Our Top Pumpkin Recipes

Do you love pumpkin? Did you know that, with nearly half of all people in the UK buying pumpkins for Halloween, this can total a whopping 18,000 tonnes of waste each year going to landfill when they just get thrown away. Carving is a lovely way of getting together and creating something original. However, pumpkins are amazing in so many extra ways. We’ve brought you some of our favourite pumpkin recipes so you can carve up the pumpkin and eat the leftovers instead of throwing it away. It’s a superfood and super delicious!

Recipe 1: Pumpkin Soup

This soup is remarkably delicious, healthy and easy to make for a lovely lunch or some batch cooking. We recommend finding a local pumpkin grower to reduce your food miles and get the freshest nutrients for you and your family.

Ingredients:

• A kilo of pumpkin, peeled and cut into small chunks
• A large knob of ginger, peeled and grated
• 2-4 shallots
• Half a tin of coconut milk
• A litre of vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes
• Herbs to top, we like chives or mint.

Method:

Pop the pumpkin, shallots and the ginger into a big pan with some oil or butter and cook on a medium heat for about 10minutes until the pumpkin begins to soften. Then add in the stock and coconut milk, season and sprinkle in the chilli. Bring this to the boil and leave the simmer, I usually mostly cover, for about 40 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally.

Once it’s ready blitz in a blender or use a hand blender to smooth the soup to your liking. Serve hot topped with herbs and bread and butter on the side.

Recipe 2: Pumpkin meringue pie

Ingredients:

• Ready rolled sweet shortcrust pastry (or bake your own if you like)
• 300g pumpkin, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 75g muscovado sugar
• A tablespoon of maple syrup
• A tablespoon of cornflour
• 3 egg yolks
• 100ml double cream
• A teaspoon each of ground ginger and cinnamon and a pinch of cloves

Meringue Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons of cornflour

Method:

Preheat your oven to about 180 degrees. We recommend using a dish with a removable bottom. Steam the pumpkin chunks for about 15 minutes until tender. Roll the pastry out and line your pastry dish. Cover with parchment paper and baking beans and blind bake for about 20minutes. Then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes at 140degrees.

Use a fork or tea towel to remove excess moisture from the pumpkin chunks and then pop this is a blender with the sugar, yolks, syrup, cream, flour and spices and blend. You can of course use a hand blender. Then pour this into the pastry case and bake for about 45 minutes until set.

When your pie is nearly ready make your meringue. Whisk your egg whites until they’re stiff peaks and then gradually add the sugar and cornflour until the mixture is glossy looking. Top the pie with the meringue mixture, using a fork to make pretty spirals, and bake again for 15-20 minutes. Leave to cool completely before removing the pie.

Recipe 3: Pumpkin-Maple bread

Ingredients:

• 400grams of pumpkin, halved with seeds removed
• 120grams of butter
• 300grams of flour
• 300grams of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• A teaspoon and a half of baking powder
• A teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 100grams of maple syrup
• 100grams of sour cream
• 2 large eggs

Method:

First bake your pumpkin for your puree. To do this bake the halves of the pumpkin in the oven for about 45-60 minutes until soft. One cool, scoop out the filling and blend until smooth. This can take a few minutes. Then set this aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and grease a loaf tin. Melt the butter in a pan on the hob for a few minutes until it’s a lovely golden brown. Set this aside to cool for a few minutes. Mix together the flour with spice, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk the melted butter into the sugar and then add the eggs. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cream, syrup and vanilla and then slowly fold in the dry ingredients.

Bake in the tin for about a hour. Check and bake for 5 minute intervals from here if it’s not quite cooked (a knife inserted comes out just about clean). Leave to cool for a few minutes in the tin.

You can warm some maple syrup and drizzle over as a yummy glaze or mix together a drizzle of maple syrup, pinch of cinnamon and about 100grams of unsalted butter for a delicious spiced butter. I also enjoy this one topped with chopped walnuts for a nutty crunch.

A Pumpkin Conclusion

We are lucky in Cornwall and the UK as a whole that we have beautiful spaces to grow fresh and seasonal food like pumpkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Halloween or not we hope you enjoy indulging in some delicious pumpkin recipes.

We’d also love to hear from you! What do you enjoy baking? If you enjoyed this blog you may also enjoy baking some of our Cornwall inspired crumbles here.

Happy Halloween!