Easy Pumpkin Recipes for the Family To enjoy!

It’s pumpkin spice season! Are you planning to take your little ones to a pumpkin patch this autumn? Or have you already collected several beautiful, fresh pumpkins and have no idea what to do with them next? We have some good news for you! Below you can find a fantastic three course menu that you can easily recreate using your delicious collection.   

All of these recipes include pumpkin purée so to begin with, here is how you make a simple pumpkin purée:

1. Preheat your oven to 180˚C /gas 6.
2. Place large pieces or cubes of pumpkin in a roasting tin. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and roast until the pumpkin is golden and soft.
3. When the pumpkin is completely chilled, place it in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. You can add a splash of water if the puree is too thick.

1. The Starter – Pumpkin Hummus Platter

There is absolutely no doubt that this hummus platter is going to impress your loved ones! You can serve this pumpkin hummus with pita bread or any bread of your choice, a variety of vegetables, crisps and crackers. Why not serve your hummus in a small pumpkin instead of a bowl? Simply wash your pumpkin, cut off the top, scoop out the seeds, rinse it and place your hummus inside.

INGREDIENTS:

• 330g pumpkin purée
• 1 tin chickpeas (drained)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. To make your pumpkin purée, preheat your oven to 180˚C /gas 6. Place large pieces or cubes of pumpkin on a roasting tin. Drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and roast until the pumpkin is golden and soft. Wait until your pumpkin is completely chilled before making your purée.
2. Put your pumpkin in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. You can add a splash of water if your puree is too thick.
3. Add your pumpkin purée and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until nice and smooth. Place the hummus in the refrigerator until it’s ready to use. Enjoy!

2. The Main – Pumpkin Gnocchi

This delicious twist on a classic gnocchi is guaranteed to become your autumn staple. Pumpkin gnocchi are colourful, hearty and simply perfect for this chilly weather.

INGREDIENTS:

• 400g pumpkin purée
• 250g plain white flour
• 3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

SAGE AND BUTTER SAUCE:

• 80g unsalted butter
• Sage (preferably fresh)

LET’S DOUGH THIS! INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix your pumpkin purée and an egg.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk in your flour with some salt, and add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until the dough is mixed. Make sure you don’t overwork your dough, as it can make your gnocchi too tough.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, flatten it a little and cut it into 6 pieces. Roll each piece out into a rope about 2/2.5cm thick, and then cut each rope into perfect little bite sized pieces (around 3cm).
4. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Boil the gnocchi for 3 minutes or until all the gnocchi are floating at the top, cut one of them open to make sure that your gnocchi are cooked through. Scoop them out. In a large pan on medium to low heat, add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to coat the pan, add the gnocchi to the pan, and pan fry until golden (5 -6 minutes).

SAUCE:

In a medium pan, melt the butter over low heat until it begins to brown on the edges. Add the sage leaves and sauté them until they are crispy, add your salt and pepper and some starchy gnocchi water, then mix everything thoroughly and cook the sauce for a couple of minutes.

Finally, add your sauce to your gnocchi, and mix until they are coated evenly. Cook the coated gnocchi on low heat for a couple of minutes, until everything is heated through.

Serve with additional pepper, grated Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese.

You can always elevate your recipe by adding some extra ingredients of your choice, like toasted pumpkin seeds, garlic cloves and chilies. Pumpkinlicious!

3. The Dessert – Pumpkin Brownies

Pumpkin Brownies are a perfect mix of two incredibly delicious desserts, brownies, and a pumpkin pie. A perfect seasonal treat!

INGREDIENTS:

• 100g plain white flour (sifted)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 175g unsalted melted butter
• 300g caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 regular eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 85g chocolate chips
• 125g pumpkin purée

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C /Gas 4 and grease a 20cm square baking tin.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract and beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gradually. Divide the batter into two separate bowls.
5. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate chips to one bowl and mix the pumpkin purée and cinnamon powder in the second bowl.
6. Evenly spread half of your chocolate batter into the bottom of the baking tin, then layer half of the pumpkin batter on top. Repeat the layers.
7. Using a spoon create a swirl design on the top.
8. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out completely clean. Allow the brownies to cool down before serving. Bon appétit!