Sweet Pumpkin Bake

Ingredients:

6 cups pumpkin, puréed* (or canned pumpkin)

2 cups sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs, beaten

1 stick butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

2 cups brown sugar

2/3 cup flour

2 cups chopped pecans

2/3 cup butter, melted

Cinnamon to taste

Method:

1. Preheat over to 350°.

2. If you are using whole pumpkin rather than canned, wash it, cut it in half, & scoop out the seeds & stringy parts.** Place in a large oven safe dish with a lid along with about 3 cups of water. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until tender. Drain and purée the cooked pumpkin in a food processor or mash very well with a fork or potato masher.***

3. Combine pumpkin with remaining ingredients (not including topping ingredients), and pour into a large casserole dish.

4. In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and mix well. Gently spread over pumpkin mixture.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until browned.

Notes:

*Pie pumpkins are best for this type of recipe. They are the smaller variety, usually only 6-8" in diameter, typically stocked by grocers starting in late September. Look for pumpkins that are firm, rich in color, and have no bruises or soft spots.

**If desired, you can save the seeds for roasting or to plant.

***Any leftover pumpkin purée can be sealed in freezer bags (be sure to push out excess air) and saved for future use.