Pumpkins Stuffed With Brandied Fruit And Nuts Recipes

STUFFED PUMPKIN DINNER

Steps:

• Wash pumpkin; cut a 6-in. circle around top stem. Remove top and set aside; discard seeds and loose fibers from inside. Place pumpkin in a large Dutch oven. Fill with boiling water to a depth of 6 in.; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is almost tender but holds its shape. Carefully remove and drain well; pat dry. , In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain well. Cool slightly; place in a large bowl. Add rice, tomato sauce, ham, eggs, garlic, oregano, pepper, vinegar and remaining salt. , Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Firmly pack beef mixture into pumpkin; replace top. Leaving pan uncovered, bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the top; if desired, use paper towel to remove excess moisture from top of meat. Slice pumpkin into wedges.

PUMPKIN STUFFED WITH EVERYTHING GOOD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or use a Dutch oven that is slightly larger in diameter than your pumpkin (in which case, you will need to serve your pumpkin from the Dutch oven, as it may stick, but it will keep its shape better this way).
• Using a sharp, sturdy knife, cut off top of pumpkin, working around the top with the knife inserted at a 45-degree angle to cut off enough to make it easy to work inside the pumpkin; reserve top. Remove seeds and strings from cap and pumpkin. Season inside of pumpkin generously with salt and pepper. Place on prepared baking sheet or in Dutch oven; set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss together bread, cheese, garlic, bacon, chives, and thyme until well combined. Pack into pumpkin; it should be well filled but not overstuffed. You may need to add some bread and cheese or some of the filling may not be necessary to use. In a small bowl, stir cream and nutmeg to combine. Pour over filling; filling should be moist but not swimming in cream -- you may need to use more or less accordingly.
• Place top on pumpkin and transfer to oven; cook until filling is bubbling and pumpkin flesh is tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove top and continue baking until liquid is slightly evaporated and top of filling is browned, 20 to 30 minutes more.
• Carefully transfer pumpkin to a serving platter (or serve in Dutch oven, if using) and serve.

PUMPKINS STUFFED WITH BRANDIED FRUIT AND NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven for 375 degrees.
• Cut a wide circle around the stem at the top of the pumpkin. Make sure to cut diagonally so that when the "lid" is placed back on, that the top doesn't fall through. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Mix 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and rub the mixture on the inside surface of the pumpkin. Bake for 15-20 minutes covered with foil (time depends upon size and thickness of the pumpkin meat -- the flesh of the pumpkin should be starting to soften, but not mushy). Cook longer time for larger pumpkins.
• While it is baking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and saute the pear and apple until soft. Add the brown sugar and orange juice and cook until brown sugar is melted and resembles a thin syrup. Remove from heat and toss in the dried fruit and nuts, the spices, and the brandy. There will probably be extra, but stuff the inside of the pumpkin as much as possible, then stuff you mouth with the rest. Rewrap with foil and bake for another 30 minutes. For larger pumpkins, it may take slightly longer. Test doneness by piercing flesh of the pumpkin on the top with fork. Cooked pumpkin should look darker and moister than uncooked.
• When done, cool with the "lid" off for 20 minutes, set out for presentation, then serve by scooping out flesh of pumpkin along with stuffing and juices. I put it over vanilla ice cream or a sweet bread like pumpkin or gingerbread -- yum!