Pumpkin puree is super handy to have in the freezer and a quick, easy way to use up the old slice of squash in the crisper, or any stored pumpkin that are developing soft spots. Use them before they go off! Cut them in half, throw them in the oven and roast them until soft. Scoop out the warm flesh, roughly mash and freeze in containers.
In this way, nothing goes to waste and you are one thaw away from soup, baby food, pie topping, brownie, scones or these delicious little cookies. Which are easy as – one bowl even, if you have frozen puree on hand like I do. And 10/10, fudgy goodness.
Adapted from Eleanor Ozich’ book, “My Family Table”.
Pumpkin, Almond and Date Cookies
2 cups of ground almonds or oat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
160g pitted medjool dates
125g pumpkin puree
1/2tsp baking soda
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 160°. Grease a tray, or line it with baking paper.
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz them up into a dough.
Roll into small balls and place on the tray.
Press on each ball, lightly to flatten.
Bake for 12minutes until gently golden – watch them as they burn underneath.
Turn out onto a wire rack to stop them cooking on the bottoms.
Chocolate Drizzle
60g coconut oil
2 T honey
2 T cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
Melt the coconut oil and honey together over a very low heat.
Add the cocoa and vanilla and whisk till smooth.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
Using a spoon drip and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies
Put in the fridge for 20minutes before eating.
Keep them in the fridge – where they’ll last up to 3 days.
If there’s any leftover drizzle, pop that in the fridge too. Drizzle it on yoghurt and fruit or spread it on toast, like my kids used to do 🙂
Lovely gluten-free recipe for me to try out. I found out recently that when trimming the plant to confine it and allow it to put its energy into ripening pumpkins, that the laterals are meant to be retained but the main leader should be cut back. I had been doing the opposite. No wonder my yields were so few.
Also I found out that some Indian cuisines feature pumpkin leaf curry so if you cut the main leader, you can use the leaves for that.
Pumkpin leaf curry… huzzah! The magnificence of pumpkins goes on and on 🙂
Hurrah for pumpkin glut ideas!
Last year I chopped and froze uncooked pumpkin only to discover it thaws out all mushy and tasteless. What a waste. This year I’ll go for your roast and mash strategy.
A storage query though; yesterday I tidied up all the mildewy vines and unearthed about 10 beauties. I cut the vines off a few inches above the stalks hoping to give them the chance to naturally dry and harden. Right or wrong? Any other storage tips?
Hey Lee, Yip good that you retained the stalk… thats all important and then just let them cure a bit on a basket or some such out of direct sunlight https://www.ediblebackyard.co.nz/harvest-smarts-kumara-squash-and-pumpkin/ There after store them somewhere dark and warm-ish like a shelf in a bedroom or hall. So glad there will be no more mushy pumpkin in your life 🙂 K x