Mexican Pumpkin In Brown Sugar Recipes

MEXICAN PUMPKIN EMPANADAS (EMPANADAS DE CALABAZA)

Steps:

• Place pumpkin in a medium pan and add, piloncillo, cinnamon, and anise star (read note 1).
• Pour in water, cover the pan, and let gently simmer for 20 minutes while mixing one or two times.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and anise star. Add nutmeg and cinnamon powder.
• Using a potato masher, mash roughly the pumpkin.
• Keep cooking uncovered while stirring from time to time until you'll have a thick and dense mixture.
• Set aside and allow to mixture to reach room temperature.
• In a food processor place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse two times to combine.
• Add butter and pulse a few times to form a crumbly mixture.
• Add egg yolk and cream, and pulse again until a clumpy dough forms (read note 2).
• Transfer the dough onto a floured and smooth surface and quickly knead it into a ball.
• Wrap the dough with cling film and place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a baking mat.
• Cut two squares about 6×6-inch (15x15cm) from a plastic bag.
• Mix about ½ cup of sugar and 1 ½ tablespoon of ground cinnamon on a deep plate.
• Make an egg wash whisking together the milk and egg in a small bowl.
• Last, preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
• Remove the dough from the fridge, divide it into 14 pieces and then flour your hands and roll each piece into a ball.
• Place a dough ball on one of the plastic squares, cover with the other and slightly press with your hand to make a small patty.
• Using a heavy dish, press the dough to form a flat disc (read note 3).
• Peel the top square gently, then add some pumpkin filling in the middle of the disc.
• Fold over to make a half-moon and press the borders to seal well the empanada.
• Gently place the empanada on one hand and peel the last plastic.
• Take the edge and carefully twist it to make the braided edge (read note 4).
• Place the empanada on a baking sheet and repeat the steps with all dough and filling.
• Brush all empanadas de calabaza with the egg wash and make some small holes on the top with a toothpick.
• Bake between 20 and 25 minutes or until the pastries are slightly browned on all sides.
• As soon as empanadas are out of the oven, coat them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture carefully.
• You can now eat them while they're still warm or place them in a cooling rack and store them for later.

SMOKY BRAISED MEXICAN PUMPKIN

Steps:

• Make the salsa: If using dried chiles, preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chiles and toast, turning frequently and pressing down with a flat spatula, until very aromatic, about 30 seconds. Transfer chiles to a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit until chiles are rehydrated, for 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking.
• Place garlic and tomatillos in the skillet. Toast, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in some spots, 3 to 4 minutes for the tomatillos and about 5 minutes for the garlic. Transfer garlic, tomatillos, and their juices to the bowl of a food processor or jar of a blender.
• Drain chiles, either from the soaking water or their canning liquid, and discard liquid. Add chiles to the tomatillos and process to a fine-textured puree. Set aside.
• If using fresh tomatoes, place tomatoes on a baking sheet and place baking sheet 4 inches below the preheated broiler. Roast until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes. Turn tomatoes over and roast on the other side, an additional 6 minutes. Let cool, then peel and roughly chop. Transfer tomatoes and any juices to a small bowl; set aside.
• In a large heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add pork, if using, and onions; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits of meat with a wooden spoon, until pork is nicely golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add reserved salsa, tomatoes, and 3 to 4 tablespoons water; stir to combine. Add Swiss chard and season with salt. To make this dish ahead of time, cover and refrigerate sauce for up to 2 days, then continue cooking as follows.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin evenly in a 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Pour over pork mixture. Cover baking dish with foil and bake until pumpkin is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Dish can be cooled and refrigerated at this point, if desired, then continue cooking as followed when ready to serve.
• To continue cooking, uncover dish and raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Continue baking until sauce has reduced slightly and top becomes crusty, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

PUMPKIN COOKED IN RAW SUGAR

Steps:

• Pierce the shell-like outer rind of the pumpkin in several places to enable the syrup to penetrate the flesh and cut into pieces about 3 inches (8 cm) square, leaving the fibrous flesh and seeds inside.
• In a wide, heavy saucepan put enough water to completely cover the pumpkin. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil. Add the pieces of pumpkin and guavas and cook over fairly high heat, moving the pieces around from time to time to avoid sticking. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking until the syrup has reduced and the flesh of the pumpkin is a rich brown.

MEXICAN PUMPKIN IN BROWN SUGAR

Steps:

• Scrape the seeds out of the pumpkin wedges.
• Pack the wedges together in a heavy-based flameproof casserole.
• Divide the sugar among the pumpkin pieces, packing it into the hollows which contained the seeds.
• Pour the water carefully into the casserole, to cover the bottom and prevent the pumpkin from burning. Take care not to dislodge the sugar when pouring in the water.
• Cover and cook over a low heat, checking the water level frequently, until the pumpkin is tender and the sugar has dissolved in the liquid to form a sauce.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pumpkin to a serving dish.
• Pour the sugary liquid from the pan over the pumpkin, and serve at once with natural yoghurt, sweetened with a little brown sugar if you like.

ROASTED PUMPKIN WITH BROWN SUGAR

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Cut pumpkin into pieces and remove skin. Cut away seeds and fibrous tissue; discard. Rub oil onto pumpkin pieces, followed by brown sugar. Place onto a baking sheet.
• Roast in the preheated oven until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.