You know I love pumpkins and squash. My favorite pumpkin for baking and pumpkin butter is the winter luxury pumpkin. It makes a very mild pumpkin pie similar to old fashioned squash pie. Winter luxury pumpkins don't last long--so you basically grow, process and freeze. These pumpkins can't compare to anything you find in the grocery store. When processed, they are great for low fat cooking. Pumpkin butter from these is out of this world. I use Queensland's Blue for pumpkin pie. They have a little more depth to their flavor. They are an Australian pumpkin that will last a long time in your cellar. I still have some in my basement--which is warmer than a typical cellar would be. Now if you want beauty--plant the musquee de provence. It looks like a cinderella pumpkin and is absolutely beautiful. You can cook with it--but I don't. It just doesn't compare to the pumpkins above. My favorite squash is the Potimarron. It's a French squash that has an unbelievable taste. I often wonder what it would taste like if made into pumpkin pie. We usually just eat it straight from the oven. These last a long time. Tori

" You have to chill it after it is baked to make it set." Lars, I've never in my life had to chill a pumpkin pie to make it set. They are put on racks on the counter until serving time, and they are always 'set', never had one 'run'. So I'm curious about your recipe. I use the one on the Libby's can of pumpkin (NOT the pumpkin pie filling!), may I ask what your recipe is? Rusty

2 cups strained and mashed pumpkin (use cheese pumpkins for the best results, 12" diameter) 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1 egg beaten well 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1-1/2 cups whole milk or 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup cream 1 9" diameter deep pie crust per pie Cut pumpkin in half (12" diameter) place inverted over a cookie sheet or large bowl. Heat in oven at 325 degrees or microwave on high until top starts to collapse (skin will turn dark brown) or steam in lobster pot. Scrape out pulp and strain well. Allow to dry and cool before using! The drier the pulp the firmer the pie. A good quality food processor can be used to really mash the pulp into a smooth mixture otherwise chop and mash the pulp by hand. Mix syrup, sugar, egg, cinnamon and ginger together. Slowly add milk and blend well. Add pumpkin mixture and blend well. While the mixture is blending, sprinkle some cinnamon on the pie crust and let it bake in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Fill the pie shell to capacity and then bake at 325 degrees in 9" pie crust until firm, about 1 hour. Check to make sure the pie shell does not overcook. Cool on racks for 1 hour and then refrigerate. Pumpkin pie is best when refrigerated overnight and served cool. A regular 12" diameter pumpkin will yield 3 pies, a 12" diameter cheese pumpkin will yield 2 pies. Serve with fresh whipped cream!

I'm not a big fan of apples, but I love pears. My favorite dessert of all time is this Pear Maple Cobbler from Epicurious. I don't usually make individual cobblers, I just make it in a 9 inch square glass baking dish because that's what I have. I usually skip the whipped cream too, because my family likes it warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Homemade if they can get it! PEAR MAPLE COBBLER Filling 3 pounds ripe Barlett pears, peeled, quartered, cored 2/3 cup pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon (generous) ground nutmeg 1 1/2 tablespoons butter Topping 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 9 tablespoons half and half 9 tablespoons pure maple syrup 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Melted butter Sugar Ground nutmeg 1 cup chilled whipping cream Additional pure maple syrup Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut pears crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine in large bowl with maple syrup, flour, vanilla extract and ground nutmeg. Divide among six 2/3-cup custard cups of soufflé dishes. Dot tops with butter. Bake filling until hot and bubbling, about 18 minutes. Meanwhile, Prepare Topping: Mix first 3 ingredients in processor. Add 6 tablespoons chilled butter and cut in until mixture resembles fine meal. Transfer to large bowl. Mix half and half, 6 tablespoons syrup and vanilla in another bowl. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Working quickly, drop batter in three mounds, 1 heaping tablespoon per mound, atop hot filling in each cup. Brush topping with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. Immediately return cups to oven and bake 8 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F. and bake until toppings are golden and just firm to touch, about 14 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes. In medium bowl, beat 1 cup chilled cream with 3 tablespoons maple syrup to soft peaks. Serve cobblers warm with whipped cream. Drizzle additional maple syrup over. Second on my list would be a Pumpkin Roll, I'm not a big fan of pie crust, although I love filling. My pies are always deep dish, LOL. Grandma used to bake pumpkin pie filling for me in a custard cup, so everyone else got pie but I didn't have to pick apart the crust... Annie