Pumpkin Custard

Hi - its fall's Octoberfest time - in my weekly organic vegetable basket I got a medium size pumpkin - so here's what I did with it:

Ingredients

1 med pumpkin - cut off top and throw out. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds - save these! (don't wash them - put them in the oven at 225 degrees, lightly salted, and turn often, until nice and dried out - now you have your own pepitas).

Cut the pumpkin (leaving the skin on) into 8 slices. Put 1" of water into a large rectangle casserole glass dish. Place the cut pumpkin into the dish, meat side down, not layered. Cover with tin foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hr or until tender. Let cool.

Scoop out the pumpkin meat with a large spoon into a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon each of nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla plus a pinch of salt.Using any type of mixing/mashing tool, mush this all up so that the pumpkin is creamy in texture. To this add and again mush up into a creamy mixture: 1/3rd can of Fat Free condensed milk, 4 eggs, 1/4 c sugar free maple syrup.

Pour this mixture into a deep glass baking dish ( spray with Shortening if you desire ) and bake at 350 degrees until firmly set, at least an hour.

crust options for before you pour into the mixture : ( I don't use oil in this receipe but you could spray some vegetable oil into the bottom of the pan).

Nut crusts can be made with 1 c. desired nuts and 2 tablespoons Agave - crush all together into a semi fine state and press into the bottom of the dish.

Kashi crusts can be used too again just crush it up a bit - also oats, etc.