Pumpkin-Filled Flat White Pumpkin

I served this as the dessert course for my Winter Squash Demo and tasting at Earthbound Farm. Last year I did a version and called it 'Pie in the Pumpkin', but I was corrected that a pie requires a crust. Fine.

The quantities for this recipe is for a large Flat White Pumpkin. For a smaller pumpkin, scale down.

Ingredients

• 1 organic Flat White Pumpkin (you can use any pumpkin or winter squash)

• 8 cups pumpkin or winter squash purée (you can use any pumpkin or winter squash purée, for this I used a Cinderella Pumpkin; here's my process for making purée )

• 4 Tablespoons heavy cream

• 3/4 cup organic dark brown sugar, lightly packed

• 3/4 cup organic raw turbinado sugar

• 6 eggs

• 8 Tablespoons olive oil (I used the Butter Flavor Olive Oil from The Quail & Olive)

• 1/3 cup whole milk yogurt

• 1/2 cup maple syrup + more for brushing on the squash (or any simple syrup, I used a homemade star anise simple syrup)

• 5 to 6 Tablespoons fresh ginger (peeled and grated)

• 2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom

• 2 teaspoons ground allspice

• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• whipped cream or ice cream, for serving, optional

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and some of the flesh. I left about an inch all the way around. Reserve the seeds for roasting! Brush the entire cut surface of the pumpkin with maple syrup.

Whisk together cream, brown sugar, eggs, and olive oil until well-blended. Scoop in the pumpkin purée. Whisk to combine. Add in yogurt, maple syrup, ginger, and other spices. Blend until smooth.

Pour into prepared pumpkin shells. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center pulls clear. Let cool completely before serving.

Serve in slices with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

To Brûlée or Not to Brûlée?

The night before my demo I had a dream about brûléed pumpkin pie. So I baked two test pumpkins and had my husband and older son test it out to decide if I would brûlée the Flat White or not.

The verdict was no, not for the demo. Jake said that I was already pushing people out of their comfort zones with a crustless pie. R did like the brûléed pumpkin as did I. But it needs to be on a small scale. A larger brûléed pumpkin wouldn't slice very well.

Well, that's a wrap on the third course for my Winter Squash Demo and Tasting. I will be sharing the first and second courses soon. I was excited to hear one of the guests declare she wanted to serve this for her Thanksgiving dinner. That is exactly why I do what I do: I want to inspire people into their kitchens. Hooray!