Pumpkin Fritters with Caramel Sauce

These are traditional pumpkin fritters. In South Africa the caramel sauce has been very popular for many years and in that sense I suppose, it can be seen as almost-traditional. As in all great stories, of which a recipe is one, there is a but … this caramel sauce is an approved version of the original and fabulously, more-ish!

500ml pumpkin, cooked and drained
500ml flour
90ml sugar
10ml baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 eggs

Cook the pumpkin by roasting it in your oven at 180℃ until soft. Scoop out the flesh and drain in a sieve over a bowl, to get rid of excess water.
Add 500ml of the pumpkin to a mixing bowl.
Now add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and eggs and mix everything together with a spatula.
Heat about 5cm oil in a heavy based saucepan.
Scoop up some batter with a teaspoon and fry in the preheated oil until golden. This should take about 3 minutes.
Drain the fritters on kitchen paper and keep them warm in a low oven.

Caramel Sauce:

250ml cream
125ml brown sugar
60ml butter, cubed
60ml golden syrup|
5ml vanilla

Add the cream and brown sugar to a small saucepan.
Turn the heat on to low and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the butter and syrup and turn the heat up to a gentle simmer.
Allow the sauce to bubble for 5 minutes while stirring.
Take the saucepan off the heat, stir in the vanilla and pour the sauce over the warm pumpkin fritters.

Serve some of the caramel sauce on the side.