Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds

Have you carved out your Jack o' Lanterns yet?  This years selection of Jack faces, were greatly influenced by movie characters, and chosen by our 4 year old.  These were a bit more complicated, and I did not attempt to draw them freestyle!  I found a great selection of free templates from Pumpkin Pile, and let Presley choose which ones he wanted from the website, and printed out the templates.  Another fave is Zombie Pumpkins.  The only downfall to their site is that you have to pay for the patterns, but they have an awesome selection, especially for more grown-up tastes. check them out Once you've got your pumpkins all hollowed out, don't throw away your seeds!   In the time that is takes to carve your Jack, you could have a delicious, and healthy snack!

I love pumpkin seeds, hull and all, and prefer the plain ol' traditional flavour.  This year, though, I got crazy and tried some new spice combos!  My surprising new fave is Cinnamon Sugar!  Give it a try!

Traditional Oven Roasted
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1-2 teaspoons seasoning salt (I like Lawry's)

I've never been one to boil my seeds, or clean them for that matter, I like the stringy bits of pumpkin goo - the salt clings to them so deliciously, and imparts a deeper earthy flavour to the seeds. 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a large baking sheet toss the pumpkin seeds with about a Tablespoon of olive oil and teaspoon of seasoning salt, and spread in an even layer.  Bake until the seeds begin to brown, 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds.  Give them a stir about every 5 minutes so they brown evenly, and don't burn.  Add more seasoning when you toss, if you wish.  Remove from oven, and let the pumpkin seeds cool all the way down before eating.


Cinnamon Sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Sesame
1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons ginger
pinch of cayenne

Chili
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Happy Halloween!