DONT WASTE YOUR PUMPKINS: ROASTED CINNAMON PUMPKIN SEEDS

Now that Halloween has been and gone there is probably a whole hoard of carved pumpkins dotted around the houses of the nation or you may see supermarkets furiously trying to sell off the remainder of their stock now that everyone starts to neglect this incredibly seasonal piece of produce. Don't worry, I have a couple of recipes to stop all these pumpkins from going to waste starting with this super simple guide to turning the seeds into a yummy little snack for nibbling on in front of the TV or they look really pretty as a topping for a sponge or cheese cake! All you need is some oil and cinnamon and a spare hour just to whack them in the oven. Simples.

HALLOWEEN "PUMPKA-PIE"

I had quite a bit of pumpkin left over from making my pumpkin spice muffins so I thought whilst I'm enjoying my new found fondness for those orange boulders that I'd give the classic pumpkin pie a whirl. Using my favourite sweet pastry recipe and topping with a layer of delicious dark chocolate this is more suited to serving as a pudding at a Halloween themed dinner party (or after Thanksgiving dinner if your one of my American chums!). It's defiantly a more grown up treat that you can enjoy whilst the little ones enjoy their candy hauls.

HALLOWEEN PUMPKA-SPICE MUFFINS

I can't remember a time when I'd actually eaten pumpkin (Pumpkas as the kiddies used to call them!) so with Halloween around the corner I

thought it would be a perfect time to give some a whirl. With the success of my Christmas muffins I thought I'd give them a trick or treaters twist and give them a more spooky slant. This time I'm frosting my muffins for a sweet treat and adding some delicious pumpkin spice to really make them pop. Your little ghosts and ghouls won't be able to resist.