Whole Pumpkin Baked with Custard

• 1 small pumpkin, preferably a ‘sugar’ pumpkin or a ‘pie pumpkin’ or anything other than a pumpkin whose destiny is a jack o’lantern

Custard: (makes about 2 cups liquid)

• 3 eggs, whisked well
• 1 cup cream (sorry, half & half doesn’t thicken well)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional but nice)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger

• 1 tablespoon butter, in tiny cubes

Preheat the oven to 350F or 400F. Wash the outside of the pumpkin very well. Carefully insert a knife into the flesh to cut off the ‘top’. Remove and discard the seeds (or save them for Spicy Sweet Pumpkin Seeds) and the pumpkin ‘gunk’ inside.

Whisk together the custard ingredients, then pour into the pumpkin. Sprinkle the butter cubes over top. Place the stem-top back onto the pumpkin and transfer to a baking dish. Bake for about 90 minutes or until the custard is firm. (Check after 60 minutes but both pumpkins I cooked took a full 90 minutes.)

To serve, use long-stemmed spoons (such as iced tea spoons) to share, scooping up bits of the cooked pumpkin along with custard.