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Doce de abóbora com coco
Doce de abóbora: pumpkin cooked down with sugar, cloves and grated coconut into a thick spoon sweet
Mineiro farm kitchens and the June festivals of the interior both lean on doce de abóbora, a deep orange spoon sweet of pumpkin cooked with sugar and cloves until thick, here finished with fresh grated coconut. It is eaten cold, by the spoonful from little bowls, or with a slice of fresh white cheese, the Brazilian way of pairing sweet and salty (pick a microbial-rennet cheese if you are vegetarian). The flavour is caramel-sweet and spiced, with the soft chew of coconut. Use a dry, dense pumpkin such as kabocha or butternut; watery pumpkins take forever to reduce. Adding the sugar before the pumpkin softens is a common misstep; the sugar firms the pieces and they never break down. Chef's tip: stop cooking when you see the base of the pan for a second as you drag the spoon through, as the sweet thickens further as it cools.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb dense orange pumpkinpeeled and seeded weight; kabocha or butternut, in 3 cm cubes
- ¾ cup water
- 14 oz sugar
- 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconutor unsweetened desiccated coconut soaked in 100 ml hot water
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb dense orange pumpkin and ¾ cup water in a heavy pan, cover and cook over a medium heat for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides through every piece easily.
18 minStep 2: Mash roughly with a potato masher, leaving a few small chunks for texture.
Step 3: Add 14 oz sugar, 8 whole cloves and 1 cinnamon stick and stir over a medium-low heat until the sugar melts and the mixture turns glossy.
5 minStep 4: Cook, stirring often and scraping the base, for about 20 minutes, until thick and deep orange.
20 minStep 5: Stir in 5 ½ oz freshly grated coconut and cook 5–10 minutes more, until the sweet pulls away from the pan and you can see the base for a moment when you drag the spoon. It spits, so use a long spoon.
8 minStep 6: Remove the cinnamon (leave the cloves in, Brazilian style, or pick them out). Spoon into a dish, cool and chill. Keeps for 10 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 50 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does doce de abóbora com coco take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of whole cloves?
- Ground cloves, ¼ tsp for every 3 whole cloves.
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