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Pumpkin Candy I (Calabaza)




Source of Recipe


Chef Lawrence Forgione, An American Place Restaurant, Lexington, New York, USA


Recipe Introduction


I ate this homemade candy years ago at a Mexican carry-out restaurant, where no one spoke English. I could never find out the name of this confection. I have searched for years to find out how to make it. Persistence pays off!


List of Ingredients




1 qt pumpkin meat; fresh cut into 1-by-1-1/2-inch pieces
2-1/2 C water
1 C brown or maple sugar
1 C granulated maple or raw sugar


Recipe



Place the cubed pumpkin in a saucepan and cover it with water, about 2 to 2-1/2 C. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, uncovered, until the pumpkin is just tender. Remove the pumpkin with a slotted spoon. There should be about 1-1/2 C of liquid remaining. Add the brown or maple sugar and dissolve over low heat. Place the pumpkin pieces back in the pan and bring slowly back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Let the pumpkin pieces stand in the syrup overnight. The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pumpkin pieces from the syrup and spread them out on a wire rack so the pieces are not touching one another. Let them stand in a warm place or in a 140-degree oven for 3 to 4 hours to dry. Roll each piece in the maple or raw sugar, and store them in a dry, cool place. Do not stack or crowd the candy together. Yield: 2 pounds.
Note: This can also be made with acorn squash, but the pumpkin gives the candy a more vivid color. The flavor is about the same.