Halloween for foodies

With the kids carving pumpkins and your cupboards fully stocked with chocolate and sweets, it can only mean one thing… it’s almost Halloween! If you are getting involved with the Halloween spirit and plan to decorate some pumpkins during this time, take a look at our pumpkin inspired recipes below for the best ways to use any leftovers! 

Bake Pumpkin Fondue 

A unique approach to indulgent dining; use your pumpkin to hold your fondue and wow your party guests. 

• Carve and remove the seeds and membranes of the pumpkin, before putting the lid back on and baking in a pre-heated oven at 180c (160c with a fan oven). 
• Grate 100g each of 3 of your favourite solid cheeses and mix them with 1 tbsp cornflour to coat the cheeses. 
• Take the pumpkin out of the oven, and remove the lid. 
• Mix together the cheeses, 100g sour cream, 2 tbsp white wine, 1 red onion and 1 garlic clove and evenly pour the mixture into the pumpkin. 
• Return the pumpkin to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the fondue begins to gently bubble. 

Spicers Little Helpers Top Tip: Serve the pumpkin fondue with sourdough bread slices or breadsticks. 

Pumpkin Hummus

Another party classic; pumpkin hummus will go down a treat served with pitta and sliced cucumber and carrot sticks. When carving your pumpkin, save some pumpkin and its seeds for this one. 

• Blend 12oz of pumpkin to form a puree. 
• Mix the puree with 2 garlic cloves, 15oz of drained chickpeas, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 2 tbsp of Tahini. 
• Add 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp Cumin, and a handful of pumpkin seeds. Blend this mixture until it’s a creamy consistency. 
• Drizzle the hummus with 1 tbsp of Olive oil, sprinkle with ½ tsp of Paprika powder. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Create your own luxurious coffee from the comfort of your own home. 

To make 2 Lattes: 

• In a small saucepan cook 2 tbsp of pumpkin, ½ tsp of pumpkin pie spice and ground pepper until cooked. 
• Stir in 2 tbsp of sugar to form a syrup consistency. 
• Whisk in 470ml of milk and 2 tbsp of vanilla extract, and warm – be sure not to let it boil over! 
• Blend this mixture in a standard blender until frothy. 
• Prepare coffee mugs with 1-2 shots of espresso based on the preferred coffee strength. 
• Evenly add the frothed milk to the coffee mugs. 
• Top the coffees with whipped cream; and add more pumpkin pie spice to finish. 

Pumpkin Chips

A delicious alternative to standard potato chips and even set to rival the ever-popular sweet potato fries!

• Peel one large pumpkin and de-seed it.
• Cut the pumpkin into thin chip shaped sticks. 
• Bake the chips on a baking tray in a pre-heated 170c oven for 20 minutes before removing from the oven to season with salt and 50ml of Olive oil in a mixing bowl. 
• Evenly spread out the chips on a baking tray again for an additional 15-20 minutes until crispy. 

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

Fancy something sweet instead? This one is for you!

• Pre-heat your oven to 180C and grease a square or rectangle shaped baking pan with rapeseed oil.
• In a large mixing bowl mix together 85g of whole wheat pastry flour, 30g of cocoa powder, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp of baking powder, ½ tsp of baking soda and ¼ tsp of salt.  
• Separately, whisk 60ml of rapeseed oil, 340g of sugar, 2 eggs, 15oz pumpkin puree and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. 
• Mix together the flour mixture and the pumpkin mixture until well combined before spooning the mix into the baking pan.
• Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes; and test it is fully cooked by inserting a toothpick and checking it comes out clean. 

We hope you enjoy making these recipes, we’d love to see your creations! Tweet us your photos @SpicersOfHythe.

Image by Natali Zakharova / Shutterstock.com