Delicious candy is made from fresh pumpkin and flavored with maple sugar. You can make this with acorn squash with little change in taste, but the pumpkin color is more attractive.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 quart pumpkin meat; fresh cut into 1-by-1-1/2-inch pieces
- 2-1/2 cups water
- 1 cup brown or maple sugar
- 1 cup granulated maple or raw sugar
Preparation:
Place the cubed pumpkin in a saucepan and cover it with water, about 2 to 2-1/2 cups. 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 cups 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.
Recipe Source: Chef Lawrence Forgione, An American Place Restaurant, Lexington, New York, USA
Reprinted with permission.
