My grandparents went that route once, once. (I helped peel the pumpkins using a spoke shaver, a tool normally used for making wagon wheel spokes, didn't think about baking the pumpkins and scooping out the flesh at the time). And to be honest, the pumpkin (she mad a few pies and canned the rest for later use) might have been a tad better because of the elbow grease that was mixed in, but not by enough to justify doing that all over again. Making a pie with Libby's canned pumpkin (not their pumpkin pie filling) is just as good.
I'm just getting into this fudge thing. Sweet Potato is good (wanted something other than chocolate.) I put it on a vanilla wafer crust, and I topped it with marshmallows and gave them a little burn.