Buttercup Maple Pudding

A custard of sorts. Every time I made Buttercup Holiday Pudding, just before I added the spices, I'd find myself sniffing the batter appreciatively and thinking, "What if I stopped right here?", So I did. And this is the result: A delicately flavored pudding with a unique blend of natural flavors and aromas. It's a great winter dessert; just the thing for a cold winter's night. (Although it's not heavily sweetened, the cream makes it a pretty rich source of calories.) Think of it as anti-freeze for the body...In fact, a serving or two, eaten warm from the oven, with a dollop of schlag ought to make you "good to go" down to at least 20 or 30 below!

-Alan Wagener

• 3 cups baked buttercup squash
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half and half or light cream
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 to 3/4 cup maple syrup (depending on sweetness desired)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

  Schlag:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pour into a glass or corningware baking dish. Using an 8 or 9 inch dish, it will be 2-3 inches thick. Bake at 350 F. till done (30 to 45 min.) - When you shake it, it will wiggle but there won't be any waves. It should swell a bit.

Whip the cream till soft peaks form. Fold in the vanilla.

Scoop portions of the pudding into bowls and serve warm, with whipped cream. Serves six.