Maybe you like baking or maybe you are looking for a challenge, either way, I have the perfect recipe for you to bake this Christmas.
This October, my housemates and I had a pumpkin carving session, creating one of the scariest pumpkins ever, ‘Student Debt’. We ended up not using all of the pumpkins we bought, so, in order not to waste food, I decided to give my grandmother’s recipe a try. The original recipe was too complicated to make in a student house, so I adapted it and put it to the test. The pastries vanished in a couple of hours and all my friends were left dying for more.
This Christmas, show of your baking skills and try this super sweet recipe!
Ingredients:
1kg Pumpkin
1 Orange
500g Brown Sugar
2 Cinnamon Sticks
640g Shortcrust Pastry Ready Rolled Sheet
1 Egg
Preparation:
- Start by peeling the pumpkin’s skin and scooping out its insides.
- Cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces. Use a scale to weigh the pumpkin. You will only need 1 kilogram for this recipe.
- Wash the pumpkin thoroughly to make sure it is safe to eat and then transfer the pumpkin pieces into a pot.
- After this, pour the 500g of brown sugar on top.
- Grab your orange and zest it all around, to get all of the peel.
- Cut the orange in half and squeeze its juice into the pot.
- The last step for the preparation of the pumpkin jam is to add the two cinnamon sticks.
- Heat the mixture in the pot for about one to two hours depending on the type of stove you use.
- Whilst it cooks, roll out the shortcrust pastry and use a glass to make small even circles.
- Roll out the small circles to create an oval shape.
- After the pumpkin has all melted down, blend the mixture until you are happy with the consistency.
- Proceed to put the mixture in the centre of the oval pastry and fold it over.
- Press the ends of the pastry, in order for it to be extra secure.
- Crack the egg into a bowl, separating the whites from the yolk. Beat the yolk and with a brush swab the top of the pastry.
- Lay the pastries on a tray and cook them in a preheated oven, around 180º.
If you decide to try this recipe let me know how you did on my Instagram @franciscaquadrio or by using the hashtag #christmaspumpkintreats.