Pumpkin Dessert with Gelatin and Berries – Easy Recipe
If you love pumpkin porridge and all kinds of sweets, you will surely enjoy this sweet pumpkin dessert – it looks like a bright, firm pumpkin jelly. It is a very simple and affordable treat that you can vary with different add-ins and make ahead of time. And since pumpkin is such a common vegetable, it is no trouble to make at all.
The base of the dessert is a purée of lightly boiled or baked pumpkin flesh. The key is that the hard pumpkin should just become easy to pierce with the tip of a knife, no more. At this stage the flesh is best suited for the dessert and holds no excess water. Sugar, condensed milk or honey go in, then the pumpkin is blended and mixed with a thickener such as gelatin. Once it sets and chills, the pumpkin jelly is ready.
What we call a pumpkin is the fruit of a plant from the gourd family, the closest relative of zucchini, marrows and cucumbers. It is probably the biggest of them all. They say giant pumpkins weighing over a ton are grown! My grandmother grew plenty of pumpkins in her vegetable garden, though much smaller ones, and pumpkin porridge was a constant in our diet – I have disliked it ever since.
Besides pumpkin porridge and pumpkin risotto, the flesh is great for cream soups; it makes excellent juice, tasty pumpkin desserts and pumpkin pie. It is a staple of light, low-calorie eating and a major character in children's fairy tales. For any dish, the pumpkin has to be peeled of its granite-hard rind and the seeds scooped out. Pumpkin seeds roasted in the oven or in a frying pan are a source of endless pleasure and constant occupation – only willpower can tear you away from them.
A homemade chilled pumpkin dessert can be sweet, but there are other options. Since pumpkin has a neutral or mild flavor, you can give the dessert citrus notes or fruit and berry ones.
Dessert is considered the end of a meal, and its main job is to leave a pleasant final aftertaste. Pumpkin dessert is usually sweet, so it handles that job perfectly. If you like, dust it with powdered sugar or drizzle it with honey. It tastes amazing with condensed milk. I think a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream would work beautifully too.
Ingredients
3 servings
- Pumpkin 0.5 kg
- Gelatin 15 g
- Sugar 0.5 cup
- Lemon juice 1 tbsp
- Vanilla, cinnamon to taste
- Mint, powdered sugar, berries for serving
Step-by-step recipe
- It is always nice when a dessert is bright and pleasing to the eye, and pumpkin dessert is a clear favorite here. Choose a bright orange, slightly sweet pumpkin. Cut it in half with a large knife and scrape out the seeds. They are worth rinsing and drying – once roasted, they make a wonderful snack. By the way, buy small pumpkins: once cut, they do not keep long.
- Peel off the hard rind with a sharp knife. Do not use a ceramic knife for this – you will most likely break it. For convenience, cut the pumpkin into wedges 4–5 cm wide and peel those. Then cut the pumpkin into large cubes and put them in a saucepan. Cover the cubes with cold water, just above the level of the pumpkin, and put on the heat.
- Bring the water to a boil and simmer the pumpkin, covered, for 10–15 mins. Under no circumstances overcook it. As soon as the cubes can be pierced with the tip of a knife without much effort, the pumpkin is done. Drain the water and let the pumpkin cool a little. Meanwhile, soak instant gelatin in a cup. You need very little water – ½ cup is enough. The gelatin should swell.
- Mix the cooled pumpkin with the sugar, add vanilla, a little lemon juice and, if you like, a pinch of cinnamon. Note that cinnamon is quite visible in the finished pumpkin dessert, so you may want to add a cinnamon stick while boiling the pumpkin instead – it will give flavor without showing. Purée the pumpkin with a masher or a blender.
- At this stage you can add some condensed milk if you like – just 1–2 tbsp is enough. The dessert will turn out “matte”. Add a few mashed strawberries or blueberries for a pretty tint to the jelly. Heat the swollen gelatin until it dissolves completely and strain it. Pour it into the pumpkin purée and stir until smooth.
- Next you will need molds for the jelly. Silicone molds of various sizes work well, and disposable paper muffin and cupcake liners are sold too. For convenience, set the molds on a large tray or a flat-bottomed dish so you don't have to move them one at a time. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the molds, stopping 1–2 mm short of the top. Put the molds with the pumpkin dessert in the fridge.
- In 1–1.5 h the jelly will set well. To be safe, chill the dessert longer – ideally overnight. Desserts are usually served on small dessert plates made just for this. Before serving, briefly dip the molds in warm water and, as soon as the jelly comes away from the sides, turn the mold out onto a plate.
- Dust the dessert with a little powdered sugar by tapping it through a tea strainer. Add fresh berries to the plate – raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries when in season. A sprig of fresh mint looks very striking. If you can, add a scoop of matcha ice cream or a little whipped cream to the plate.
| Yield: | 3 servings |
| Calories: | 73 |
| Prep: | 20 mins |
| Cook: | 10 mins |
| Ready in: | 30 mins (plus chilling) |
| Category: | Desserts and Drinks |
| Cuisine: | European |
| Rating: |
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5
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