Pumpkins are a big feature of Halloween; they are also delicious to eat but sometimes a bit tricky to prepare, particularly peeling. Try cutting the vegetable into chunks (remove seeds) first and then cooking the flesh with the skin on. You could roast, microwave or air-fry, then take the cooked flesh off the skin and add to your soup or for baking etc. Give it a try!
Here are a few recipes that are favourites of our volunteers, special shout out to Mike for sharing the ones he recommends. If we know the source we have given the credit recognition but of course some are passed down from grandma!
Pumpkin Pie
This will take 20 minutes of prep time. This pumpkin pie recipe is really quick and easy to make. It has a deliciously soft texture and the mix of allspice, cinnamon and ginger brings out a richer taste in the pumpkin. After running around after little devils, it’s a little slice of heaven.
Pastry Ingredients
- 175g plain flour, sieved
- 85g butter
- 25g (1oz) caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp water
Filling Ingredients
- 200g light brown sugar
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 2 large eggs
- 450g cooked pumpkin, mashed
- 375ml milk
Method:
Rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, then add egg yolk and water and mix to a firm dough. Knead lightly and roll out to a line a 22cm flan case. Bake ‘blind’ in preheated oven 200oC for 10 minutes.
While the pastry case is baking you can prepare the filling. Combine sugar, salt and spices in a small bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the pumpkin. Add sugar mixture and beat again until combined. Mix in the milk. Pour the filling into the pie crust and put it back into the oven.
After 15 minutes turn the temperature down to 180oC, 160oC fan, Gas mark 4 and bake for a further 45 minutes or until the filling is set, and you can insert a knife into the centre and it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Pumpkin Soup
This simple yet delicious pumpkin soup recipe is perfect after carving pumpkins with family and friends.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 250g butter
- 1 small onion, diced finely
- 800g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1-2 tsp runny honey
- 15g grated root ginger
- 1 Vegetable Stock Cube/Vegetable Stock Pot dissolved in 750ml boiling water
- 100ml single cream
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp freshly chopper coriander (this is up to one’s preference)
Toppings
- Pumpkin seeds saved from pumpkin
- Drizzle of cream
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 200oC. Lay foil on an oven-safe dish and spread the pumpkin seeds, add a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Put in oven to toast for 40 minutes. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and pumpkin and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until vegetables soften but do not brown. Add the honey, ginger, and Vegetable Stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Stir in most of the single cream and place in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with black pepper. Serve garnished with a swirl of the remaining single cream, a sprinkle of coriander if desired, and the toasted pumpkin seeds.
I would recommend serving the below dish with a chunk of granary bread. Try giving this soup a touch of heat by adding 1 finely chopped red chilli and one crushed clove of garlic in with the onions.
Halloween pumpkin cake
Prep: 20 minutes. Cuts into 15 portions. Cooks in 30 minutes.
Those of us who like Carrot Cake, try using up your leftover pumpkin in this ghoulishly good pumpkin Halloween cake.
For the cake:
- 300g self-raising flour
- 300g light muscovado sugar
- 3 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 175g sultanas
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 200g butter, melted
- zest 1 orange
- 500g (peeled weight) pumpkin or butternut squash flesh, grated.
For drenching and frosting:
- 200g pack soft cheese
- 85g butter, softened
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- zest of 1 orange and juice of half
Method:
Heat oven to 180oC/fan160Oc/GAS MARK 4. Butter and line a 30x20cm baking or small roasting tin with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt into a large bowl and stir to combine.
Beat the eggs into the melted butter, stir in the orange zest and juice, and then mix with the dry ingredients till combined. Stir in the pumpkin. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch.
To make the frosting beat together the cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and 1 tsp of the juice till smooth and creamy, then set aside in the fridge. When the cake is done, cool it for 5 mins then turn it into a cooling rack. Prick it all over with a skewer and drizzle with the rest of the orange juice while still warm. Leave to cool completely.
Trim the edges of the cake. Give the frosting a quick beat to loosen, then, using a palette knife, spread over the top of the cake in peaks and swirls. If you’re making the cake ahead keep it in the fridge then take out as many pieces as you want 30 mins or so before serving. Will keep, covered, for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Jamie Olivers – Squash/Pumpkin and Chick Pea
Original Link from Jamie’s site Chickpea & squash casserole (jamieoliver.com)
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (1.2kg)
- 400 g chestnut mushrooms
- 4 onions
- 4 mixed-colour peppers
- 2 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
- 2 x 700g jars or 4 x 400g tins of chickpeas
- 2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Wash and trim the squas (there’s no need to peel it), carefully halve lengthways and deseed. Place skin side down directly on the bars of the oven. Put a large deep casserole pan on a high heat. Break in the mushrooms and toast in the dry pan for 10 minutes to bring out their nuttiness, tossing regularly, while you peel the onions, deseed the peppers and very roughly chop both. Add to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Peel and finely slice the garlic and add to the pan with 2 tablespoons each of olive oil, red wine vinegar and the tapenade. Allow the liquid to evaporate, then go in with the chickpeas, juice and all, the tomatoes, scrunching them in through clean hands, and 2 tins’ worth of water. Bring to the boil, sit the squash halves on top, skin side down, and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until thick, delicious, and the squash is soft.