Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Still have any leftover pumpkins from Halloween?  Don't throw them out, toast the seeds and make pumpkin puree for your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.  (The smaller pie pumpkins are best.)  Toasting the seeds is easy.  The only hard part is cleaning them after removing them from the pumpkin.  Clean the seeds and put them on a buttered cookie sheet.  Salt or flavor them how you like and bake in a 400 degree oven until lightly browned.  This doesn't take long, maybe 5-15 minutes or so depending on the size of the seeds.  

And back to the puree...

Sorry about this terrible picture, but you get the idea.  I have two shots of this and neither one are in focus.  Cut your pumpkin in half and bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until it is tender enough to scoop out the pumpkin flesh.  

Next you scoop out the pumpkin with a spoon and put it in a food processor.  You are only using the inside of course, not the outside of the pumpkin.  

Puree until you have a smooth pumpkin puree.  Add water, a small amount at a time, as needed while processing to help mash up the pumpkin.  

You can use in your favorite recipes and freeze extra for later.  I pre-measure the exact amount that I will need for my favorite recipes before freezing.  One of my favorite recipes that the boys love is pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.