Sustainable Spookiness: No-Waste Pumpkin Recipes for Halloween

Pop the oven on at 180C/fan or 160C/gas 4. Whilst you wait for the oven to get up to temperature, line a 30 x 20cm baking tin with baking parchment (you could also use a small roasting tin). 

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda, sultanas and salt. Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly. 

Now it's time to blend the wet ingredients. Begin by mixing your eggs and melted butter together, and then add in your orange zest and juice. One mixed, incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry mixture.

Fold in the pumpkin or butternut squash until evenly distributed in the batter. Pour the batter into the tin you prepared earlier and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is golden and springs back when touched. 

While your delicious cake is baking, prepare the frosting. To make this, beat together soft cheese, butter, icing sugar, orange zest and juice until smooth and creamy. Set the frosting aside in the fridge. 

After the cake has baked, let it cool for 5 minutes (out of reach of the dog!). Carefully prick the surface of the cake with a cake fork several times and drizzle your remaining orange juice over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely. 

Now that your cake has had time to cool, grab your frosting from the fridge and give it a quick beat to restore the smooth and creamy consistency. Use a palette knife the spread the frosting over the cake in peaks and swirls. Keep your cake fresh by popping it in one of our gorgeous cake tins.

Pre-heat your oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6. While the oven is warming up, remove the top portion of the pumpkin, starting from about two-thirds of the way up. Set aside the pumpkin seeds for use in another pumpkin recipe. Scoop out all the pumpkin flesh, ensuring you collect every last bit.

Cut the pumpkin flesh into pieces and place them on to a roasting tray with garlic and a generous drizzle of oil. Season to your preference, then bake for 45 minutes until the pumpkin is very tender. Allow it to cool on the side after cooking.

Transfer the roasted pumpkin and any juices from the tray into a food processor. Add the roasted garlic, lemon juice, tahini paste and chickpeas. Season with salt and blend the mixture into a smooth paste. If the consistency becomes too thick, add a little more oil. Finish by spooning the hummus back into the pumpkin and serve with peppers, breadsticks and pitta chips. 

Place your pumpkin seeds in a colander and rinse them under water to remove any residual pumpkin flesh. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. For every 170g of pumpkin seeds, add 500ml of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the pan. Add more salt depending on your preference. Allow the salted water and pumpkin seeds to boil, then let them simmer for 10 minutes. Afterwards, remove the pan from the heat and drain the seeds. 

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat the bottom of a roasting pan or thick baking sheet with olive oil, about a teaspoon or so. Toss the seeds so that they are all covered in oil and sprinkle paprika and chilli flakes over the top. 

Depending on their size, small pumpkin seeds may toast in around 5 minutes, while larger ones may take up to 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the seeds to prevent over-toasting. When lightly browned, remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack 

Fancy trying more pumpkin recipes?

Click here to take a look at Hannah's pumpkin and ginger soup.