Did you know there are about 900 different types of pumpkin? (And did you know that cucumbers and watermelons are actually part of the pumpkin family? But that’s a story for another day…) So why – when there are so many different pumpkins – would you stick to the same old way of preparing it?
There should be no need to threaten your children with death to get them to eat pumpkin. With a little creativity, you can serve pumpkin that is so mouthwatering that they will ask for more. In fact, they’re going to completely forget that pumpkin is actually a vegetable and good for you. And don’t even get me started on how impressed your guests at the next neighbourhood braai are going to be when they see and taste how you have made magic with pumpkin!
Pumpkin fritters
Ingredients
500ml cooked pumpkin
5ml baking powder
125ml flour
Pinch of salt
Small amount of milk
1 tablespoon butter
50ml sugar
5ml vanilla essence
2 eggs
Method
Mix all the ingredients well and fry spoonfuls in a little oil until cooked. Scoop out into a bowl lined with paper towels to absorb the oil. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve while warm.
Pumpkin bake
Ingredients
500g pumpkin, diced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
160ml milk
160ml cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
½ cup honey
Method
Boil the pumpkin until cooked but still firm. Place the pumpkin in a greased baking
dish and sprinkle cinnamon over it. Dot with the butter. Mix the egg, milk, flour, baking powder and salt together and pour over the pumpkin. Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C.Mix the melted butter with the honey and pour it over the pumpkin as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Pumpkin muffins
Ingredients
1 ½ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup pumpkin, cooked and mashed
½ cup oil
2 large eggs
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon cloves
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
Method
Boil the pumpkin until soft, mash it and set aside to cool. Cover a standard muffin pan with a non-stick spray or line with paper muffin shells. Sift the flour and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Mix the pumpkin, eggs, oil, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and mix. Scoop spoonfuls into the muffin pan and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180°C. Leave the muffins in the pan for another 5 minutes to cool before turning them out on a cooling rack.
Pumpkin pie
Ingredients
3 cups cooked pumpkin, mashed
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
160g melted butter
Method
Beat the milk, eggs and sugar together. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, pumpkin and butter together in a bowl. Add the egg mixture and mix in the cream. Place in a greased ovenproof dish and bake for 45 minutes at 180°C.
