An Autumn Snack

Ah, Autumn! The leaves are turning and the air has a crisp bite to it. It’s the perfect time to be turning on the oven to take the chill out of the air with something to eat. We make many Autumn treats, apple pie, pumpkin cake, chocolate chip cookies (well, let’s be honest – we make these all year long!!!) The one snack my children and I look forward to every October is…pumpkin seeds!

We enjoy carving pumpkins for Halloween with jack-o-lantern faces, bats, cats, or many other fun things, but the part I like best is the roasting and eating of the coveted pumpkin seeds. We wait a whole year between eating this treat, but it’s worth it! Here is how I do it:

1 – 4 large carving pumpkins (this totally depends on how many children you have, or at least how ambitious you are!!! We had four this year, but one was rotted on the inside and you couldn’t tell until you cut into it. I’m taking it back for a replacement! Child #4 was so disappointed, so child #2 gave her her pumpkin and will carve the replacement I pick up tomorrow.)

Pumpkin carving tools (I use a knife to cut the top off, as well as the pumpkin saws, scrapers, etc.)

1 large foil-lined jelly roll pan

1/4 – 1/3 cup safflower oil (canola works too)

1/4 – tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cut the top off of your pumpkin(s) using a sharp knife while cutting at a 45° angle so that the top will be able to sit back on the pumpkin instead of falling back inside. Use your fingers to take out the seeds and place on the prepared pan, being careful to discard the “guts” as these will not help your seeds to bake. When you have all the seeds from all of your pumpkins on the pan, drizzle the oil generously over the top. Sprinkle the garlic and salt and stir to make sure the seeds are evenly coated. Bake for 20 or so minutes, stirring every 5 minutes until seeds are golden brown and fragrant. They should look like this:

When done, pull the pan out of the oven and let cool. Enjoy! These can be kept in an airtight container for a week if there are any left!!!

Don’t forget to finish scraping out your pumpkins and carve them! That’s the second best part! Here’s a pic of mine for this Halloween!