Autumn has arrived, the leaves on the trees take on different colors, we've already changed the clocks, and the markets are full of pumpkins! Today I bring you a very sweet recipe, a pumpkin and coconut jam as aromatic and versatile as it is easy to make, which I'm sure you will love.
Typical of Brazil, this pumpkin and coconut jam, or doce de abóbara com coco, has been part of popular Brazilian baking recipes for 4 centuries. Its origin is rural and is found in areas where pumpkin and coconut were abundant. Combined with cane sugar, it gave rise to a homemade sweet that today is a symbol of nose-to-tail cooking, simple and homemade, made with natural, local and seasonal ingredients.
As you surely know, jams, marmalades and other preparations of this type require as even cooking as possible, to cook all the ingredients evenly, resulting in a final texture that is creamy and cohesive. That's why there's no better utensil to make this recipe than a cast iron Shallow Casserole. And if we have to choose, the most beautiful and fitting option on this occasion is, without a doubt, the Cocotte calabaza de hierro Le Creuset.
This jam will give you a lot of uses. It goes fabulously with buttered breakfast toast, is perfect to accompany fresh or aged cheese, is wonderful as a filling for pies or sweet empanadas, and if you like making preserves, you have an ideal jam to jar and gift for the upcoming holidays.
Here you have the recipe for this pumpkin and coconut jam, or doce de abóbara com coco. I hope you like it as much as I do!
Ingredients
- 1 kg of pumpkin (buttercup or violin variety), peeled and chopped
- 400 g of shredded coconut
- 3 cups of muscovado sugar or panela (approximately about 600 g)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 1 pinch of baking soda (between 0.5 g-1 g)
- 500 ml of water
Preparation
- Put in your Le Creuset cast iron pumpkin casserole the peeled and chopped pumpkin, the sugar, the cinnamon sticks, the cloves and the water.
- Cover the casserole and cook the squash over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, until you see that the squash is very soft and beginning to fall apart.
- Uncover the pot, lower the heat a little, and continue cooking until the liquid is greatly reduced and you see that the mixture has a shiny, moist appearance. You will need to stir frequently so it doesn't stick.
- Add the shredded coconut and the pinch of baking soda, and mix very well so they are fully incorporated. If you see it foaming a bit, don't worry, it's the baking soda. Cook for about 7-10 more minutes, until the jam looks creamy and its gloss is intense.
- Turn off the heat, remove the cinnamon sticks and the cloves, and let it cool.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled, and enjoy this jam with buttered breakfast toast, crepes with mascarpone for an afternoon snack, or with cheese for an appetizer. Or by the spoonful, because it's delicious!
Suggestions
- You can replace part of the panela or muscovado sugar with coconut sugar. You'll see how tasty it becomes!
- Flavor it to your taste: with vanilla, adding ground cinnamon, a couple of star anise, cardamom, nutmeg, or a bit of ginger, for example.
- How about serving it with roasted pork or oven-baked chicken? The sweet-salty contrast with these meats is very balanced and can be a great success.
- The pinch of baking soda we use in the recipe functions to keep the pumpkin's orange color more vivid and bright, and helps the pulp break down more easily. But you should not add more than the pinch indicated in the recipe, so it does not alter the final flavor.
Comments
Claudia&Julia said:
Hola Pily,
En esta receta el coco es un ingrediente importante (verás que se añade 400 g de coco rallado por 1 kg de calabaza). Seguro que sin coco sale rico, pero sin él será confitura (o mermelada) de calabaza y tal vez debas ajustar algunos ingredientes, como el agua o el azúcar.
¡Saludos!
Pily said:
Hola….puedo hacerlo sin el coco? Con las mismas cantidades? Gracias
Claudia&Julia said:
Hola Ángela,
La receta lleva bastante azúcar, por lo que te puede durar días en la nevera, pero no podemos indicarte el plazo de conservación, ya que nosotras lo gastamos muy rápido. No obstante, si quieres hacerlo para tiempo, lo mejor es envasarlo y hacerlo en conserva.
¡Saludos!
angela said:
Es una pregunta simple: ¿Cuánto tiempo se puede conservar en el frito esta deliciosa confitura?