Pumpkin Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 or 2 small pumpkins cut into large chunks — about 5 lbs.
after removing seeds (a little more than 6 lbs. before)
Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, and S&P for pumpkin
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium apple, peeled and diced (honeycrisp, fuji, gala, red rose)
1 large head roasted garlic (5-6 oz before roasting)
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 qts. Water
1 cup half & half

FOR GARNISH: Pepitos (freshly toasted) Ground chipotle

METHOD:
1. Preheat oven to 400f
2. Cut pumpkin into a few large pieces
3. Lay the pumpkin chunks, skin side down, on a cookie sheet
4. Brush them with maple syrup and dust them with cinnamon, salt and pepper
5. Cover them lightly with aluminum foil and place into the oven
6. Bake until very tender, about 1 hour
7. When pumpkin is done and cooling, saut� onion and apple in a little oil in the bottom of your soup pot until just tender, add cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper and keep stirring to avoid scorching the spices.
8. When the pumpkin is cool enough to scoop away from the peel, do so into soup pot and add the roasted garlic
9. Add water and simmer, covered, until tender, about 30 to 45 mins.
10.Blend in small batches to avoid blowing hot liquid all over the kitchen or use an immersion blender. Return to soup pot, add half & half,
(optional) season if necessary with salt, brown sugar.
11. Garnish and serve.