Carving pumpkins is always a favourite at Halloween. Last year was the first time we actually cooked and ate the pumpkin flesh and seeds. It felt good to know we were not wasting food.
Two years ago stock cube brand Knorr and the environmental charity Hubbub found in their research that about 40% of consumers buy fresh pumpkins to hollow out and carve for Halloween, but a massive 60% of those do not use the flesh. So I encourage you to give it a go and bake/cook something out of your pumpkins!
Last year I made the following with our pumpkins:
- Pumpkin cupcakes
- Pumpkin Butter
- Roasted cinnamon pumpkin seeds
Each one was delicious but the pumpkin butter was definitely my favourite smothered on warm crusty bread!!
Here is the recipe for the delicious pumpkin cupcakes.
Pumpkin Cupcakes
Servings: 12 Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 175 ml Sunflower Oil
- 175 g light muscovado sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g coarsely grated pumpkin flesh
- 1 grated orange zest
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Frosting
- 200 g cream cheese
- 85 g icing sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tray with paper cases. Pour the oil into a large bowl and add the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat together, then add the grated pumpkin and orange zest.
- Stir in the cinnamon, flour and bicarbonate of soda, the mixture will be quite wet. Spoon into the cases. Bake for around 25 mins. The cupcakes are ready when they are firm and springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth then spread on top of the cupcakes.Store in the fridge, but return to room temperature to serve for the best flavour and texture.
