A giant pot of calabaza en dulce (sweet squash) slowly simmered away on my Abuelitas stove. The house was bursting with sweet aroma. Delightful notes of cinnamon and piloncillo that marked the beginning of fall for us. Warm calabaza that had been enriched with just the right amount of piloncillo was served warm off the stove in a bowl bathed with milk. It was fall in a bowl and I always needed seconds.
Calabaza en dulce ( Sweet squash) is also known as calabaza en tacha. It seems like every region in Mexico and even from family to family have their own recipe. With some adding more spices and ingredients. My grandmothers recipe is simple and only uses 4 ingredients but it’s oh so delicious and the fall treat I anticipate the most. This is a traditional way to enjoy the large quantities of fresh winter squash that are in season.
Calabaza en dulce (sweet squash) is not to be confused with dulce cristalizo which is an artisan candy that is often found in Mexico. This candy is shelf stable and so much sweeter and although delicious its completely different .
This season I harvested 95 lbs. of winter squash from the garden! The majority of that weight came from the blue hubbard squash, these grew extremely well this season! This variety produces large squash that can weigh up to 30lbs! They are packed with bright orange colored meat that is sweet and buttery, perfect for this recipe. There is great diversity in squashes and pumpkins that can be used. Don’t worry if you can find this exact one. If you are not a fan of pumpkin or squash you can also substitute with sweet potatoe.
Ingredients needed:
Piloncillo: This is the sweetener in our recipe and makes ALL the difference in the delicious result. Mostly found in Hispanic markets piloncillo comes in single wrapped cones or smaller packaged ones. It’s a solid mass that can melted down to a liquid. This sweeter is best measured by weight because of its different shape. But what exactly is piloncillo? Piloncillo is an unrefined sweetener that is made from sugar cane it’s boiled down to a syrup it is then added to molds and left to harden. The result is a complex sweetener with notes of caramel and rich brown sugar. Using piloncillo in this recipe will leave behind a calabaza dulce that is coated in a sweet rich and complex syrup.
Squash (Calabaza) : Squash really get’s a chance to shine in this dish! Picking a variety that is sweet and meaty and has firm texture best suits this recipe. So what variety should you choose? Here’s a list of a few options that can be used kabocha, blue hubbard, burgess buttercup, sweet meat, calabaza de castilla (fairytale pumpkin). This is not an extensive list but feel free to use your preferred variety that is used to make pumpkin baked goods. Another thing to note is that the squash is cooked with the peel on that helps to keep its shape. Although most squash peels are edible depending on variety they may not be the tastiest. (enjoy the squash and leave the peel behind) Since we are cooking peel on try to find a fruit that is blemish free for the most part.
Cinnamon sticks: To enrich our sweet squash cinnamon bark is a must! Not only does this make the house amazing. We use cinnamon sticks instead of ground cinnamon for a more intense flavor. The cinnamon stick will slowly simmer in water extracting all the delightful and rich flavors and aroma.
Water: You may notice that the liquid in this recipe is not much, that is because the squash will also release a bit of liquid during the cooking process so not much is needed.
Milk: There is just no way that Calabaza en dulce (sweet squash) can be enjoyed without a bowl of milk! (Well that is if you enjoy milk) The syrup and milk mixes and the result is almost like a pumpkin cream creamer! Serve warm squash in a bowl and fill bowl with a 1/3 of milk or if you’re like me and the milk ratio always needs to be more add a little extra.
Calabaza en dulce (Sweet squash)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Blue hubbard squash or sweet pumpkin of your choice
- 400 grams Piloncillo
- 2 cups water
- 1 stick Cinnamon
- Milk to your preference
Instructions
- Start by prepping your squash. Remove seeds and cut into desired serving size pieces, leave peel on. ( For pieces they don't have to be exact but I do 3-4 in chuncks )
- Add water and cinnamon stick to a pot.
- Arrange squash pieces on their side around the pot. Its okay to stack pieces on one another.
- Add in piloncillo pieces
- Cook covered on medium-low heat for about an hour or until squash is soft and a thick syrup has developed.
- Serve warm bathed in milk and enjoy!!
It brings me so much joy to share the recipe with you guys because it is one that I treasure so much and will always remind me of a wonderful time in my life. My abuelito would grow an array of squash all season long in our childhood farm to enjoy. He would grow it and abuelita would prepare it. I’m sure there was other ways she used it but this calabaza is one of my absolute favorites and I continue making it to this day! As the holidays approaches I hope that this recipe finds its way to your kitchen.
Happy cooking! – Tahiri
