Pumpkins – Lanterns and Mini Pies
Hey everyone, it’s Halloween this week. What are you dressing up as? I am going to be a cat and I have a brilliant cat joke to share with you later! As well as dressing up and trick or treating (or guising as we call it up here in Scotland!) with your friends it’s also pumpkin time! In my special Halloween blog I share some perfect pumpkin facts, let you see this year’s lantern and share a wonderful pumpkin recipe (ooh and I’ll maybe squeeze in a wee book review while I am here too!…)
Me and my Jack Skellington pumpkin
Pumpkin Facts
- Most of the pumpkins we see and use as lanterns or for eating are orange but did you know they can be yellow, white, green and even red!
- Carving Halloween lanterns is a tradition that originates from HUNDREDS of years ago in Ireland (that is even older than M&D!) They were originally made from turnips or potatoes which is waaaay harder to carve than a pumpkin!
- Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family (isn’t that a funny word!) which also includes melons, cucumbers and courgettes!
- The heaviest recorded pumpkin weighed in at a massive 1,810 lb 8 oz!
- If you want to grow your own pumpkin you should plant your seeds in late May.
Carving pumpkins is a lot of fun and I love seeing them lit up in the dark evenings. Here is ours this year:
Doesn’t my pumpkin lantern look great all lit up!
Book Review
The very lovely people at the RHS sent me a copy of their “Grow It, Eat It” book. It is perfect for little gardeners like me who love growing their own fruit and veg. Not only is it packed full with tips on how to grow all sorts, from tomatoes and aubergines to spinach and strawberries, it also features lovely recipes using what you have just grown.
Some of my favourite recipes are carrot and orange muffins and potato fish cakes. I am definitely going to try the sunflower bread soon too which you bake in flower pots, how cool! It’s a perfect book for all weathers and all times of year so I definitely recommend adding it to your collection. My “Lulu’s Rating” for this book is:
Today, to keep with the Halloween theme, I have chosen to share one of the recipes from the book which is…
MINI PUMPKIN PIES
You will need:
- 500g pumpkin
- 1 tbsp oil
- 375g puff pastry
- 1tbsp plain flour
- 90g treacle
- 1 egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 300ml milk
- 1/2 vanilla pod
- pinch of salt
Wow, two pumpkins!
2. Shape the puff pastry into 16 small balls then roll them until about 6cm in diameter and press into a bun tin.
Roll out your pastry balls
3. Place parchment paper into each pastry and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15mins.
4. Pour the milk into a pan. Add the vanilla seeds and heat until almost boiling. Leave to cool a little.
5. Lightly beat the egg yolks, whole egg and treacle in a bowl. Add flour and salt and beat until smooth. Add the milk mixture.
Mixing it up!
6. Pour the smooth mixture into a pan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin puree.
7. Spoon the mixture evenly into the pastry cases. Bake in the over for 20-25 mins until just firm and slightly puffed up.
Ready for the oven
A yummy, healthy treat to impress your friends with this Halloween.
The mini pumpkin pies
Oh and I almost forgot, here is my Halloween joke:
What is a cat’s favourite colour?
PURRple of course!
Happy Halloween everyone!
Lulu xx
Peek-a-BOO!
Q:What’s a vampire’s favourite fruit?
A: A nec(k)tarine!
Hee hee! In case you haven’t noticed it’s Hallowe’en this week, a time for ghouls and ghosts and of course, my favourite, the pumpkin lantern! I love pumpkins as they are easy to grow, lovely to eat and fun to carve. Oh and they have a funny name too 😉 This week I am sharing with you my top tips for growing pumpkins and Mummy’s favourite pumpkin soup recipe.
How did that light get in there?!
How to Grow Pumpkins
Pumpkins are easy to grow. Try growing them from next Spring and you could have some of your very own pumpkins to eat and carve by next Hallowe’en. Here’s how:
- You can easily grow pumpkins from seed. You can grow them in a pot indoors to start them off and plant them out once all the risk of frost has passed or just sow them where they are to grow. Sow between April and June.
- If you are growing in a pot start with a small (7.5cm) pot. Plant the seed on its side about 2.5cm deep in soil and cover. Once the roots come through the bottom pot onto a larger pot.
- When you are planting outside choose a sheltered spot and remove the weakest seedlings once they have germinated.
- Look after your seedlings by adding a mulch and a feed (tomato fertiliser is fine) and water regularly during the growing season.
- As your pumpkins grow, raise them by adding some wood or a brick underneath which will stop them from rotting.
- Remove any leaves which are shading the fruit – they need maximum light to ripen.
- If there is a risk of early frost protect your pumpkins using cardboard and straw.
- Keep the pumpkins on the plant as long as possible to make sure it is fully ripe. Once the stems starts cracking and the skin is really tough it is ready.
- Cut your pumpkin off with a long stalk. You can store it for 4-6 months.
If you are looking for a variety to grow which will make a good pumpkin for next Hallowe’en, try “Jack of all Lanterns”. It also stores and cooks well. And if you have plenty of pumpkins, a yummy recipe which is perfect for this time of year that you can ask your Mummy & Daddy to help you cook is…
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients:
- 2 large onions
- 2 carrots
- 3 large butternut squash
- 2 large pumpkins
- 4 cloves garlic
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Beef stock
- Vegetable stock
- 1 tin of tomatoes
Pumpkin soup, perfect for this time of year – serve it in a pumpkin for the ultimate effect!
Method:
- 1. Cut the pumpkin and butternut squash into chunks. (We just want the flesh not the skin or seeds.)
- 2. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with oil , season with salt and pepper and some crushed garlic.
- 3. Roast in a hot oven (190C) for 30 mins.
- 4. Chop the onions and fry until soft. Chop and add the carrots and soften for a few minutes.
- 5. Add in a pint of vegetable stock and a pint of beef stock (you can make this with just vegetable stock if you prefer) and add the tin of tomatoes.
- 6. When the pumpkin and butternut is roasted add it to the pot and simmer for twenty minutes.
- 7. Put everything into a blender and blend and then pour back into the pot.
- If you want to be super fancy (!) you can serve your pumpkin soup in small pumpkins which have been hollowed out and made into bowls and add a swirl of cream on top 😉
For a wonderful Halloween themed craft project have a look at this blog:
Happy Hallowe’en everyone.