I’ve been pretty excited about everything on the list for the next few weeks and tonight’s dessert is no exception: Mombasa Pumpkin Pudding. Mombasa originates on the eastern coast of Kenya and is typically eaten during Kwanza or around New Years.
To be honest, I’m not really sure what prompted me to make this. It’s not fall. It’s not pumpkin season. It’s definitely not Christmas. And it’s pretty cold and dreary out, so one would think that something warm and sticky a la Cape Brandy Pudding would be more in the cards. But, the stomach wants what it wants, and whatever the reason for my inclination, I’m glad I trusted my gut on this one. This Mombasas pumpkin dessert was sweet and creamy, with spices not typicalyl associated with pumpkin.
Despite having none of the traditional Thanksgiving flavors of nutmeg, mace and cinnamon, Tomato and I couldn’t help but think it tasted a bit like a dish that would grace either of our holiday tables. After further consideration and more than a few spoonfuls later, we decided our initial impressions were mistaken and soon we couldn’t help but taste the sweet, coco-nutty background to the pumpkin. Tasty tasty!
I tweaked the original recipe a bit because frankly, I’m lazy. I used canned rather than a whole pumpkin (which also made this go a LOT faster) and used a combination of honey and sugar to sweeten the pot. Finally, I whipped in some cream to make it a bit more mousse-like and dilute the sweetness. Also, I love whipped cream. LOVE.
Mombasa Pumpkin Pudding
Mombasa pumpkin pudding swaps out traditional fall recipes for coconut and cardamom making it a new way to use everyone's favorite gourd.
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 1 cup lite coconut milk
- ½-1 tsp ground cardamom, to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream, whipped
Directions
- Step 1 Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat and boil until thick like custard, approximately 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Step 2 Whip up the heavy cream until you have relatively thick peaks. Fold into the pudding carefully as to not deflate the cream too much.
