Pumpkin and Honey Cakes

The pumpkin tortas or pumpkin toñas is one of the oldest sweets in the entire province of Alicante, and in particular, a very typical sweet from the Vega Baja region. Outside our borders this sweet bun is quite unknown, so today I will give you all the tricks and tips to make finger-licking tortas.

As with all traditional recipes, in each town or home the same recipe can vary in certain ingredients, etc., but always keeping the very essence of the recipe. Likewise, we can find this same sweet with pine nuts or without them; with anise or without it; glazed in honey; sprinkled with sugar, etc., what does it matter… if when you take a bite it transports you back to your childhood: that is the recipe!

The essence of this sweet is its moist, tender, orange crumb —from the pumpkin— and the nuance that anise adds is out of this world. The final touch to die for is its golden crust subtly soaked in honey.

KitchenAid , De Buyer perforated silicone mat and T&G wooden paddle

Ingredients

• 600 g strong flour (13% protein)
• 270 g pumpkin purée
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole anise seeds
• 14 g instant dry baker's yeast
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 125 ml mild olive oil
• 1 beaten egg to brush the tortas
• Sugar for sprinkling
• Honey diluted with 1 tablespoon of water

De Buyer perforated silicone mat and T&G wooden paddle

Preparation

Preliminary notes:

For this recipe it's important to use a strong flour with 13% protein. The pumpkin can be steamed (in my case), roasted, or boiled, it doesn't matter, but it must be cold and drained. My advice is to make it in advance and let it drain overnight, so in the morning it will be perfect.

Using KitchenAid the kneading time is about 15 minutes; if you use, for example, a hand mixer equipped with dough hooks, the time will be somewhat longer. If you don't have any machine, it's fine, you can also do it by hand, you just need more time and patience.

After kneading the dough should be soft and elastic. We should let it rest 5 minutes before handling it. After this time the dough will be somewhat sticky but perfectly workable. We can grease our hands with a drop of oil to make it easier, but we will never add more flour than indicated. After the first rise (3 h) we'll see how the dough is perfect, smooth and elastic. This will be the time to make the 8 pieces of about 160 g ≈ each. At this step it can also help to grease your hands a little to facilitate rounding and shaping.

To bake the tortas, my advice is to do them 4 at a time, never more than that because as they rise they can end up "kissing" each other and won't stay so round. For this size of tortas, the baking time will be about 15 minutes at 170 ºC. As soon as you take the tortas out of the oven you should leave them on their tray, brush them with the honey mixture and let them cool completely before removing from the tray. Never take them off the tray while hot because they are very delicate until cooled.

Method:

1. In a saucepan we will steam the pumpkin. Let it cool over a colander. Mash well and set aside.
2. In the bowl of the KitchenAid we will put the olive oil, sugar, anise, eggs, dry baker's yeast and the pumpkin purée. Beat all the ingredients with the paddle attachment until everything is combined.
3. Add the sifted flour all at once and begin kneading with the dough hook of the KitchenAid at low speed for 15 minutes. The dough should be soft and elastic. To check that the dough is ready let it rest 5 minutes and verify that the dough is a bit sticky but workable.
4. Don't get carried away and add more flour, we don't want a brick, it's best to grease your hands with a drop of oil.
5. Grease a large bowl and leave the dough covered with plastic wrap until it doubles in volume. This process, now that it's warm, may take about 3 h (in winter 3 to 6 h). When it has doubled in volume, degas, divide the dough into 8 tortas of about 160 g each. Round, shape and place them on trays fitted with a perforated silicone mat or, if unavailable, with parchment paper. ­ ­–do not put more than 4 tortas per tray–
6. Cover the trays with greased plastic wrap and let them double in volume. Since it's still warm, this process will take 1½ h. In winter, this final proof can take quite a while; my advice is to leave the shaped pieces covered with plastic wrap inside the oven (turned off) overnight. In the morning they will be ready to bake.
7. Preheat the oven to 200 ºC top and bottom heat (no fan) with the rack in the middle position.
8. Warm some honey in the microwave, once it's liquid add a teaspoon of water, stir and set aside.
9. Brush the tortas very gently with beaten egg and immediately place them in the oven, lower the temperature to 170 ºC and bake for 15 minutes. They should be golden but not burnt. Remove from the oven and let the tray rest on a cooling rack. At this point, while still hot, brush with the honey + water mixture. Finally, you can sprinkle a bit of sugar on top.

Storage: This sweet keeps very well for about 2 to 3 days wrapped in plastic wrap. My advice to keep them tender longer is to wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then place them, for example, 4 at a time in zip bags and store them in the freezer. That way you'll always have tortas like the first day. You just need to take them out in advance and let them thaw at room temperature.

De Buyer perforated silicone mat and T&G wooden paddle