| 3 pound | pumpkin |
| 1 1/2 cups | dice Granny Smith apples |
| 1 cup | dried cherries |
| 1 cup | raisins, half golden/half sweet |
| 1/2 cup | pecan halves -- coarsely chopped |
| 1/3 cup | light brown sugar |
| 1 T | Chef Johnny's Pie Spice |
| 1 T. | fresh lemon juice |
| 1 tsp. | vanilla |
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Carefully cut open the top of the pumpkin as if you were making a jack-o-lantern.
Remove the seed and membrane and discard.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Stuff the pumpkin (it's OK if there's a little
left over). Cook the left over stuffing in a baking dish--it's too good to waste.
Place the lid on the pumpkin. Place pumpkin in a 3 inch deep backing dish and fill the dish with about 2 inches of water. The water will act as insulation. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake with the lid on for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven.
With a small paring knife, carve a Jack-O-Lantern face in the pumpkin. IMPORTANT!!
Only carve the face through the outer skin of the pumpkin. DO NOT carve through the
meat of the pumpkin into the stuffed interior. With the lid removed, place the baking dish, with the pumpkin still in the water bath, back into the oven. Bake an additional
30 minutes. This is a vary important stage. make sure that the pumpkin doesn't over cook and the the top doesn't collapse in the center. If this happens, the lid will not fit and the appearance of the finished product will not be dramatic. When the baking is finished, remove
from the oven and place the pumpkin on a serving platter. Scoop the inside goodies out with some of the cooked pumpkin. Serve with a dollop of lemon yogurt or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
© Chef Johnny 2000