Mexican Pumpkin In Brown Sugar Recipes

CALABAZA EN TACHA (MEXICAN CANDIED PUMPKIN) RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut the stem off of the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds and stringy parts, saving seeds to make pepitas, if you like.
• Leaving the rind on, cut each piece in half lengthwise again and again until you have 8 to 10 long strips of pumpkin. Leave pumpkin in strips or cut it into smaller pieces.
• Zest and juice the orange .
• In a large saucepan, bring orange zest and juice, piloncillo or brown sugar, water, and cinnamon sticks to a boil.
• Carefully add in the pumpkin pieces and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for an hour or two, until pumpkin is fork tender and the rest of the ingredients have reduced to a thick glaze.
• Remove from heat and let cool. Allow a long strip or two-or several smaller pieces-per portion.
• Serve at room temperature, spooning a little of the glaze over the pumpkin pieces. Eat with a spoon, leaving the inedible outer pumpkin rind (and any cinnamon sticks) in the dish.

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.

FLAN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and salt. Stir in milk and vanilla. Sift brown sugar into eight 5-oz. custard cups or a 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Pour custard mixture over sugar. , Place in shallow baking pan of hot water. Bake at 325° for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Chill overnight. Sprinkle with additional brown sugar before serving or unmold to serve.

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.

DULCES DE CALABASAS (MEXICAN PUMPKIN CANDY)

Steps:

• Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds and as much of the "stringy stuff" as you can, and chop into pieces approximately 1-1.5 inches by 1.5-2.5 inches.
• Slice off skin, taking off as little flesh as you can.
• Measure to make sure you have approximately one quart of pumpkin pieces (either pack well into a measuring cup or fill a calibrated 1/2 gallon or 1 gallon measure to the quart line and drop in pieces until water hits the 1/2 gallon line, then drain water.).
• Put in a fairly heavy saucepan and cover with water.
• Cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 15-20 minutes.
• Drain, but save water, and place pumpkin back in pan.
• Measure water to make sure you have about 1 1/2 cups.
• Stir in packed brown sugar until smooth. Add cloves and/or cinnamon at this point, if desired.
• Pour the sugar/water syrup over the pumpkin, cover, return to a boil, and boil another 15 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let sit overnight (at least 8 hours.) This is how the pumpkin soaks up the syrup and "candies".
• In the morning (or after the 8-10 hours), return to a boil, and boil an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove from syrup with a slotted spoon and place on a tray or cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.
• Allow to dry at least 10-12 hours in a place where it will not be disturbed (if you're not going to be using the oven and haven't had it on recently, the cold oven is a great place to keep it safe.).
• Roll in granulated sugar and enjoy! Place in air-tight container to store up to two weeks.

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.