Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

Ingredients:

4 miniature pumpkins
1/4 cup raisins, plumped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup slivered almonds or pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 slightly beaten egg

Instructions:

Place whole pumpkins in a baking pan; pour water to about 1 inch deep in the pan to surround the pumpkins for cooking.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 - 45 minutes until a knife slices into the pumpkin gently.  Allow pumpkins to cool.  Cut across the top to make a lid, just like it was a mini jack-o-lantern.  Scoop the seeds and stringy goop out and discard.  Scrape the fleshy part out and put on the cutting board.  Chop the flesh. Cover raisins with water and bring to boiling point, cover and let sit until ready to use.  Sauté the onions in butter.  Combine with pumpkin flesh, rice, almonds, raisins, cinnamon and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Add the beaten egg to hold it all together.  Now you're ready to fill up your pumpkin shells!  Fill so that the filling is sticking up out above the top of shells, big heaping spoonfuls.  Top each with it's lid and bake filled shells at 350 degrees F for 30 to 45 minutes.   On both baking occasions be mindful of the stems getting to close to the heat source.