For the pumpkin puree:

To prepare the pumpkin purée, chop and peel the fresh pumpkin or sweet potato. Place it in a pot with enough water to cover and cook over medium heat until the sweet potato pieces are soft.

Drain the sweet potato pieces and strain them through a sieve to obtain a puree.

For the Picarones:

In a small bowl, mix the milk with sugar and a little flour. Add the yeast and let it rest to activate the yeast.

Meanwhile, mix the remaining flour with the sweet potato purée and salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon. You'll get a very sticky dough.

In a large bowl cover the dough with a cloth and let it ferment for 2 hours in a warm spot, or until it doubles in size. You can let the dough at room temperature, but in a warm place, it will rise quickly.

Heat a good amount of oil.

As seen in the video, dip your hand in a bowl of ice water. The important thing is to have a cold hand, so the dough doesn't stick. Dry your hand and carefully take a small handful of dough without squeezing it. Gently insert a finger in the middle to form the dough rings and carefully place it in the hot oil. Insert the back of a wooden spoon (about the thickness of a finger) into the hole of the picarón and move it gently (as seen in the video) to prevent the hole from closing and leaving part of the dough uncooked. Turn the picarón in the oil until it's golden brown on both sides.

Drain the picarones on paper towels.

For the Chancaca Syrup:

In a small pot, combine the water, chancaca, citrus zest, and cinnamon. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until the chancaca is dissolved.

Add the dissolved cornstarch and continue cooking and stirring until it boils and turns into a thick syrup. Cook for 3 minutes.

Serve the picarones with a little hot chancaca syrup and enjoy!