When Fall rolls around, it’s a pumpkin bonanza everywhere you go. Back home, fields are littered with bright pumpkins in various shapes and sizes and it’s quite a sight. I’m from a small village so whenever I’m visiting as summer slowly transitions to fall, all of the preparations for winter and final harvests are truly an experience. One prominent late summer and early fall recipe is any kind of Pita with pumpkin, like this one – Pita sa Bundevom (Pumpkin Pie translated).

When I think about pumpkins in the Balkan sense, I always think of baked pumpkin simply sprinkled with sugar. If you’ve never a “beli dulek” baked in the oven it tastes exactly like sweet potato. But a pumpkin pita is the next best thing! This recipe will change the way you prepare this traditional dish forever. Ready to get started?

I have another recipe for pumpkin pita (linked here) that’s a simple one using canned pumpkin. This recipe uses fresh grated pumpkin – yes, a little bit more labor intensive but oh so delicious and worth the effort. This recipe is similar to my Pita sa Visnjama as it also calls for a delicious vanilla custard to be poured over the top and between layers before being baked. Did I mention this will absolutely make your house smell amazing? I recently visited Mexico and picked up some amazing vanilla that I couldn’t wait to try. I added it to my custard and oh my!

Nuts go in the filling in this recipe but feel free to leave them out if you are concerned about allergies or if you don’t like them. I use walnuts or a combination of whatever I have on hand. Instead of walnuts, try adding the same amount of ground Plazma Keks/Lane biscuits!

When you get in the fall baking mood and you want something traditional, give this recipe a try for a different take on “pumpkin pie”.

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Pita sa Bundevom/Pumpkin Pie Phyllo Roll

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: DessertCuisine: Balkan

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A Balkan twist on pumpkin pie!

Ingredients

1 package phyllo dough
1 medium pumpkin (any squash/pumpkin you like – I use Golden Hallard or pie pumpkins)
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
1 cup (120 g) ground walnuts
1 tablespoon (5 g) pumpkin pie spice (or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, etc.)
Custard
1 1/4 cup (300 ml) Kefir yogurt
3 eggs
1/4 cup (60 ml) oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/3 cup (65 g) griz (cream of wheat)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C and spray a baking dish with high sides with baking spray. Set aside.
Clean, peel, and grate your fresh pumpkin into a large bowl. Add the ground nuts, sugars, and your spices of choice. Mix well to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the custard ingredients. Set aside.
Unroll your phyllo dough sheets and count them to determine how many rolls you will have. If using medium-thickness phyllo dough, use 2 sheets per roll. If your phyllo dough is especially thin, use 3.
Lay one sheet of phyllo on your flat work surface and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of custard on top. Spread to coat the entire sheet and then lay another sheet on top. Spread another 1-2 tablespoons of custard and then add 1-2 handfuls of pumpkin filling on top, spreading evenly.
Fold in both sides of the phyllo towards the center to ensure it will fit in the baking dish and then roll into a log. Transfer to the baking dish and repeat until all phyllo and filling is used up.
Pour the remaining custard over the top of the rolls and spread to coat the top and sides. Lift each roll gently to ensure the custard also coats the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing.
Right before serving sprinkle with powdered or granulated sugar.