Written by Katie Black
At Halloween, families often throw away a lot of scooped-out pumpkin, and eat a lot of sweets! However, this favourite time of year doesn’t have to be all unhealthy and wasteful… With our tasty recipes you can make use of that pumpkin and create some healthier spooky snacks – making the sweets a bit more guilt-free! For those on a plant-based/dairy free diet, we’ve included alternatives for you.
Cauldron Treats
Serves 2
Crunchy teeth and nails, with a Witches Brew
What do I need ?
• ½ Banana, chopped • 60g Pumpkin seeds • 110g Pumpkin puree (see below) • 1 tbsp Vegetable oil • 150ml milk (or dairy-free • 1 tsp ground Ginger alternative) • Grated zest ½ Orange • 1 tbsp honey (or agave syrup) • Sprinkle of Caster sugar • ½ tsp Ground cinnamon • Crushed ice (optional)
How do I make that ?
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 o C.
2. Cut the pumpkin into similar-sized chunks, toss in a little vegetable oil and roast on an oiled baking tray for 30-40 minutes until soft, then allow to cool.
3. Meanwhile, make the crunchy teeth & nails (toasted seeds): remove any remaining pumpkin fibre from the seeds, wash them well and rub them dry in a clean tea-towel.
4. Mix the seeds in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Spread out on a lined baking tray and bake for about 10-15 minutes until they are lightly golden brown. Cool on the tray and serve in bowls for snacking.
5. Use a blender to puree the cooled pumpkin, adding a little water if necessary. Reserve 110g for each smoothie mix (serving 2) and fridge/freeze the rest for use in soups, as a side-dish, or to stir through stews and casseroles.
6. To finish the smoothie, put the 110g puree back into the blender with the banana, milk, honey and cinnamon. Add some crushed ice if available, and blend.
7. Serve alongside the seeds for a scarily good snack.
At Cookery Doodle Doo in Laverstoke (just outside Whitchurch) we cook fun, tasty recipes with your kids in a relaxed and friendly setting. Currently we’re running covid-secure classes for little chefs aged 2½ and over with just 3 households at a time; email katie@cookerydoodledoo.com to arrange a £5 trial class. For our fantastic Halloween Baking kits containing almost everything you need for 3 frightfully good bakes including chocolate Spider Cupcakes, Pumpkin Breadstick Wands and Toffee Apple Cookies plus a bonus free recipe for Scrambled Brain feta dip, head over to www.cookerydoodledoo.com (collection only).
