Pumpkin Pie in a Pumpkin
Author: Guava Rose
Prep time: 12 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 20 mins
Total time: 1 hour 32 mins
Ingredients
Base:
  • 1 small sugar pie pumpkin, about 5-6" wide
  • 1 c. evaporated milk
  • 4-6 T. sugar
  • 3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Topping:
  • 3 T. flour
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • ⅛ tsp. sea salt
  • 1-1/2 T. oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (a toaster oven is perfect for this). Wash and dry pumpkin. Cut off the top third of the pumpkin. Scrape out seeds and fibers from the bottom and the top. Rinse out. Bake for about 30 minutes, until flesh is half cooked.
  2. Remove the pumpkin from the oven. Cool a few minutes. Use a small, sharp paring knife to cut off some of the partially cooked pumpkin from the side walls, leaving ½" flesh intact to prevent the pumpkin from collapsing later. Use a spoon to scrape some of the flesh out from the bottom. Scoop any flesh off the cap too. Scrape enough so you have 1 cup of pumpkin flesh. If you scrape too much from the bottom of the pumpkin and hit the skin, just pat some flesh back in there. Ideally you want the bottom to be ½" or more thick.
  3. Place the 1 c. pumpkin, milk, 4 T. sugar, and pumpkin pie spice into a blender and process until smooth. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Add the egg, then blend again. Pour the mixture into the pumpkin bowl, filling it up to ¼ " from the rim. Any extra filling can be poured into the pumpkin top, or into a greased custard cup and baked at the same time as the filled pumpkin.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle over the filled pumpkin. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove the pumpkin top and/or custard cup sooner, as they are done, probably after 25-30 minutes.
  5. Cool completely. Chill at least a couple hours for best flavor. To serve, scoop out portions into small cups or plates. Top with whipped cream if desired.
Recipe by Guava Rose at http://www.guavarose.com/2014/11/pumpkin-pie-in-a-pumpkin/