Jerimú - Portuguese Pumpkin Nuggets

This is a traditional Portuguese dessert I grew up with. Back home we would make an array of Christmas desserts. I must admit I just make my two favorite ones here in the States, Jerimú and Rabanadas de Vinho.

My girls simply love the Jerimú and the reason I decided to name then Pumpkin Nuggets in English is that this past Christmas Eve, my toddler looked at them and said nuggets? Of course we all laughed. Then right away we all agreed that they DO indeed resemble a nugget so we told her, yes, pumpkin nuggets and that's what they will always be called here at home. This recipe is enough to fill a whole big glass bowl and I was sure to have enough till our New Year's Eve party. Little did I know that little mice (my toddler and tween along with some other friends) would go through them as candy. Well guess what I was making on Dec 30th along with everything else I was preparing for our party? You bet!

INGREDIENTS

1 29oz. can of pumpkin
1 tbsp of Port wine
8 eggs
2.5 cups sugar
1 cup of flour
1 tbsp of baking powder
lemon zest from half a lemon

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the pumpkin purée with the egg yolks
2. Add the Port wine, sugar, baking powder, flour and lemon zest
3. Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks
4. Slowly add the egg whites to the pumpkin mixture
5. Warm the deep fryer to its maximum temperature
6. With a soup spoon pour the pumpkin paste into the deep fryer spoon by spoon and making sure they do not touch each other
7. When golden all around, remove them from the deep fryer and place them in a deep glass container
8. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over them and keep on deep frying the nuggets until there is no more paste.