Sweet Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

H gets the finder’s fee for this one! The night before Halloween (Halloween eve?) H tells me she will be carving a pumpkin for a contest at work the next day and thought it would be great if we roasted the seeds. I received an email from H with a URL to a slightly cheesy web site that was completely pimped out for Halloween. Who would have thought that buried deep inside Wanda’s Halloween Cookbook would be the mack daddy of roasted pumpkin seed recipes? Thanks Wanda - you totally rocked our taste buds with this one!.

Sweet Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

To roast your pumpkin seeds, do not wash them first! Washing removes all the natural flavor. Instead, remove the seeds from the strings and place a single layer on a cookie sheet. Try and make an even layer, the less they lay on each other, the better they can bake.

Add salt to taste and bake at 250° until dry, stirring occasionally. I bake mine for about 15 to 30 minutes or until the start to turn a very light gold.

In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne.

Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat.

Add pumpkin seeds (after baked) and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and the pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds.

Transfer to bowl with spices and stir well to coat. Let cool.

(click on images to enlarge)

Methane Meter has no problems here:

Download or print recipe here:
Sweet Spicy Pumpkin Seeds Recipe (PDF 23.7 kb)