Petite kabocha cookies are a sweet little treat full of fall goodness. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these pumpkin flavored treats are a fun and festive way to enjoy the pumpkin season! (As if we needed an excuse to eat pumpkin!)
It’s hard to believe Halloween is just around the corner! In Japan they celebrate Halloween too, but not nearly to the extent that we do. Halloween has only been recognized in Japan for the last few decades, so it doesn’t have as many customs and traditions associated with it. There’s not really trick or treating or crazy scare fests, but, they do have a lot of Halloween merchandise! But the most important thing they have is Halloween themed food, and a lot of that food involves pumpkin. In Japan, though, their pumpkin is a little different than ours:
That’s right, that’s a pumpkin. A Japanese pumpkin. If you’re reading a Japanese recipe and it calls for pumpkin, 9 times out of 10 it’s talking about this little guy. It’s called a kabocha pumpkin, or kabocha squash, and although it’s not orange, it tastes very similar to the orange pumpkins we cook with, soft and sweet and just a little nutty. The main difference is the skin, kabocha is a bit easier to peel. The seeds are also a little dryer than our pumpkins, but they still make some really great roasted seeds!
Kabocha are pretty common near me, so you should be able to find them in a regular grocery, but if not, a regular orange pumpkin will do. Just be sure to get a smaller “pie pumpkin”, since the large ones are very mealy and should be saved for jack o lanterns!
This recipe only uses about a fourth of a whole kabocha, so you might have a some pumpkin left over. If you do, either make a whole lot of cookies or try experimenting with kabocha in your favorite dishes. While we usually save pumpkin just for dessert, it’s really great in savory dishes too! Try simmering it in broth to get a new side dish to enjoy!
Recipe – Cute Kabocha Cookies:
– Prepare your pumpkin by cutting it in half with a sharp, heavy knife. The skin can be a little tough, so be careful cutting! Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and pulp, then cut each half into a few large chunks.
– Place a few pieces of pumpkin in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Continue microwaving all the pieces until they’ve all been cooked.
– Let the pumpkin cook slightly, then use a knife to peel away the skin. When cooked the skin comes away easily, so it shouldn’t take much effort to remove it!
– Mix all the ingredients in a food processor until blended. If you don’t have a food processor you can mix it by hand, but the blender helps get a really smooth texture!
– Scoop out the dough on a lightly floured surface, then sprinkle with flour and shape into a ball. The dough should be really soft, so avoid adding too much flour! Too much flour will make it tough, and we want cake like cookies!
– Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into small balls. Chill in the refrigerator for a few minutes to let them firm up.
– Once the cookies have firmed up a little, use a knife to cut little indentations alone the sides of the ball. You don’t need to cut too deep, just a little knotch will create a pumpkin appearance.
– Arrange the cookies about 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Insert a pumpkin seed into the top of each pumpkin, then bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (Depending on how much moisture was in your pumpkin, you may need to cook it a little longer!)
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