What to do with your leftover Halloween pumpkin

Posted on by Caitlin Marsh

Don’t let it just moulder away after the trick or treating is over – eat it.

Tens of thousands of pumpkins are sold at Halloween each year but this causes a frightening amount of waste, as the carved veggies are left to rot on front steps.

It’s a shame considering pumpkins are packed full of vital vitamins and veggie goodness, so here’s how to put your Jack-o’-lantern to good, edible use…

Stuffed pumpkin

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HALLOWEEN is coming! ?Pampkin Brûlée Cups ?. РЕЦЕПТ на русском – см 1й комментарий. . ?Made of sugar and (pumpkin) spice, this creamy creme brulee comes served in adorable mini pumpkins.??. . . ?INGREDIENTS (8 pumpkin brulées)?. . . ?8 mini pumpkins, ?about 4 inches ?3/4 cup sugar, divided ?1 teaspoon cinnamon ?5 egg yolks ?1 1/2 cups heavy cream ?1 cinnamon stick ?2 cloves ?3 allspice berries ?1 vanilla bean, split ?1 cup pumpkin purée. . . ?‍?INSTRUCTIONS?‍?. . . Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove stems from pumpkins and set aside for later; scoop out pumpkin insides. Mix 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the insides of the cleaned pumpkins with the cinnamon sugar mix, wrap them each individually in aluminum foil and roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes. . In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice and vanilla bean to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Whisk the cream into the yolk mixture slowly, pouring through a sieve. Whisk in pumpkin puree. . Pour the mixture into the prepared pumpkins, then bake until centers are wobbly but set, 20 to 30 minutes. . Top each pumpkin with a thin layer of sugar and brulée with a torch until crisp and caramelized. Serve warm. Bon Appétit??

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Not only will these taste good, they’ll look good too. Perfect for a creepy centre piece for a party as you can stuff them with just about anything, from creme brulee to savoury meats and even mac and cheese! Just cut the top off and scoop out the seeds and away you go.

Pumpkin soup

Soup is an absolute autumn go-to, and pumpkin soup is a doddle to make. Slice yours into small chunks and roast in a hot oven with a few spices, before whizzing up with fried onions, carrots and stock. Just add thickly buttered bread.

Pumpkin cake

If you’re a fan of carrot cake, you’ll love pumpkin cake – and it’s a direct swap, just exchange the grated carrot in your fave carrot cake for pumpkin. Ice with cream cheese frosting, pepped up with a few nuts and orange zest.

Pumpkin wedges

Trade in potatoes for this healthy, alternative snack. Simply cut your pumpkin into wedges, drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic, chilli, salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes, or until soft. They go particularly well with mayonnaise.

Pumpkin pancakes

Is there anything better than starting your day off with a stack of fluffy pancakes? Go pumpkin crazy with this healthy, wholesome pumpkin pancake recipe. Mix together your ultimate pancake recipe and stir through pumpkin puree (you can buy it in a can) before frying as normal.

Pumpkin pie

This American classic is a family favourite and packed full of flavour. Sweet pastry, smooth pumpkin puree and whipped cream? Delicious.

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