Pumpkin Dreams "Sonhos de Abobora"

Recipe by Paula.

I made these for my family's Christmas Eve celebration this year and everyone loved them. My Mother insists that we make these every year from now on. You can't argue with Mom. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Serves: 8

Ingredients:
1 cup water
80 grams of pumpkin puree
4 strips of orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
80 grams unsalted butter
1/4 cup Brandy
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt
180 grams all purpose flour
5 large eggs

Walnut Cinnamon Sugar:
1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Start heating your vegetable oil to 350-360°F

2. Heat the water, pumpkin, orange peel, cinnamon stick, butter, brandy, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until just below the boiling point, when small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Keep an eye on it, don't let it boil. Remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick.

3. Add the flour and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft ball and leaves the sides of the pan clean. Reduce the temperature to low and continue stirring for 2 minutes. Don't walk away from the pan, stir constantly.

4. Take the dough and place it into a mixing bowl. Let it cool for one minute. This will let some of the moisture evaporate before you add the eggs. While the mixer is running at medium speed, add the eggs one at at time. Beat well after each egg addition, incorporating as much air as possible.

5. Fill a piping bag with the dough (you don't need a piping tip, just cut a 1/2 inch opening at the base). When your oil is ready, hold the piping bag over the oil and squeeze out a small amount (about a teaspoon) of the dough and use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the dough into the oil. Be careful not to hold the piping bag to far above the oil or it will splash and burn you. Fry in batches until the dough is golden. They will puff up in the oil so don't crowd the pan.

6. Combine the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. When the sonhos are golden remove them from the oil and immediately roll them in the sugar mixture. Serve them warm or at room temperature.