1 small sugar pumpkin

1/4 cup raisins golden

1/4 cup dried sour cherries

1/4 cup mixed dried fruit

1/2 pippin apple (or any good cooking apple)

1/4 cup rice cooked, but still hard to chew

sugar to taste..I use about 1 tablespoon or you can use any sweetener you like.  I have used Lyle Golden syrup, honey

cinnamon to taste...we like cinnamon so I use about 1/2 tsp.

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon melt butter

boil water

 

Break the stem off.  Cut into top like you would if you were doing a pumpkin for halloween.  Set top aside.  Scoop out the thread part of the pumpkin and discard.  Now scoop out most of the meat of the pumpkin with a small ice cream scoop or the one you use for cookie dough.  Being careful not to break the skin of the pumpkin. Make sure to save  the top of the pumpkin.  Add top before placing in oven.  It's done when the outer skin is tender.

 

Mix the pumpkin meat, raisins, cherries, dried mix fruit together, sugar, spices, butter, and rice together in a bowl.  Stuff pumpkin with this.  Pour boiling water into the pumpkin..just about enough to come to the top of the pumpkin.  Bake at 325* till pumpkin is soft.  Serve hot.

 

Optional:  Add roasted walnuts, pecans, almonds and nut you like.Maple syrup can also be used for the sweetener.