Chris Spear, owner of Perfect Little Bites, a personal chef service specializing in in-home dinners, offers his advice on the culinary use of pumpkins.
"The general consensus among chefs is that fresh field pumpkins aren't great for cooking. If you're making a pumpkin pie, you'll want to use canned pumpkin — it makes for a more flavorful pie. Instead of using a typical pumpkin, which has a higher water content, opt for a sugar pumpkin. Sugar pumpkins have a lower water content, giving you a more concentrated flavor, and you definitely want that rich, authentic pumpkin flavor."
Spear suggests using fresh pumpkin for stews or other dishes where texture is important.
Prepare a 9×9 baking dish by rubbing the inside lightly with 1 tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
Add the marshmallows and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until completely melted.
Remove from heat then stir in the cereal until it’s completely coated.
Transfer the mixture to your prepared dish, and using a rubber spatula, press the mixture into the dish.
While the treats are cooling, melt the white chocolate chips, either over a double boiler on the stove, or in 15 second bursts in the microwave. When melted, stir in a tablespoon pumpkin puree.
Cut the treats into squares and transfer to a plate. Spread the white chocolate/pumpkin frosting on top while still warm.
Garnish with a swipe of pumpkin puree and a kernel of popped popcorn.
