Autumn in Moldova smells of pumpkin. It grows in every vegetable patch, is cut into chunks, boiled, baked and, of course, put into plăcinte. Pumpkin plăcintă is the sweet sister of the cheese one: the same thin crust, but inside a sweet orange filling that melts in the mouth. It is baked for autumn celebrations, for christenings and simply for tea.

What makes the filling good

A good pumpkin filling rests on three things: sweet pumpkin, the right amount of sugar and walnuts. Choose a sweet pumpkin with dense orange flesh, not a watery fodder one. If the pumpkin is juicy, squeeze it after it has stood with the sugar: the juice can be poured away, it would soften the dough.

There should be enough sugar for the filling to be sweet but not sticky. Vanilla sugar adds aroma, while the raisins give tartness and contrast. Walnuts are chopped coarsely so that they crunch.

Pumpkin is best grated on the coarse side: a fine grater gives a paste, while strands keep the filling airy. Here is what is in the catalogues now:

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The dough for pumpkin plăcintă

The dough is simple, as for other plăcinte: flour, water, oil and salt. It is soft, elastic and stretches well. After kneading let it rest at least forty minutes: in that time the gluten relaxes and the dough can be rolled almost transparent. The thinner the dough, the more tender the plăcintă.

Before you put the filling on, brush the sheet with oil: that way the layers do not stick together and airy gaps remain between them.

If you have no experience, start with a layer and a half of dough: thicker but safer. You can compare flour prices on our page about flour.

How to roll the coil

Put the pumpkin filling in a strip along the long edge of the sheet and roll it tightly. Lay the roll carefully in a round tin in a spiral, starting from the centre. You get a snail. Tuck the ends underneath so that they do not come undone.

Brush the top with oil or with a mixture of oil and water: the crust will be glossy. If you worry about it burning, cover it with foil for the first twenty minutes.

How to choose and peel a pumpkin

Choose a pumpkin that feels heavy for its size, with a dry, hard stalk and no soft patches. It is good if the skin is matt and free of cracks. A whole pumpkin keeps at home for months in a cool place, and a cut one should be wrapped in film and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

A hard pumpkin is difficult to cut. Put it for three minutes in the microwave or ten minutes in a warm oven: the skin softens. Cut it into wedges, remove the seeds and slice off the skin with a knife, from the bottom upwards.

Baking and serving

In the oven at 190 degrees the plăcintă bakes about forty minutes. You can tell by the colour: the crust is golden and the edges crunch. Brush the hot plăcintă with butter and cover with a towel for fifteen minutes: the crust softens and the filling settles.

Pumpkin plăcintă is served warm, cut into portions, with tea, milk or compote. Many love it with a spoon of sour cream. For a festive table, dust it with icing sugar.

Storage and mistakes

The plăcintă keeps two days at room temperature under a towel. In the fridge the crust goes soft.

Common mistakes: a filling that is too wet (the dough soaks through and tears), thick dough (it turns tough), too little oil between layers (the layers stick). Squeeze the pumpkin, roll thinner and do not skimp on the oil.