For the pumpkin jam
500 g of pumpkin
250 g of granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
0.5 dl of water
For the parcels
4 sheets of Filo pastry
4 x ½ inch slice of Goat’s cheese
4 tbsp of pumpkin jam
4 tsp of broken up hazelnuts
1 knob of butter
Sea salt and Black pepper
Make your pumpkin jam by placing the cleaned and chopped pumpkin in a heavy bottom pan. Add the sugar, the water and the cinnamon stick.
Place on a low heat and cook until the pumpkin is completely soft and with a shinny jam texture, this may take up to 45 minutes depending how much water your pumpkin releases. Don't forget to stir occasionally using a wooden spoon as metal interferes with pumpkin.
This recipe yields more than the specify amount for the parcels so just save the remaining jam on sterilized jars and use as any other jam.
Preheat your oven at 180°C.
Brake up your hazelnuts into chunks and roast them in the oven for about 5 minutes or until they start to golden.
On a clean work surface place 1 sheet of filo pastry, butter it lightly and fold in half. This will ensure that the layers cook together and become crisp and flaky.
Place 1 slice of goat cheese in the middle, place 1 tbsp of pumpkin jam on top of the cheese and finely 1 tsp of hazelnuts. Season with some salt and a good pinch of pepper.
Pull all the corners of the filo together and wrap the top with cooking string forming a bag type of parcel.
Repeat for the remaining 3 parcels.
Lightly butter an oven tray and place the parcels on it. Bake for 10 minutes or until the filo is light golden.
Serve hot as a starter.
Bom apetite...