The Saga of the 37 Pumpkins - Installment No. 1 - Pumpkin Pudding with Chopped Pecans

"Those scum have no right to cook us! I have the right to life!" shouts Pepo the pumpkin, his skin flushing a deep orange.

"What do you want to do about it? That's just the way that it is, Pepo," responds another small pumpkin, waving her stalk at him disparagingly.

"We're not alive, you zucchini- brain," croaks a large, bumpy pumpkin. She's no spring pumpkin; Cucurbita claims that she was born way back in June, but it's whispered that she goes back even further, considering her apparent dementia. Cucurbita is quite the old character.

"Did you hear me, Pepo?" Cucurbita rattles out.

But Pepo doesn't respond. He never did.

A small, perfectly round pumpkin was separated from its patchmates and brought into the kitchen. There, its flesh was sliced into a few orange chunks, its innards and seeds scraped out with a spoon. 

The chunks were dropped into the crockpot along with just a bit of water, then simmered in the pot overnight. Come morning, its flesh was soft and tender.

And then there were 36...

For the complete Saga archives, click here.

Pumpkin Pudding with Chopped Pecans

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup and 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Combine sugar and flour in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Use a whisk to combine milk and egg. Gradually incorporate milk mixture with sugar mixture while stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Combine pumpkin and next four ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Slowly add this mixture to the milk mixture, stirring constantly. Place the pan over low heat and cook for three minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Do not let this mixture boil.

Divide the pudding evenly among four dessert bowls and cover the surface of each bowl with plastic wrap, then refrigerate the pudding for at least 1 hour.

Just before serving, sprinkle the tops of each serving dish with chopped pecans. Serves 4.


Enjoy!