Pumpkin Puree

Whenever a recipe calls for pumpkin puree, I've only used fresh pumpkin. My mom plants pumpkin every year, and I was also able to nab one from work this past week. This is great substitute for canned pumpkin in any recipe that calls for it.

Ingredients:
1 fresh pumpkin

Directions:
1. Cut a pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and strings.
2. Place face down on a foil lined pan and bake for an hour at 350ºF (180ºC), or until flesh is tender.
3. Cut into pieces and allow to cool.
4. Cut off skin and remaining strings.
5. Place in blender and puree.

I've used this method of pureeing in both my pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake. The hardest part is cutting the pumpkin in half and scooping out the seeds, but once that's done, the rest is a piece of (pumpkin) cake.