BAKED CUSHAW SQUARES

Prep Time: 1½ Hours
Yields: 6-8 squares

Comment:
Cushaw, the striped crooked neck pumpkin, is commonplace along the highways of Louisiana. Although this pumpkin is normally peeled, boiled and cooked casserole-style with brown sugar for the holiday table, this simple recipe is good all year long.

Ingredients:
1 medium cushaw pumpkin
5 cups sugar
½ pound butter
¼ cup Steen’s® cane syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
candy corn for decoration

Method:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 5 cups of sugar in a stockpot with approximately 1 gallon water. Using a wire whisk, dissolve the sugar and bring the water to a rolling boil. Using a very sharp butcher knife, cut cushaw in half and remove the seeds and stringy pulp. Cut each half into 3-inch squares, leaving the hard shell intact. Place cushaw squares in boiling water and cook until fork tender but not mushy. Remove and place the squares on a large cookie sheet or pan then set aside. In a heavy-bottomed saucepot, melt butter over medium-high heat and add syrup, brown sugar and spices. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly until bubbly syrup is achieved. Be careful not to scorch. Top the cushaw pieces with the sugar mixture and bake until thoroughly heated. To serve, scoop the sweetened meat from the shell as a snack or serve as a starch accompaniment to any entree. The cushaw squares may be further decorated with the candy corn.