MAKE A JACK-O'-LANTERN ... AND EAT PUMPKIN PIE, TOO!
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Various stages of the painting process. Kathy's pumpkin recipes make pie, cheesecake pie, and bread.
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
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Following the axiom of "waste not, want not",
here's a new slant on a Halloween tradition.
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by Kathy Kellogg
How many times have you carefully cut out the eyes and the
crooked smile on your Halloween pumpkin ... and then-after
a few days have passed-watched the succulent squash shrink,
shrivel, mold, and rot. "But that's just the price we have
to pay most folks reason. "After all, it's impossible to
have a jack-o'-lantern and a pumpkin pie, too!"
Well, wait a minute ... who said you have
to cut into that pumpkin? Why not simply decorate its
outside, and then-after the bewitching eve of All Saints'
Day—turn the inside into a scrumptious dessert or
some hearty loaves of bread? True, there won't be any
winking candles or firelit expressions on your Halloween
ghoul ... but I'll bet your young goblins will think that
small "sacrifice" is well rewarded when they bite into a
delicious, moist, custardy piece of pie smothered in
whipped cream!
PUMPKIN PAINTING
It's my bet that youngsters and adults alike will find that
decorating a pumpkin with pens and brushes-as opposed to
carving it-is easier and allows the "artist" more leeway
for creativity. You can even apply your talents to
both sides ... making a jack-o'-lantern with a
"split personality".
I'd suggest that you begin by drawing a few practice faces
on paper. Remember, though, that small, detailed features
will be difficult to reproduce whether you're painting
or carving. When you come up with a design that
you like, go on to transfer it to your clean, dry squash
with a pencil. After it's drawn the way you want, go over
the pencil lines with a black felt-tipped marker.
Next, round up some small paintbrushes and choose your
colors. I feel that a combination of bright hues in both
light and dark shades generally looks most effective. You
can use poster, powder, or acrylic paints, felt-tipped
markers, or even interior house paint. (The pumpkins shown
here were decorated with glossy latex enamels.) Water-based
paints, of course, allow an easier cleanup ... but do be
sure that any coloring medium you choose is lead-free, to
avoid possible contamination of the pumpkin meat.
Start painting those features for which you've planned to
use white or the lightest color, then allow each area to
dry until it's tacky before going on to the next darker
shade. Continue in this manner until you finally get to
black, which can be used to darken the original outlines
and to add such details as eyes or hair. Then let your
creation dry thoroughly (overnight will usually do) before
adding any additional coats of paint.
You can also create facial features by using toothpicks to
attach fruits and vegetables to your pumpkin. Cranberries,
small gourds, raisins, corn kernels, carrots, cucumbers,
celery, and green beans can all be employed to make unique
jack-o'-lanterns. However, should you plan to later
cook any pumpkin that has toothpick holes, do so
as soon after the holiday as you can ... to prevent
rotting. Your painted versions, on the other hand, can be
stored in the root cellar alongside their undecorated
squash cousins, and they'll keep for months if the skins
aren't broken.
FROM GOBLIN TO GOURMET GOODIES
When you're ready to prepare pumpkin puree, remove as much
paint as possible (a metal pot scrubber works well) from
the squash before cutting it in half. [EDITOR'S NOTE:
Better yet, completely remove the skin from paint-covered
sections.] Then scrape out the seeds and stringy
fibers with a soup spoon. Next, cut the pumpkin into four
or six uniform pieces, place the sections on a greased
cookie sheet, and bake them at 350'F until they're tender
(it'll take about an hour).
If you prefer to cook the pumpkin whole, cut an opening in
its top ... remove the pulp and seeds ... replace the "cap"
. . . and bake the squash in a shallow pan-again at
350°F?for 1-1/2 hours or until it's tender. Then remove
the pumpkin from the oven and pour off any collected
liquid. (You can also simply boil I " pieces of the squash
over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until they're
tender.)
No matter how you cook your jack-o'-lantern, though, be
sure to cool it quickly in cold water and to drain it
thoroughly. Then cut the meat away from the skin and strain
it through a sieve or colander, or use a food mill or a
blender, to remove the lumps and fibers.
