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Cathy Katin-Grazzini

Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC

www.cathyskitchenprescription.com

 

Kabocha Crescents

 

I had some nice dense puréed kabocha squash left over from another dish, so I fashioned these simple little tidbits. If you have cooked squash – or even sweet potatoes – on hand, these little sweet morsels whip up in no time at all. As my Dad always said, “So it shouldn’t go to waste!”  Enjoy lightly sweet and nutritious kabocha crescents as a snack or dessert. Serve with your favorite hot drink.

 

Prep time 15 minutes (plus 1 hour if you need to bake the squash)

Bake time 15 minutes

Makes 16

 

1 cup date paste from 1½ cups pitted dates, dried apricots, or figs

½ cup dense pulp of kabocha, or other sweet winter squash or sweet potato, baked, peeled and purée

½ cup white whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon sodium-free baking powder

¼ teaspoon vanilla bean seeds

Freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/8 teaspoon

 

  1. To make the fruit paste filling, place the pitted, destemmed dried fruit in a glass bowl, cover with water, and microwave for 2 minutes. Allow it to cool. Using a high-speed blender, purée the softened fruit with only as much soaking water as needed to create a dense paste. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until use. The paste will thicken slightly as it cools.
  2. If you don’t have cooked kabocha on hand, preheat oven to 400°F.
  3. Bake the kabocha whole for about an hour but check after 50 minutes. When a knife penetrates easily and the squash begins to darken and collapse, it is ready. When it is cool enough to be handled, use a peeler to remove the skin. Remove the seeds. Transfer the pulp to a food processor and run about 30 seconds to purée.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix the white whole wheat flour, baking powder, and vanilla bean seeds.  
  5. Using a nutmeg rasp or grater, grate nutmeg into the bowl.
  6. Add ½ cup of the puréed squash, and mix. Use your hand to knead the dough lightly for a minute.
  7. Form the dough into a ball. It will be about the size of a tennis ball. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  9. Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a ball.
  10. Line a cutting board with wax paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the first dough ball into 1/8-inch-thick circle, between 5 or 6 inches in diameter.
  11. Use a pizza wheel or a blunt knife to cut the circle, pizza-style, into 8 equal triangles.
  12. Use a dough scraper or icing spatula to move a triangle to another part of the cutting board. Smear a thick layer of fruit paste over its surface.
  13. Starting at the wide end, roll up the pastry and lightly press the point of the dough triangle down to seal it. Transfer the crescent to the parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced at least one inch apart.
  14. Repeat steps 12 and 13 until all 8 roll ups are made. Repeat steps 10 through 14 to make the remaining 8 crescents with the second ball of dough.
  15. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the pastries have puffed slightly and lightly browned on their edges and are fragrant.
  16. Cool slightly on a rack.

Kabocha Crescents

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    Cathy Katin-Grazzini

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