Fall is pumpkin season, for decoration and for eating. Pumpkin pie is surely the most common way we consume those lovely orange spheres. Here’s a very different way to enjoy pumpkins, and, most importantly, it does not use that canned pumpkin stuff. No, here you are eating a pumpkin, a real pumpkin.
The idea here is to take a small pumpkin, only a half pound and so one you can easily handle, not one of those 50 pound monsters. After peeling and deseeding the tiny globe, you shred the pumpkin flesh. Mix with cinnamon and sugar, roll up in phyllo, and create a sweet dessert. That picture is impressive and begs for us to bake and taste.
The recipe below calls for just ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. I would add more, at least a full teaspoon. Oh, and double down on the sugar, too.
I know that suggesting you replace the Thanksgiving pumpkin pie with this strudel could raise eyebrows. Or pitchforks, which happen to abound at this time of year. If your fall feast table can support two desserts, though, then surely this one deserves your consideration. If you have kids, what better way to introduce a fall tradition than having them shred the pumpkin?
This recipe and photo come from the lovely Fireside Feasts & Snow Day Treats by Ryland Peters & Small. I’ve had several posts from this book and I suggest you find a copy for yourself so you can enjoy all the wonderful dishes presented inside its covers.
Pumpkin and Cinnamon Strudel
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
- A small pie pumpkin, about 8 ounces
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 large sheets of thick phyllo pastry (18 x 13 inches)
- Confectioners’ sugar, to dust
Preparation:
Grease a half-sheet pan or line with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Peel and deseed the pumpkin, then grate the flesh and squeeze out any excess water. Put in a bowl and mix with the cinnamon and sugar.
Take one sheet of pastry, lay it on the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush with oil. Place a second sheet on top and lightly brush with oil. Repeat with the third sheet.
Spoon the pumpkin filling along one longer side of the sheets, leaving a 1-inch gap on either side and spreading the filling about 2 inches wide. Fold the longer side of the pastry, nearest the filling, about 1 inch in, then roll the pastry up, tucking in the sides as you go. When the strudel is baking, the filling will soften and some juice might seep out, so tucking in the sides ensures that not too much juice is lost.
Brush the top of the strudel with a little more oil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes. Dust with icing/confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.
Source: Fireside Feasts & Snow Day Treats by Ryland Peters & Small
Photo Credit: Ryland Peters & Small