Japanese Pumpkin, also called “kabocha”, is delicious in these turnovers….
The turnovers remind me of those delicious Mexican Pumpkin Empanadas. The flavors of cinnamon, clove, and brown sugar make these a wonderful Fall breakfast treat. I used Indo-European Puff Pastry Dough Squares, which may be purchased at many Mid-Eastern, import, or Indian stores!
Makes 8-10 medium turnovers.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium kabocha (about 3 pounds)
- 16-22 oz frozen puff pastry
- 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place whole kabocha on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast 60 minutes, or until very soft. Remove and refrigerate overnight, or until cool enough to handle.
- Thaw pastry in the refrigerator overnight, or at room temperature for 45 minutes. Cut into (8-10) 5-inch dough squares (or use pre-cut squares).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter a large baking sheet.
- Cut cooled kabocha in half and remove seeds. Scrape the kabocha pulp into a large bowl and mash until very smooth and creamy.
- Into a large bowl, measure out 2 cups of the mashed kabocha, saving any extra for another purpose. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt to the 2 cups of kabocha and blend very well.
- On each pastry square, place 3-4 tablespoons of the kabocha filling in the center. Fold into a triangular shape and crimp the edges with a fork. Poke holes in the top with a fork.
- Place filled turnovers on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the melted butter. Bake 30-35 minutes, turning the pan around midway. Turnovers should be golden brown and flaky when done. Cool on a rack.