New Fall Pumpkin Recipe: Tikvenik

Hi! May name is Katie R.! My husband and I are adopting from Bulgaria. I have a Bulgarian cook book I have been trying out! Since it is fall and I was in the mood for pumpkin, I recently tried my hand at Tikvenik, a Bulgarian pumpkin desert. The recipe calls for making phyllo dough by hand and getting a pie pumpkin and preparing it from scratch. Are you kidding me?! I am sure it would be delicious that way, and maybe someday I will try it! But, I went to the store and bought ready made phyllo and a can of pure pumpkin! This recipe was so delicious, I thought I would share it with you! Below is my time-saver version! But if you have time and are in the mood, feel free to make your own dough and go for it with the pumpkin!

Ingredients:

• 1 Can of Pure Pumpkin
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar 
• 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Cup Walnuts, Coarsely Chopped
• 1/2 lb Phyllo Dough (the box I bought had 2 half pound packages inside. Save 1 package for next time!)
• 1 Stick Butter, Melted
• Sifted Powdered Sugar for Garnish

Serves: 12

Step 1
Spread the walnuts out on a cookie sheet and toast them in the oven on 350 for 12- 15 minutes. Turning every 5 minutes. Don't skip this step! Toasting them brings out their flavor! Cool the walnuts. Set out your frozen phyllo to thaw while the nuts toast and cool.

Step 2
Blend the pumpkin, cinnamon, and brown sugar together. Stir in toasted, cooled walnuts.

Step 3
Unfold the Phyllo. Take 2 sheets and spread with melted butter. At the end closest to you, spread 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mix.

Fold the side edges over to seal and roll the up the pumpkin.

Don't worry if you get dough cracks a little. Just keep rolling!

Coil the roll in a spiral pattern on a greased cookie sheet to begin a spiral. Repeat Step 3, adding each roll to the spiral  until all your pumpkin mixture and phyllo are used up!

Step 4
Brush the whole Tikvenik with the remaining melted butter. Bake in preheated oven at 425 until slightly brown. Reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake about 40 more minutes until the Tikvenik is golden brown (and a delicious aroma fills your home!)

Step 5
Cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving. Enjoy!

PS. We ate the leftovers cold, straight from the refrigerator for breakfast. It was delicious that way too!