Last night, my husband and I carved our first official pumpkins together! (pictures coming soon) We’ve been married for about 2 1/2 years, and although, we did get a pumpkin our first year together, we never carved one until last night. What a fun experience, picking out a design (our inspiration was this: http://www.delish.com/food-fun/halloween-pumpkin-carving#slide-5) and digging in! Well after going full Benihana on those suckers, (as my husband would say) and cutting through the pumpkin murder scene, we had two Tupperware containers full of pumpkin guts. So today I decided to bake them into two batches; one was garlic roasted seeds, and the other, candied baked pumpkin seeds!
Here’s what you’ll need: Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup butter
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground black pepper (optional)
Here’s what you’ll need: Candied Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon sugar
Here’s how I did it:
1st: I separated the seeds from the gooey, stringy guts. This was a grueling 30 min process, because there was so much! Then I rinsed the seeds out, and strained them.
2nd: Preheat oven for 250* F. Then separate all of your seeds into two different bowls. (each bowl should have about 2 cups of seeds in it)
3rd: Melt your butter, and pour 1/3 a cup in each bowl, and mix
4th: Mix in salt, pepper, and garlic for your garlic roasted seeds, and stir. In a separate bowl, mix in salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon sugar, and brown sugar, and stir.
5th: Spread, one bowl at a time, into a greased foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake each batch for 40-45 minutes. (candied seeds may take a little longer) Then let cool for 10 minutes.
Now that your seeds are finished, here’s how to make the most of them! For your garlic roasted seeds, grab a big, cold glass of apple cider, and eat them like you would chips. They will be the perfect crunchy, and salty fall time snack. Now, to really enjoy you’re candied pumpkin seeds, just get a cup of milk (or even a mild cup of eggnog, if you’re feeling adventurous) and chow down on your tasty little treats. Don’t forget to enjoy the little things either, like the smell of sweetness and cinnamon filling your house while you’re baking your candied seeds! Who needs a trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for scented candles, when you can get the same sweet scent in your house, and a bonus treat to eat too!? Enjoy!!
Oh, and guess what!? Pumpkin seeds are actually pretty healthy for you, too! Here’s proof: http://healthyvoyager.com/fall-foods-for-health-pumpkin-seeds/
life.of.brandi.marlow 