DESSERT
PUMPKIN PUDDING
Pumpkin desserts like this one are popular in Peru and across South America. If you don't want to cook your own pumpkin, substitute a 16-ounce can of solid-pack puree (not pumpkin pie filling).
• 1 ½ pounds pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
• Butter
• 1 cup half-and-half or light cream
• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon salt
Cook pumpkin in a large saucepan with a little water until soft.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 6 ramekins or custard cups or a 6- to 8-cup baking dish.
Drain cooked pumpkin and mash until smooth, removing any stringy bits. Mix in half-and-half. In another bowl, beat eggs with half the sugar until pale and thick. Beat in remaining sugar, spices and salt. Fold into the pumpkin mixture. Transfer to prepared baking dish(es).
Set them in a roasting pan and carefully add enough hot water to the pan reach halfway up the sides of the dish(es). Bake until just set, about 40 minutes for ramekins, 80 minutes for a single large pudding. Serve warm.
Source: Adapted from Street Food by Tom Klime, (DK Books, 2007).
Per serving: 203 calories (35 percent from fat), 8 g fat (4 g saturated, 2.5 g monounsaturated), 157 mg cholesterol, 6.5 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 261mg sodium.
