Name: Sweet Sesame Pumpkin Toast
Yield: Makes 2 toasts
Ingredients: 1 to 1½ pounds kabocha squash, seeded; Olive oil (optional); 4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter; 1 Tbsp. Five-Spice Powder or garam masala; 1 tsp. sugar or pure maple syrup; Kosher salt; ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans; 1 tsp. grated orange zest (optional); 2 (1-inch-thick) slices brioche, challah, or sourdough bread; 1 Tbsp. untoasted hulled sesame seeds, plus more if needed

A photo of sweet sesame pumpkin toast on a grey plate with a knife.

Photo by Johnny Miller

This sweet fall-inspired toast makes use of one of my favorite squashes—kabocha. The Japanese call most winter squashes kabocha, while in Hong Kong and Australia kabocha is referred to as simply “pumpkin.” In the US it’s sold as kabocha squash. It’s a taste that’s somewhere in between pumpkin and sweet potato and has a wonderfully creamy texture. Kabocha is perfect for both sweet and savory applications, like curries, soups, spreads, and pies.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Kung Food’ by Jon Kung. Buy the full book on Amazon.

What you’ll need

Maple Syrup
$27 At Amazon
White Sesame Seeds
$8 At Amazon
Parchment Paper
$22 $16 At Amazon
Bamboo Steamer
$28 $24 At Amazon

Recipe notes

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