I made these on my own tonight, for the very first time. Growing up I used to beg my mother to make them. She always hesitated a bit, being that they are fried, they were considered a treat. I couldn't get enough...and truth be told, I still can't.
These are super easy to make. The hardest part may actually be getting the calabaza itself. Which, although I call "pumpkin" (today I realized "calabaza" seems to be used interchangeably to mean both squash and pumpkin in Spanish), most people know it as either calabaza squash, as it was labeled at the market or west indian squash.
To me, the many aliases just say that just about everyone that tastes this squash wants to have a dear, pet name for it, because it is just that tasty.
These fritters aren't traditionally served as a desert, but just top with some powdered sugar, or just a dab of whipped cream and they are as decadent as any traditional sweet treat.
My favorite way to eat these before a meal, or accompanying a savory dish where the contrast can really accentuate their sweetness.
Very few ingredients are needed:
2 cups pureed Calabaza
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Milk
3 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
You'll most likely find this at the market fresh, in which case you will need to wash and remove all seeds. This can easily be done with a spoon. Don't worry about peeling the calabaza, the skin is much easier to remove once this has been boiled (and also makes for a tasty treat- just add a little butter and some cinnamon-sugar mixture). Cut the calabaza into medium chunks and place in boiling water. Boil until very soft.
Using a hand mixer puree the calabaza until relatively smooth- there should be no large lumps, but it is very fibrous in texture, so it will not be completely smooth. Mix in flour, milk, sugar, cinnamon.
Using a pan, heat vegetable oil at medium fire. Pour enough oil so that it is about an inch away from the bottom of the pan. Use a spoon to dollop mixture onto the pan. Each fritter should be just about covered by the hot oil. Keep at medium heat. Turn after about a minute on each side or until golden brown. Makes about 10 fritters.
These are super easy to make. The hardest part may actually be getting the calabaza itself. Which, although I call "pumpkin" (today I realized "calabaza" seems to be used interchangeably to mean both squash and pumpkin in Spanish), most people know it as either calabaza squash, as it was labeled at the market or west indian squash.
To me, the many aliases just say that just about everyone that tastes this squash wants to have a dear, pet name for it, because it is just that tasty.
These fritters aren't traditionally served as a desert, but just top with some powdered sugar, or just a dab of whipped cream and they are as decadent as any traditional sweet treat.
My favorite way to eat these before a meal, or accompanying a savory dish where the contrast can really accentuate their sweetness.
Very few ingredients are needed:
2 cups pureed Calabaza
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Milk
3 tablespoons Sugar
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
Vegetable Oil (for frying)
You'll most likely find this at the market fresh, in which case you will need to wash and remove all seeds. This can easily be done with a spoon. Don't worry about peeling the calabaza, the skin is much easier to remove once this has been boiled (and also makes for a tasty treat- just add a little butter and some cinnamon-sugar mixture). Cut the calabaza into medium chunks and place in boiling water. Boil until very soft.
Using a hand mixer puree the calabaza until relatively smooth- there should be no large lumps, but it is very fibrous in texture, so it will not be completely smooth. Mix in flour, milk, sugar, cinnamon.
Using a pan, heat vegetable oil at medium fire. Pour enough oil so that it is about an inch away from the bottom of the pan. Use a spoon to dollop mixture onto the pan. Each fritter should be just about covered by the hot oil. Keep at medium heat. Turn after about a minute on each side or until golden brown. Makes about 10 fritters.
Sounds delicious!!!
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