Colonial Baked Whole Pumpkin "Pie" & English Trifle with Custard Sauce

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              FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick for this one:

I was helping a friend of mine with his roadside farm stand when
a man stopped by and asked how much the eggs were. "Sixty
cents for the small, seventy cents for the medium, ninety cents
for the large and thirty cents for the cracked ones," I answered.

"All right," he said, "crack me a dozen of the large ones."

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              TODAY'S RECIPES
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According to my research staff *, today's recipe (or one like it,
actually) was a favorite of George Washington. It was called a
pie in George's day, and may have been the ancestor of the
classic pumpkin pie of today. Give it a try, and keep it in your
repertoire as an alternative to the more traditional version that
we are all familiar with.

Colonial Baked Whole Pumpkin "Pie"

A 4 to 6 lb (2 to 3 kg) pumpkin
6 eggs
2 cups (500 ml) whipping cream
1/2 cup (125 ml) brown sugar
2 tsp (10 ml) molasses
1/2 tsp (2 ml) freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 ml) allspice
1/4 tsp (1 ml) powdered ginger
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter

Remove the top of the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and
membranes as though you were making a jack-o'lantern. Mix
the remaining ingredients together except the butter and pour
into the pumpkin. Top with the butter, put the lid of the pumpkin
in place, and place in a large baking dish. Bake at 350F (180C)
for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the mixture has set. Serve from the
pumpkin at the table, scraping a little of the pumpkin flesh to
accompany each serving. Serves 6 to 8.

If you decide to serve yesterday's roast beef during the holidays,
you simply must serve this as the dessert for that meal.

English Trifle with Custard Sauce

A piece of homemade pound cake about 5 inches (12 cm)
long, 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 3 inches (7 cm) high, or
substitute a 12-ounce (330 g) packaged pound cake
4 Tbs (60 ml) raspberry jam
1 cup (250 ml) blanched almonds, separated into halves
1 cup (250 ml) medium-dry sherry
1/4 (60 ml) cup brandy
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
2 Tbs (30 ml) superfine sugar
Custard sauce (see below), chilled until firm
2 cups (500 ml) fresh raspberries, or 2 packages (10 oz,
280 g each) frozen raspberries, thawed and thoroughly drained

Cut the pound cake into 1-inch (2.5 cm) slices and coat them with
the raspberry jam. Place 2 or 3 of the cake slices, jam side up, in
the bottom of a glass serving bowl about 8 inches (20 cm) across
and 3 inches (7 cm) deep. Cut the remaining slices of cake into
1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, scatter them over the slices, and sprinkle
1/2 cup (125 ml) of the almonds on top. Then pour in the sherry
and brandy and let the mixture steep at room temperature for at
least 30 minutes.

In a large chilled bowl, whip the cream with a whisk or a rotary
or electric beater until it thickens slightly. Add the sugar and
continue to beat until the cream is stiff enough to form peaks on the
beater when it is lifted out of the bowl. To assemble the trifle, set
10 of the best berries aside and scatter the rest over the cake. With
a spatula spread the custard across the top. Then gently smooth half
of the whipped cream over the surface of the custard. Using a pastry
bag fitted with a large rose tip, pipe the remaining whipped cream
decoratively around the edge. Garnish the cream with the 10 reserved
berries and the remaining 1/2 cup (125 ml) of almonds. The trifle
will be at its best served at once, but it may be refrigerated for an
hour or two. Serves 6 to 8.

Custard Sauce

3 cups (750 ml) milk
4 tsp (20 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract

In a heavy 2 quart (2 L) saucepan, combine 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the
milk and the cornstarch, and stir with a whisk until the cornstarch is
dissolved. Add the remaining milk and the sugar, and cook over
moderate heat, stirring, until the sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
In a small bowl break up the egg yolks with a fork and stir in 4 to 6
tablespoons (60 to 90 ml) of the sauce. Then whisk the mixture back
into the remaining sauce. Bring to a boil again and boil for 1
minute, stirring constantly. Makes about 3 cups (750 ml).
Received on Fri Dec 15 09:36:40 2006