Fancy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I have never been a huge fan of the trick or treat/ghouls-gone-mad part of Halloween, but I have always loved the pumpkin carving.  And with it, the pumpkin seeds.  Roasted, they make a great snack.  They are also a delightful garnish on an autumn salad or stew.  Even if you aren't into eating them as they are, you can always make them, store them, and add them as an extra-fancy flair to your upcoming autumn meals.  Oh, and Happy Halloween!

Fancy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are infinitely adaptable.  Basically, all you need is oil, salt, and heat.  From there, you can experiment with any flavors you wish!  The flavor ideas listed below are suggestions, but please try some of your own (and let me know because I would love to hear about them).

Seeds on one pumpkin

2-3 tablespoon butter (or other oil, such as olive), melted

1/2 teaspoon salt

"Pumpkin Pie" Spice:
Note: if you have fewer seeds or are concerned about too much spice, then go with the smaller amounts.  Also, while the sugar/honey is optional, it creates a nice balance between sweet, spicy, and salty without being too sweet.

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons white sugar, brown sugar, or honey (optional)

Spicy:

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne (if you don't like a lot of heat, use less cayenne as these get pretty spicy)

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Mix seeds with melted butter or oil, salt, and any seasoning flavors you would like.  Spread evenly in a pan (any oven-safe dish with sides) and roast for 10-30 minutes, depending on your oven and how "roasted" you like your seeds.  Stir seeds every 5 minutes after the first 10, so that they roast evenly.  Enjoy!


Let cool completely, then, store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.  If you would like to keep your pumpkin seeds for a long period of time, store them in the freezer in an airtight container or plastic bag.  

Applesauce Oat Muffins

Just about this time last year, I was reading the Smitten Kitchen blog and came across a recipe for Spiced Applesauce Cake.  And of course being me, I had to make it right away.  And oh, goodness it was so good!  Except...I wanted the apple flavor to be more distinct.  And so began my many attempts to refine and perfect this cake: a little more spice here, a little more apple there.  Don't even get me started on how many times I made applesauce in an effort to concentrate the apple flavor.  Eventually, I moved on to some other autumnal recipe.  But the concept of applesauce cake continued to pull me.  Unfortunately, you just can't have cake all the time, and as good as the cream cheese frosting is, it lends itself to some rather unnecessary padding.  So I began experimenting with applesauce muffins.  Ah!  There is nothing like dessert wearing a breakfast costume.

 Just this last weekend, Paul and I ventured south to San Luis Obispo on our annual nostalgic Fall visit.  And of course, we bought apples.  Many, many apples.  And so, I started this year's apple-a-thon with applesauce, and now, of course, these muffins.

Applesauce-Oat Muffins 

Largely adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

Makes 18 muffins

As this recipe originated in a cake, it takes a few more steps than your traditional muffin (which usually involves no more than a bowl and a wooden spoon for mixing), but trust me, these are well worth the effort.

Note: I have a particularly strong love of spices, so if you are a little less enthusiastic, feel free to reduce the spices accordingly.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1 cup brown sugar (either light or dark)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly oil 2 muffin tins (or you can use the same muffin tin twice).

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together.  Set aside.  Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Then, beat applesauce in on low speed.  If the batter looks curdly, don't worry - it will bake out smooth.  At low speed, add the flour mixture until just combined.  Finally, stir in oats.  

Distribute batter evenly between muffin tins and bake 12-15 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.