29 Oct Pumpkin Spice Delight
Orange pumpkins have started to become a familiar sight again which can only mean one thing, Halloween is almost here! This piece of produce is largely absent from stores year round but when October comes it’s the pumpkin’s time to shine, quite literally as they are carved into spooky lanterns for the season. Did you know that the pumpkin is also delicious and can be enjoyed in a diverse array of dishes from savory to sweet? This year we’re letting you in on all you need to know about pumpkins and their links to Halloween along with how this year you can make more than a lantern with yours!
How did pumpkin’s come to be associated with Halloween?
The orange pumpkins that you will have noticed populating the fruit and veg aisles recently are winter squash which are native to North America. It’s fitting that as we move into the colder months this produce starts to become popular as if you’re buying one for culinary reasons this in season veg could help contribute to a seasonal diet. When you also consider the homeland of the pumpkin you will realise the significance they have in North American culture with people in Canada and the US traditionally enjoying pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. The North America connection is also linked to how the pumpkin became associated with Halloween.
In the 1800s alot of people left England and Ireland where Halloween was a tradition and they moved to America, taking their customs with them. In the autumn in their native England and Ireland, these immigrants had enjoyed turnips which there was an abundant harvest of at this time of year and they were an important part of the winter diet. Not only were they consumer but the turnips were also used in Halloween celebrations and were calved, just like we calve pumpkins today! When the English and Irish emigrated to America though instead of a crop of turnips in the autumn, they found a crop of pumpkins instead and they used these to carry on their Halloween traditions of calving into produce to make Halloween decorations. Eventually, the pumpkin made it to this side of the Atlantic and replaces the turnip as the favourable squash to calve on Halloween.
We now welcome this jolly orange squash whenever autumn comes around and we have a lot to be thankful for as the softer flesh of pumpkins is alot easier to calve than squash! Not only has calving become easier but pumpkin is also a great addition to Halloween celebrations as there are a variety of ways to enjoy it, both sweet and savory and we’re sharing one with you!
Calved Pumpkin Face Halloween Pie
Ingredients
For the crust:
240g all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
6 Tbsp almond milk
6 Tbsp soft vegan butter
4 Tbsp water
1 tsp lemon juice
For the pumpkin filling:
135g brown sugar
3 Tbsp tapioca flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground anise
1/8 tsp ground cloves
450g pumpkin puree
120ml almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Making the crust:
Get to bowls, to the first add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar and combine. In the second bowl, add the almond milk, butter, water, and lemon juice and combine. Next, add the mixture from the second bowl to the first bowl and mix until combined.
Once the dough is mixed and ready roll it out on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Split the dough in two and work it so you end up with two circles the same size.
Put the first circle on the pie plate/pan, this will be the base of the pie.
The second dough circle is the fun bit! This circle will be the top of your pie. To make your pumpkin pie that extra bit special and Halloween themed, decorate the circle by cutting a pumpkin face into it.
Making the filling:
In a bowl add the sugar, tapioca flour, cinnamon, anise, ginger, and cloves. Next add the pumpkin, ½ cup almond milk, and the vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Once the filling is mixed, pour it into the pie crust and then cover with the pumpkin face circle and crimp the edges.
Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
Let cool for about an hour and transfer to the fridge.
So there you go, enjoy your pumpkin this year not just for the aesthetics but also the taste!
If you’d be interested in learning more pumpkin recipes then get in touch to speak with us about one of our cooking lessons.
