Candied Pumpkin (Calabaza en Piloncillo) *Don't throw away your fall pumpkins!*

In Mexico, candied pumpkins are often used in perfect time to enjoy the fall harvest.

There are many regional Mexican recipes for pumpkin, but this is the one that my mom always made for us growing up. Wonderful memories of autumn were made with this dish! It is sweetened with Piloncillo.

Piloncillo

This unrefined brown sugar is known worldwide as panela, but its Mexican version, piloncillo (pee-lon-SEE-yoh), is very tasty. Piloncillo gets its name from its cone shape and comes in light or dark brown. The taste of piloncillo is richer, and its consistency is harder, than the brown sugar. Piloncillo is made from pure sugar cane juice from cane that has been hand cut, crushed mechanically and then heated to reduce its water content. The resulting thick syrup is poured into cone-shaped molds to dry. Purists appreciate its unadulterated aspects: it's molasses-free, chemical-free.

Piloncillo can be purchased online at Mexgrocer.com

Ingredients:
1 medium pumpkin, about 5 pounds
8 cups water
1 1/2 pounds piloncillo broken into small pieces, just under 4 cups *(see Tips below)

Instructions:
Rinse pumpkin with water and dry well. Cut stem off of the pumpkin.

Pierce the shell-like outer rind of the pumpkin in several places to enable the syrup to penetrate the flesh and cut into pieces about 3 inches square, leaving the fibrous flesh and seeds inside.

In a wide, heavy saucepan put enough water to completely cover the pumpkin. Add the brown sugar and water and bring it to a boil. Add the pieces of pumpkin and cook over fairly high heat, moving the pieces around from time to time to avoid sticking. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes, then remove the lid and continue cooking until the syrup has reduced and the flesh of the pumpkin is a rich brown. Serve warm with syrup and a glass or in a bowl with milk.

Tips:
1. If you don't have piloncillo, substitute 1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup molasses.
2. You may leave the skin on the pumpkin.

Makes about 30 pieces.