SAEDNEWS: Pumpkin Cream Pudding: A Delicious and Eye-Catching Dessert for Yalda Night
According to the SaedNews Cooking Desk, desserts are a staple of parties and one of the most popular items on restaurant menus. They are usually served after the main course, as their sweetness helps with digestion. Pudding (also known as “pudding”) is a soft, delicate dessert made from milk and sugar. To achieve the desired thickness, ingredients such as starch, gelatin powder, or wheat flour are typically added.
According to Fararu, puddings come in a wide variety of flavors, including vanilla, fruit, saffron, chocolate, and more—each with its own devoted fans. Pumpkin cream pudding is a delicious, two-tone dessert made from a combination of vanilla pudding and pumpkin cream. This elegant and festive dessert is especially suitable for Yalda Night gatherings. If you’d like to prepare this special and tasty dessert at home using an easy method, follow the recipe below.
Milk: 1 liter
Sugar: 1 cup
Wheat flour: 2 tablespoons
Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons
Egg yolk: 1
Mascarpone cheese: 1 package
Petit beurre biscuits: 1 package
Vanilla: 1 teaspoon
Pumpkin: 1 kg
Sugar: 2 cups
Water: 1 cup
Tahini: 3 tablespoons
Chopped walnuts: 2 tablespoons
Pomegranate seeds: 5 tablespoons
First, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, egg yolk, and vanilla in a suitable saucepan. Gradually add the milk while stirring until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously until the mixture thickens.
Once it reaches a porridge-like consistency, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese and mix well until smooth.
Grind the biscuits in a food processor until completely crushed. Spread them evenly over the bottom of a dessert dish or individual serving glasses.
Pour the prepared pudding over the biscuit layer until about three-quarters of the dish is filled.
To prepare the pumpkin cream, peel and chop the pumpkin, place it in a saucepan, add the water and sugar, and cook over heat until the pumpkin becomes soft. Then blend it with an electric masher until completely smooth and pureed.
Once the pumpkin cream has cooled, pipe or spoon it over the pudding layer and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
Refrigerate the dessert for 2 to 3 hours until fully set. Before serving, mix the tahini with the chopped walnuts and pomegranate seeds and decorate the top of the dessert with this mixture. Enjoy!
Pumpkin is a type of herbaceous plant with a naturally sweet flavor and a soft, delicate texture. It is also very low in calories and rich in micronutrients that strengthen the immune system. Pumpkin contains high levels of carotenoids as well.
Tips for Buying Pumpkin:
Pay attention to the color. A greenish pumpkin indicates it is unripe and bland. A ripe, sweet pumpkin has a bright orange color.
Pumpkins are available in round and bottle-shaped varieties, but round pumpkins usually have a better flavor.
Gently press the surface of the pumpkin. If you notice any softness or bruising, avoid buying it.
Choose pumpkins with firm, smooth skin and no wrinkles.
Select pumpkins with fewer surface spots.
Sweet pumpkins feel heavy for their size.
Cornstarch looks similar to flour and is white in color, but it has a softer texture. When rubbed between two fingers, it produces a squeaking sound. Cornstarch is used in many desserts and dishes as a thickening agent. Note that wheat starch and cornstarch are different and cannot be substituted for one another. Cornstarch can be purchased in hygienic packaging from baking supply stores.
Mascarpone is a special type of creamy cheese commonly used in cheesecakes and cheese-based desserts. It is unsalted and has a texture well suited for desserts. Since mascarpone may not be available in all grocery stores, you can substitute it with regular cream cheese that is low in salt and fat. Labneh or similar light cream cheeses are also suitable alternatives due to their lower salt and fat content.
