Apple-Pumpkin Delight

What if you love pie but don't like crust? Strange as it sounds to me, I have a daughter who doesn't like crust--on bread, on pizza, or on pie. Her aversion is not a big deal because she can always eat around it, but since I have my own reasons for avoiding pie crust, I like to make desserts that taste like pie but don't have a crust...at least not a traditional crust. So here's a dessert that makes use of the apples and winter squash that are in season now and tastes like a crustless apple pie.

Every year at this time, I go kind of crazy buying lots of different types of pumpkins and squash, often more than I can actually use. I just like winter squash. Here's a shot of E posing with a portion of this year's bounty:

The pumpkin she's snuggling up to is the one I used for this recipe. Actually, it's a 10+ pound cushaw, rather than a pumpkin, and though it's milder and sweeter in taste, the main difference between it and your traditional orange pumpkin is that it is much easier to peel because it's smooth rather than ridged. You probably won't be able to find cushaws outside of the South, but if you do, be sure to grab one, or if you're into gardening, think about buying some cushaw seeds online and growing some in your area. It's a shame that they're available almost exclusively in roadside stands and private gardens in the South.

Since this cushaw was so huge, I used only half of the neck section for this dessert. I have a feeling I'm in for a pumpkin butter-making session later this week. Don't tell my extended family, but they will probably be getting jars of homemade pumpkin butter for Christmas.

After cutting off the "neck," I halved it, stood the halves upright, and peeled them with a sharp chef's knife. The skin is very tough, so it's much easier to peel with a knife than with a peeler. I then cut the halves in half and sliced the squash very thinly. No matter what kind of squash you use, you'll find that the thinner you cut it, the better.

Next, I peeled some Granny Smith apples, sliced them a little thicker than the pumpkin, and layered them and the pumpkin in a casserole dish with spiced sugar in between. If you make the mistake I did and use a dish that's too small, you'll have to heap the apples up a bit. But don't worry...

...it reduces as it cooks, so it doesn't overflow the dish. It will leave your dish looking pretty messy, though, so plan to transfer it to some nice dessert dishes before serving.

Apple-Pumpkin Delight
(printer-friendly version)

1 pound pumpkin, cushaw, or any sweet winter squash
2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 3 large apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apples and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Oil a 2-quart casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and sprinkle with about 1/4 of the sugar mixture; arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin and sprinkle with a quarter of the sugar mixture. Repeat pumpkin and sugar and arrange the final layer of apples on top, heaping slightly in the center if necessary; sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 152 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (1% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium; 3g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 3 Points.

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Stop the presses! Just a few minutes ago I made another one of these, a 2-serving size without sugar. Honestly, I was prepared for it to be not that good, but it came out surprisingly delicious. I used KAL-brand stevia for sweetening, but it should work with any sweetener that can be cooked. It is a little dry on top, however, so if you're not averse to a little sugar, try drizzling some agave nectar over the top after cooking.



Sugar-Free Apple-Pumpkin Delight
(printer-friendly version)

4 ounces pumpkin
1 Granny Smith apple
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch cloves, ground
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup apple juice
no-calorie sweetener of your choice

Peel the pumpkin or squash and slice it thinly into pieces about 1-inch square (the size matters less than the thinness). Peel the apple and cut into slices, a little thicker than the pumpkin.

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch. Add the apple juice and sweetener and mix until well-blended. (Aim for the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Taste the mixture--it should be sweeter than you'd want to drink.)

Oil a small casserole dish. Arrange half of the pumpkin slices in the dish, and arrange half of the apple slices over the pumpkin. Repeat layers, heaping slightly in the center if necessary. Pour the apple juice mixture over all.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about another 15 minutes. Use a knife to lift up some of the apples and check to see that the pumpkin slices in the middle are completely done; if not, return to the oven until pumpkin is tender. Serve warm or cold.

Makes 2 servings. Per serving: 72 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 18g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium; 2g Fiber. Weight Watchers: 1 Point.