If you prepare more pumpkin puree than you can use in one
cooking session, just pack it into pint or quart jars,
leaving a 3/4" space at the top of each container, and
process the jars in a pressure canner at 10 pounds of
pressure (allow 65 minutes for pints and 80 minutes for
quarts). The puree will also keep for several months in
plastic containers in the freezer, or for a day or two in
the refrigerator.
And now comes the fun part!
PERFECT PUMPKIN DISHES
The following recipes are favorites with my family, and I
hope they'll be pleasing to yours, too!
PUMPKIN PIE
To make a failproof piecrust, use a pastry cutter or a fork
to cut together 1/2 cup of margarine, butter, rendered
lard, or vegetable shortening, 2 cups of whole wheat flour,
and 1/4 teaspoon of salt ... until the mixture forms
pea-sized balls. Now, in a small bowl, combine I large egg,
I tablespoon of vinegar (plain or cider), and 3 tablespoons
of cold water. Add this to the flour mixture, a little at a
time, until the dough holds the form of a ball. (If needed,
add more cold water, but do so a drop at a time.), Finally,
divide the dough into two balls, roll each one out on a
breadboard or wax paper that you've dusted with flour, and
use them to line two 9 " pie plates.
To prepare the filling, mix 4 well-beaten eggs, 3 cups of
pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of honey, 1/2 cup of molasses, I
teaspoon each of salt, cinnamon, and ginger, 1/2
teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of cloves, and 3-1/2 cups
of light cream. Pour this into the unbaked crusts, and bake
the pies at 425°F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the
temperature to 350°F and let them cook for another 45
or 50 minutes, or until the custard is set and a knife
inserted near the center comes out clean. To avoid
overcooking the pies, remove them from the oven while their
centers are still slightly liquid (they'll finish
baking as they cool). Cool them on racks in a draft-free
spot, and store them, covered, in the refrigerator
...
until you're ready to serve the treats with whipped
cream.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE PIE
To make the crust for this special dessert, cream
1/3 cup of butter with 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Then add I
medium egg and beat the ingredients with a fork until
they're fluffy. Next, mix in 1-1/4 cups of whole wheat
flour until you've produced a crumbly dough. Press this on
the bottom and sides of a greased 9 " to 10 " pie plate, 9
" round cake pan, or shallow 9" springform pan, and bake
the crust at 400°F for 5 minutes (don't overcook it)
before removing it from the oven to cool.
Now, combine 16 ounces of softened cream cheese and 1 cup
of honey, and mix them until the combination is fluffy and
well blended. Then add 2 cups of pumpkin puree, I teaspoon
of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon each of ginger and nutmeg,
and?again-stir the ingredients well. With that done, pour
the filling into the crust and bake the cheesecake at
350°F for 50 to 60 minutes, or until it's firm in the
center. Finally, cool it on a rack ... chill it ... and
serve it garnished with whipped cream.
PUMPKIN BREAD
In a large bowl, combine I cup of vegetable oil, 2 cups of
brown sugar, 1 cup of honey, 1/2 cup of molasses, and 3
cups of pumpkin puree. Then, in another bowl, mix 2-1/2
cups of unbleached white flour, 3 cups of whole wheat
flour, 4 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2
teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of cloves. Add the
dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and stir everything
well (it'll be a bit stiff). Now, add 2 cups of chopped
nuts, 2 cups of raisins, and 1 cup of chopped dates. Pour
the batter into three greased 5" X 9" loaf pans, and bake
the breads at 350°F for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a
toothpick inserted into each of their centers comes out
clean. Then remove the loaves from the pans and cool them
on a rack. Once the breads reach room temperature, wrap
them in aluminum foil and chill them. Serve your pumpkin
bread in thin slices spread with softened butter or cream
cheese (or both).
I can almost guarantee that, as you cut into any one of
these treats, you'll be glad that you spared the knife when
creating your jack-o'-lantern ... and saved that
blade for serving it!
