Halloween holiday is just past, the holiday which, according to tradition should dispel the fear of darkness and the unknown, and, according to tradition is a celebration of children, and of the “Trick or Treat”. The big pumpkins are emptied, toothless smile at us during the day and light up at night on the eve of All Saints. I thought of their flesh so sweet, colorful and soft, suitable for preparing soups, dumplings, pies and cakes … .. I thought to combinations of pumpkin with other flavors and textures
I thought for quite some time with a sweet pumpkin … .. indeed a trick. For a sweet small, very small, small and light, that could surprise at the end of the meal, I thought of a sweet finish in one, maybe two teaspoons … .. to a “shot” creamy pumpkin.
So I locked myself in the kitchen with the pumpkin, cut into cubes and I thought of a sweet and soft autumn fruit combined with… .. I found it: the pear! I started to cook with a little sugar … .. thinking about how to improve a cream that was forming and already good … .. it took a little ‘chocolate … .. and make shorts with cubes of pear pulp and chopped hazelnuts.
Ingredients for about 12 shorts: 250 grams of pumpkin pulp, 1 or 2 pears (about 300 grams of pulp), 50 grams of cane sugar, 40 grams of dark chocolate (in flakes or drops), about 50 ml of water, 2 tablespoons rum (optional) , 2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts (about 20 nuts)
Cut into small dice the flesh of the pumpkin and pears: Place the pumpkin pulp and 150 grams of chopped pear in a saucepan along with the sugar. Allow to stand for about two hours, stirring occasionally.
After this time start to cook on low heat, adding about half a cup of water (50-70 milliliters) for about 20 minutes .
Add the flakes or drops of chocolate and stir for a few minutes so it melts.
Allow the cream to cool at room temperature and add two tablespoons of rum (optional add according to taste).
By using a knife prepare the coarsely. chopped nuts.
Place the pumpkin cream in a pastry bag with a mouth big enough.
Use liqueur glasses to dial the trick: put a layer of diced pear, a layer of creamy pumpkin and pears and sprinkle with chopped nuts.
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