This is a ridiculously easy dessert if you have canned pumpkin on hand. And it is still very easy if you have to roast the pumpkin yourself. (Do it the day before to save your sanity.) My Hong Kong grocery store gets one delivery of canned pumpkin a year, always the week before American Thanksgiving. I squealed in the shop when I saw it last weekend! This year I have been wise and stocked up with seven big cans to take me through until next year's shipment. Prepare yourselves, readers, for pumpkin recipes to make anyone cry for non-root vegetables.
The recipe for this panna cotta is from a beautiful blog called Pastry Affair. I didn't adapt it at all, so please head over there to follow the recipe for yourself.
Since I actually made this for Canadian Thanksgiving dessert a month ago, I had to do without canned pumpkin and cook my own. If you find yourself in this situation, here's what to do. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. (You can clean the strings off and then roast them for snacking.) Cut into wedges if it's a really big pumpkin. Place the pieces on a baking tray, skin side down. Roast in a hot oven (400 F/205 C). Check after 45 minutes to see if the flesh is soft enough; use a fork or a knife. Allow to cool and then remove the skin and puree the flesh in a blender.
Do you squeal (or more dignified equivalent) over any ingredients?
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