Winter dessert：Roasted Pumpkin with Cream

This dessert is perfect for autumn and winter, especially when batches of soft and glutinous pumpkins hit the market.

I learned this recipe in Valencia, Spain. After a hearty meal, when the dessert was served, its colors made me exclaim in awe. It had a particularly bright orange and white hue, bringing a wave of warmth. In Spain, lunch is eaten quite late, around two or three in the afternoon, and the Mediterranean sunlight at that time makes the dessert seem even more gentle and natural. Accompanied by some black tea, it's incredibly comforting.

The pumpkin isn't peeled, resembling a small bowl holding its golden flesh. Scoop a bit of cream, then a spoonful of pumpkin, and as you taste it, every strand is infused with a gentle milk aroma, utterly intoxicating. Pumpkin, being high in fiber and low in sugar, is guilt-free as a dessert ingredient, making it an advantageous choice.

Preparing this delicacy at home requires nothing more than an oven or an air fryer. Clean the pumpkin and cut it into thick wedges, like a watermelon, to ensure a satisfying bite. Before cutting, there's a trick: not only remove the stem of the pumpkin but also cut off both ends to make them flat. This way, the wedges won’t roll around and can be processed more easily.

Then, wrap these cut pumpkins in aluminum foil, a simple wrap will do, to prevent them from drying out during baking. Bake them in the oven or air fryer at around 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes. Pumpkins cook easily, so don’t overbake.

While waiting, I usually pick out a charming plate. This dessert is best served on a rustic, vintage plate, like those used for breakfast in the movie "Pride and Prejudice", adorned with simple little flowers, a white porcelain plate. In European flea markets, it's easy to find plates decorated with blue or red nautical paintings. Avoid overly delicate plates, as they don’t match the final presentation of the ingredients. The pumpkin’s presentation is rustic and natural, so a slightly clumsy plate actually harmonizes and looks adorable.

Once the pumpkin is baked, lift the foil, and a steamy, sweet aroma eagerly escapes. The exterior is caramelized, and the skin of the pumpkin wrinkled. Now, the seeds can easily be scooped out with a spoon. Place a wedge of pumpkin on the plate, and swiftly sprinkle a layer of brown sugar on the surface. The golden sugar melts beautifully. Without sugar, both the pumpkin and cream taste too mild, lacking satisfaction. Just a bit of sugar makes it delicious. I recommend sticking to brown sugar for its optimal color and flavor. White sugar is too fine and sweet, while honey's unique sweetness would overpower the pumpkin's own flavor. Brown sugar complements without dominating.

Finally, squeeze a dollop of fresh cream on the side of the plate and add a small spoon. It's ready to be served.

Is it really that simple? Yes. In Spain, baked pumpkin also represents the Mediterranean diet. Considered one of the healthiest diets, it doesn’t emphasize complex cooking techniques but focuses on using fresh, seasonal ingredients to cook simply, preserving nutrients while highlighting the flavors of the ingredients themselves. Hence, although it involves cooking, the quality of the ingredients is paramount. The real artistry of cooking is completed by nature.

Thus, eating baked pumpkin with cream is also accompanied by a profound sense of gratitude.