Pumpkin & Nut Pastry

Have you ever felt that there is another "you" living in another place or country? You and "You" aren't related although look identical. You two share the same thoughts, and seem to be aware of each other on some level .

For me the feeling can be creepy, so am very glad that it is only a plot for a foreign movie - la double vie de Veronique.

But in food, discovering its look-alike/ double in an entirely different country the experience is exciting though.

Louh-Pau Ban (back translation: wife's pastry) in Hongkong.

And Pastel Cabello in Barcelona.

LPB's filling has candied winter melon. Depending on how the bakers treat it, the texture can be gummy with crunchy bits. I thought very unique.

Until I tried pastel cabello. Probably there are various types, the one I had the filling was made out of pulp of pumpkin or gourd. The color appeared to be transparent and the texture was crispy also. I've definitely glimpsed a peripheral vision of candied melon!

Now I am not trying to recreate either of the pastries (candied winter melon isn't available in many stores, and I don't have a recipe for that store-bought pastel cabello), but the whole experience has just inspired me on making a pumpkin filling for a Chinese pastry crust. Is there someone else in somewhere doing the same thing?... mmm... ...

Recipe of Chinese Pastry Crust

(recipe courtesy Florence at Do What I like. I have changed a couple of things from the original recipe to suit my own taste

yield: 12 pastries

Dough A

• 100g flour
• 25g icing sugar
• 25g butter, cold, cut into cubes
• 30g water (adjusting it while forming a dough)

Dough B

• 100g flour
• 25g butter, very, very soft
• 20g corn oil (adjustable)
• 1 egg for egg wash

To form dough A - in a mixing bowl whisk to combine the flour and icing sugar. Drop in cold butter cubes, use finger or a pastry blender to further cut the cubes until the whole mixture has a texture of coarse cornmeal. Gradually mix in water and knead a few times until a soft dough is form. Divide into 12 small balls.

To form dough B- in a mixing bowl well combine the flour, very soft butter and the oil. The dough is tender and soft as well. Divide it into 12 small balls.

Roll Ball A to a flat circle, place Ball B in the center, wrap up and seal the circle, seal-side up.

Left photo - Roll the ball to a rectangle, from the short side roll it up. Up to this point the gluten in dough probably develops too tight, you may need to cover the roll-ups and rest them in fridge for 30 mins or so, therefore you will feel easier when you do the further rollings.

Right photo - Place the roll-up vertically, the seal-side faces up, roll it to a rectangle, and roll it up. Rest (cover and chill) the roll-ups for 30 mins again.

Roll a roll-up to a flat piece, you can use a mold or just create a free-form pastry, wrap into the filling. Egg wash each top. Since I wanted the pumpkin cook a bit longer, so I set my oven to 185C (Florence used 200C), bake pastries 30 minutes. Cool them off on rack.

Recipe for pumpkin and nut filling

yield: 12 small portions (a portion eqv to 1 tablespoon)

• 260g pumpkin, finely shredded
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 70g almond, blanced
• 20g unsweeten desiccated coconut
• 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 50g icing sugar

1. Mix the pumpkin with sugar, cover and stay overnigh in fridge. Place the pumpkin in a tea towel and squeeze out the liquid as much as possible.
2. Slightly toast the almond, then ground them.
3. Combine the pumpkin, almond, cocnut, poppy seeds and icing sugar. Mine the moisture is just perfect, in case of being too dry, I think it is possible to add some honey or maple syrup.
4. I chose to use a shallow mould, so the (raw) pumpkin is only spread to be a thin layer and able to cook through.