Pumpkins and squash abound this time of year and the smell of piloncillo and cinnamon permeate the air in our home with Mexican dessert recipes. One recipe that is not to be missed is calabaza en tacha, a traditional recipe that dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Customarily, a bowl of this sweet treat is placed on altars during Día de los Muertos as an offering for those the altar honors, but Day of the Dead isn't the only occasion to serve this dish. Accompanied with a drizzle of milk or as side with vanilla ice cream, it makes for the perfect ending to a hearty Thanksgiving feast or fit for any fall gathering around your family's table.
RECIPE: Calabaza en Tacha
Serves 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) pumpkin, butternut squash or winter squash
- 1 cup water
- 1 (8-ounce) piloncillo cone
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 star anise
Instructions
- Slice pumpkin in half; remove seeds and stringy flesh. Reserve seeds for another use. Chop into large chunks or 1 ½ thick inch slices.
- In a medium saucepan over low medium heat, combine water, piloncillo cone, cinnamon and star anise. Stir until piloncillo has dissolved and liquid had turned into a thin syrup.
- Add pumpkin pieces to syrup and cook for 10 minutes or until pumpkin is tender.
- Transfer pumpkin into serving plates. Top with syrup and serve with milk, crema or vanilla ice cream.
