Recipe: Jack O’Lantern Pie and Cheesecake

By Elizabeth J. Wheeler

It’s heartbreaking to see Jack O’Lanterns in the trash or rotting on someone’s porch – that’s a valuable food source is going to waste. Don’t let that happen to your Jack O’Lantern! Make dessert instead. You’ll find that fresh pumpkin tastes much better than canned.

To salvage edible pumpkin: Cut the Jack O’Lantern in quarters and scrape out any candle wax or fibers still clinging to the flesh. Then, cut the pumpkin into chunks and either microwave these chunks or pressure cook them until tender. Let cool, then skin the pumpkin. After that, use immediately or freeze the pumpkin in bags. Freezing 2 cups of pumpkin per bag is handy since most recipes call for that amount.

Jack O’Lantern Pie

In a bowl or blender jar, put the following ingredients:

2 cups pumpkin

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs

1 ¼ cup milk

1 small can condensed milk

Blend well and pour into an unbaked 9 or 10” pie shell. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or done.  When cool, serve with sweetened whipped cream.

Jack O’Lantern Cheesecake

2 8 oz. packages very soft cream cheese

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 cups pumpkin

2 eggs

1 large pie crust or 1 large graham cracker pie crust

Mix all of the above ingredients in a mixer and then pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Garnish with either sour cream or Greek yogurt sweetened with brown sugar and then sprinkle with browned, slivered almonds.