Date Pumpkin Butter - Naturally SweetenedVeganVegetarian Recipe

Pumpkin butter is easy to make at home. My version for todays recipe is lightly
spiced and naturally sweetened with dates, no added sugar. I am using a fresh sugar pumpkin variety. You may use other varieties but the sugar
pumpkin or pie pumpkin has a smoother texture that makes it particularly great for butters,
pies and other baked goodies.

If you are starting off with a whole pumpkin,
cut it in half first. Using the tip of a thin flexible knife, insert
it through the skin and move it across all around. You may also use canned pumpkin puree instead
of fresh pumpkin in this recipe if you wish. Make sure to use plain pumpkin puree and not
pie filling.

Just substitute the fresh pumpkin and proceed
as per the recipe. Once cut, remove the seeds using a spoon or
ice cream scoop. Save the seeds. They can be roasted and eaten as a snack.

Cut a few slices off one half of the pumpkin. Then remove the fibrous centres. Peel each slice. I find it relatively easy to place the slice
on the board so the skin side is perpendicular to it.

Then run the knife under the skin starting
from the top towards the board. Rotate the pumpkin slice as you follow the
curve with the knife. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Then measure out about 2 cups or about 360g.

Pit and chop the dates into small pieces. The dates that I am using are the perny variety. Medjool dates are also good. You may need less if you are using medjool
dates as they are larger and sweeter.

Place the tamarind paste in a little warm
water to soak. Once soften, mash it between your fingers
to remove the seeds. We have another video on the channel where
we have showed how to do this. Check the link in the description if you want
to watch it.

Peel the pear. Cut it into quarters and remove the seeds. Then cut into small pieces. Add the pumpkin, pear and dates to a saucepan.

Then add in the diluted and deseeded tamarind
paste. The distinctive sweet sourness of tamarind
adds an interesting complexity to the soothing spicy flavours of this butter. If you dont have tamarind however, you
may substitute it with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Next add in all the spices  the cinnamon,
nutmeg, ginger powder, allspice  and a pinch of salt.

I find that sweet treats tend to accentuate
any added spice. So, I am keeping this butter rather subtle
on the spices but you may adjust them to your taste. Add about one cup of water. Stir and mix everything well together.

Cover and simmer on a low medium heat for
about 20 minutes. Occasionally check on it and stir or add a
little water as required so that the mixture does not stick to the pan. Once the pumpkins are soft, blend the mixture
using a hand blender directly into the pan. You may alternatively transfer everything
to a blender and process until smooth.

Then return the puree into the pan and continue
cooking for another 5-10 minutes. The reason why I choose to blend this mixture
after it has cooked rather than before is because it will tend to splatter a lot if
blended before cooking. It is up to you how much you want to reduce
the mixture. The more time you allow it on the stove, the
more the flavours will deepen.

It will also become darker in colour and thicker
in consistency. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a jar or container and store in
the fridge for 2-3 weeks. On a side note, I made the cute crochet pumpkin
that youve seen attached on a ribbon to the jar.

This makes a nice jar decoration if you want
to give this butter away as a gift to someone. We are going to be doing a giveaway for these
crochet pumpkins jar decorations soon. I might be making them into mug cozies too. I will be announcing the giveaway on Instagram
where it will be hosted sometime next week.

There will be more than one winner. So make sure to follow us there to find out
about the rules and how to enter. This is just a thank you gift from us to you. This butter is great smeared on toasts, crackers,
pancakes, added to porridge or incorporated in other sweet treats.

Or you can give it away as a gift in a nicely
decorated jar. We have some upcoming recipes where weve
made use of this butter. So stay tuned for these pumpkin butter roll
cookies. If youve enjoyed this video, please give
it a thumbs up and share it.

Leave us your comments as we love reading
them. If you give this recipe a try, dont forget
to send us a snapshot and tag us on social media. As usual the full printable recipe can be
found on our website. Check the description for the link.

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the giveaway.

We have more pumpkin and squash recipes on
the channel. So keep watching by clicking on the thumbnails. See you soon..