Pumpkin Persimmon Parfait

Elise over at Simply Recipes has challenged us with The Great Pumpkin Carve Up Cook Off. The harrowing task is to carve up a pumpkin, cook with its guts, and present the carcass in the form of a jack o'lantern. My entry is pictured above: Pumpkin Persimmon Parfait with Toasted Walnuts. It consists of cooked pumpkin custard, (just like the pie recipe except a little less sugar), layered with diced Fuyu persimmons, (the crisp variety, straight from our tree), a fluffy layer of whipped cream, and crunchy walnuts: A veritable mineshaft of autumnal delicacies.

I cheated big time by cooking with canned pumpkin. In my defense I will rationalize that there would be nothing left over to carve if I cooked my pumpkin, thus limiting me to roasting seeds....not that seeds are a bad thing, mind you. We need baby pumpkins after all!

Speaking of baby pumpkins, the grocery store was sold out (!) of pumpkins to carve--except this little guy, a mere six inches or so tall. It was more challenging than I expected to hollow him out, as my fist barely fit inside with a spoon. The recipe is something I dreamed up at the last minute, since I only learned of this contest today!

In conclusion: Boo and Happy Hallowee'en!