Winter pumpkin recipes

As the season changes and leaves begin to fall, it's time to turn our attention to the humble yet versatile pumpkin. Below we have picked our favourite winter squash recipes from some of our hotels. 

If you enjoyed creating these recipes at home, share with us on Instagram, tagging @redcarnationhotels.

Pumpkin pancakes

A quick and simple recipe for a winter breakfast!

Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: Four people

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups of buttermilk pancake mix
• 2 cup of milk
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree
• 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• Butter and maple syrup for serving

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients
2. Heat up a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Using a ¼ cup scoop, pour batter on to the skillet.
3. Once you start to see little bubbles form, flip and continue to cook until golden brown on each side.
4. Continue until you have used all pancake batter.

These pumpkin pancakes are light and fluffy and are perfect to be served with maple syrup.

Chickpea, pumpkin and cashew korma curry

This recipe is from Executive Head Chef Ben Kelliher at The Rubens at the Palace.

High in fibre and low in sodium, containing no milk, this curry is suitable for Vegans and Vegetarians.  

Cooking time: 30 minutes 
Serves: Four people

Ingredients 

• ¼ cup of korma paste         
• 200ml light coconut milk 
• 4 cups of diced pumpkin
• 2 cups beans, thawed 
• 200g button mushrooms, trimmed, halved 
• 1 cup reduced-salt vegetable stock 
• 40g no-added-salt chickpeas, rinsed and drained
•  225g cauliflower pearls
• 250g brown rice 
•  2 cups baby spinach 
• ¼ cupped, chopped, unsalted, roasted cashews
• Handful of fresh coriander, to garnish 

Method:

1. In a large, deep, lidded, non-stick frying pan, place korma paste and set over a medium heat. Add coconut milk and stir until mixture simmers. Add pumpkin, cover pan with lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. 
2. Add beans, mushrooms and stock to the pan. Stir, cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes, Add chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Meanwhile, blanch the cauliflower and set aside in a dish. Cook brown rice. Add heated rice to cauliflower and combine. Cover. 
4. Add spinach leaves to curry and cook, until wilted. Garnish with cashews and coriander.
5. Serve with cauliflower and brown rice. 

For a special effect, carve the pumpkin from the skin and cook the skin for 10 minutes in the oven. You can serve the curry the hollowed-out pumpkin. 

Spiced pumpkin mousse

This recipe is from Steven Titman, Executive Head Chef at Summer Lodge Country House Hotel and Restaurant.

The perfect dessert to impress your friends and family members with.

Serves: Six people

Ingredients 

For the Italian meringue:

• 90g sugar
• 25g water
• 62g egg white
• 1g cream of tartar

For the pumpkin centre:

• 100g pumpkin puree
• 25g egg yolk
• 30g sugar
• 1.5 gelatine sheets
• 50g whipped cream

For the mousse base:

• 6 leaves gelatine
• 170g double cream
• 85g milk
• Vanilla
• 0.5g salt
• 0.5tsp cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
• 30g egg yolk
• 14g sugar

Method:

1. Bring the puree to a boil and combine with the yolks and sugar. Cook gently until thickens slightly. Fold in the whipped cream and finally the soaked gelatine.
2. Set into small balls to be the centre of the mousse.
3. Soak the gelatine in cold water and lightly whip the cream to soft peaks. 
4. Make a custard from the milk, vanilla, salt, spices and sugar.
5. Allow the custard to cool then mix in the gelatine, then the meringue and finally the whipped cream.
6. Half fill the moulds with mousse and then add the pumpkin centres. Fill the remaining mousse to the moulds and leave to set.
7. Remove from the moulds and either spray or dip into coloured white chocolate to resemble a pumpkin

To assemble the dessert garnish the pumpkins with candied pecans, sweet pumpkin puree and maple flavoured ice cream.