilla extract
3/4 - 1 Cup granulated white sugar

Combine the half and half with the milk into a medium pot. Heat over medium heat for about five minutes until bubbles form around the inside of the pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using a whisk, beat the eggs with the maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin puree, and extract until smooth. Slowly beat in the heated milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Arrange 6 - l cup glass or pottery custard cups or ramekins into one or two large roasting pans. Ladle the pumpkin mixture evenly into the cups. Pour hot water into the pan, around not on the custard cups until the water comes up to the cups half way, you'll need about 7-8 cups of hot water per pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until just barely set in the center. Remove the pans from the oven and allow the creme brulees to cool in the water for about 30 minutes until fully set. Cover and cool in the refrigerator overnight or at least for a few hours until chilled. Just before serving, preheat the broiler to hi. Set the cups of creme brulee onto sheet pans. Sprinkle two to three tablespoon of sugar over each chilled creme brulee. Broil the tops of the creme brulee on the top shelf of the over rack for about 3 minutes until the sugar is bubbling, a deep golden brown, and crystalized. Carefully remove from the broiler and allow the sugar to harden and cool a bit before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days.