Pumpkins

[mothhawk]

All those staring at a bowl of pumpkin scraped out from the Halloween shell and wondering what to make with it may like this cake recipe.

225g peeled and deseeded pumpkin or butternut squash, cubed
4 tbsp milk
1 large egg
175g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g caster sugar
½ tsp grated nutmeg
50g unsalted butter
50g pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
Grated zest of 1 small lemon

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/Gas 4. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking paper or greaseproof paper, then grease well once more.
Cook the pumpkin in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, until tender. Drain well and leave to cool.
Meanwhile put the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, and nutmeg into the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and process until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Tip out into a mixing bowl and stir in the lemon zest and chopped nuts.
Put the cooked, cooled pumpkin, the egg, and the milk into the processor and blend to a smooth purée then add to the dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. It should be a soft dropping consistency.
Spoon the mix into the loaf tin and bake for 45 - 55 minutes until well risen and golden.
Remove the cake from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

[mothhawk]

I made it this morning while I was doing the rice pudding. It tastes really good!

You can swap around the nuts for dried fruit or whatever you have. The original recipe called for 50g poppy seeds and 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice but I didn't have any but the nuts go well with the lemon zest.

[ameno]

I've found that if you want to cook with actual pumpkin you need a recipe that has plenty of other flavours in it to mask the flavour of the pumpkin, which is rather insipid tasting.
A spiced cake like this would work well, as the pumpkin is really only there to add bulk and moisture.

[greenishfing]

Twenty odd years ago a German lady gave my husband and me a big pan of curried pumpkin soup. It was absolutely delicious. I have never tried to replicate it but maybe I should.

[mothhawk]

I've found that if you want to cook with actual pumpkin you need a recipe that has plenty of other flavours in it to mask the flavour of the pumpkin, which is rather insipid tasting.
A spiced cake like this would work well, as the pumpkin is really only there to add bulk and moisture.

Yes, I couldn't taste pumpkin at all. I found the same with pumpkin pie. I can't see what Americans find so great about it.

[ameno]

Yes, I couldn't taste pumpkin at all. I found the same with pumpkin pie. I can't see what Americans find so great about it.

Pumpkin pie is usually made with specially bred pie pumpkins, which are much sweeter and tastier. It can also be made with squash, rather than pumpkin.
Standard halloween pumpkins are generally not for eating. They are edible, but they are of pretty poor quality, really no better than marrows.

I made several pumpkin pies last year to help use up my copious squashes. A couple were made from the flesh of one of my sub-par varieties (it was a new variety, shan't grow again), the flesh of which was watery, bland and slightly insipid tasting. The pie was still nice, but tasted no different from a spiced egg custard.
I made another from one of my good squashes (firm, dry flesh; sweet, nutty flavour), and the difference was significant. You could really taste the sweetness and nuttiness of the squash itself, and it was much nicer.

[ameno]

I made a pie with some of one of my good squashes today.
And when I say I pie, I don't mean a traditional pumpkin pie. I mean a load of squash in a pie dish topped with a pastry crust.
I cut the squash into 1/2 inch cubes, and mixed it with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Took quite a while to bake in the oven (55 minutes in the end), but it came out really nice. Tasted really good, and like a proper dessert, not just a sweetened vegetable.

[mothhawk]

I made a pie with some of one of my good squashes today.
And when I say I pie, I don't mean a traditional pumpkin pie. I mean a load of squash in a pie dish topped with a pastry crust.
I cut the squash into 1/2 inch cubes, and mixed it with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Took quite a while to bake in the oven (55 minutes in the end), but it came out really nice. Tasted really good, and like a proper dessert, not just a sweetened vegetable.

Perhaps roasting the pumpkin first would work to reduce baking time? I sometimes roast pumpkin when I'm doing the Sunday roast, to use for soup in the week. I like to make as much use of the oven as possible when it's on.

[ameno]

Perhaps roasting the pumpkin first would work to reduce baking time? I sometimes roast pumpkin when I'm doing the Sunday roast, to use for soup in the week. I like to make as much use of the oven as possible when it's on.

I might microwave it first next time, before I put the pastry on. Roasting it would make it taste of oil, so I don't want to do that.

[mothhawk]

I might microwave it first next time, before I put the pastry on. Roasting it would make it taste of oil, so I don't want to do that.

I dry roast in a non-stick pan. But zapping it would definitely work, and be much quicker.