Sweet pumpkin bake with tahini cream
Pumpkin is a verstaile vegetable which can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Pascal Holland uses pumpkin and tahini, which are usually used in savoury dishes, for a most unlikely (but delicious) dessert.
Ingredients
- 500g pumpkin
- 30g butter
- 10 Digestive biscuits
- ¾ tbsp cinnamon
- ¾ tbsp vanilla extract
- Pinch nutmeg
- 4-5 tbsp sugar
- 80g pecans
- 4-5 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- 4 tbsp mascarpone
- 1 tbsp honey
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
- Place the biscuits into food processor and process until they are fine breadcrumbs. Melt butter in a microwave, then pour into processor and blend.
- Peel and roughly chop pumpkin into small pieces, then steam until soft.
- Line baking tray with greaseproof paper. Drizzle a little water on pecans and lightly coat with caster sugar, place in oven for a few minutes. Watch carefully as they can burn quite easily.
- Line baking tray with greaseproof paper. Grease the insides of the moulds and place on tray.
- Press biscuit mixture into the ring mould to a thickness of 0.5cm. Chill for half an hour.
- Once pumpkin is cooked, mash and place into non-stick frying pan with a little butter over a low heat. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and consistency thickens. Place pumpkin mixture into a bowl, add sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Take the moulds out of the fridge and fill with pumpkin mixture, making sure not to over fill.
- Cook in pre-heated oven for around 35 mins.
- Meanwhile loosen tahini with some fresh cream and honey until smooth and gently fold into mascarpone and set aside.
- Once the pumpkin bake is cooked, allow to cool slightly.
- Gently remove ring and use a spatula to lift onto serving plate.
- Serve warm topped with a tablespoon of tahini cream and pecans.
This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today, March, 2016.
