Happy Halloween 2017: 5 pumpkin recipes that will give you spooky vibes

From starters to desserts, try these pumpkin recipes to treat your friends and family at a Halloween party.

Terrifying pranks to scare your friends and innovative dressing are a big part of Halloween. And like every other celebration, the festival is incomplete with food. While sweets and candies are a Halloween essential, too much of it can spoil the fun. In spirit of the festival, we bring you five pumpkin recipes, which you can easily make after carving out your Jack O’ Lanterns.

ALSO READ | Spooky Halloween traditions and how they started; find out

From pies to soups, here are some tasty and quirky pumpkin dishes:

Try this Halloween special appetizer to entertain your guests!

Pumpkin Devilled Eggs

By Vishal Chandnani, executive chef, Mojo’s Bistro, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel

Ingredients:
12 – Eggs
150g – Pumpkin (clean and peeled)
100g – Mayonnaise
24 – Black olives
1 tsp – Dijon mustard
1 tsp – Black pepper powder
1 tbsp – Olive oil
2 tbsp – Paprika powder
30g – Micro greens mix (finely chopped)
1/2 – Lemon (use its juice)
Salt – To taste

Method:
* Peel the pumpkin, clean it nicely. Apply some olive oil on to the pumpkin along with crushed black pepper and fresh herbs and roast it in a preheated oven until done.

* Put the roasted pumpkin in a blender and make a paste.

* Place eggs in a saucepan. Cover it with water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Cover it with a lid and further cook for about a minute and a half.

* Remove from heat and allow it to rest for a few minutes and then rinse under cold water. Peel the eggs carefully under cool running water.

* Cut the eggs lengthwise into halves. Scoop out the egg yolks and place the whites on a plate.

* Now, mash the egg yolks; add roasted pumpkin paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, some freshly crushed black pepper and salt as desired. Make a smooth paste.

* Spoon the mixture evenly along the egg whites or you can also use a piping bag to fill it.

* Chop the olives lengthwise to make them look like an insect’s leg. Use the remaining olives and slice it into halves to create the body of the spider.

* Now, place it on the eggs as shown in the picture, first the legs then the body. Spread the micro greens mix on the plate and dust with some paprika powder and serve!

This black ravoili is perfect for a Halloween dinner.

Pumpkin Ravioli

By Chef Rakesh Mirchandani from Candy and Green, Mumbai

Ingredients:

For dough
250g – Refined flour (maida)
10g – Charcoal Powder
225ml – Water (lukewarm)
10g – Butter
Salt – To taste

For stuffing
250g – Pumpkin (roasted)
1 tbsp – Ricotta cheese
1 tbsp – Grated parmesan
1 tbsp – Oregano (chopped)
1 pinch – Nutmeg powder
1/4 tsp – Black pepper powder
Salt – To taste

For sauce
250g – Red bell pepper (roasted)
1 tbsp – Butter
1 tbsp – Cream

For garnishing
2 tbsp – Clarified butter
2 – Walnut (chopped)

Method:
* Mix all the dough ingredients and make a soft dough.

* Take a floured rolling pin, roll out the ravioli dough then fill it with roasted pumpkin, salt and pepper and cheese, oregano, nutmeg powder and press the ravioli corner with the fork.

* Blanch the ravioli and keep it aside for plating.

* Roast the red bell pepper in an oven without the skin and seeds. Saute it with butter, add salt and pepper and finish it with a little cream.

* For plating put the sauce first and place the ravioli on top. Garnish with clarified butter and chopped walnut.

With a slight dip in temperature, this pumpkin soup is perfect for Halloween.

Roasted Pumpkin soup

By Chef Aniruddha Limaye, assistant director, F&B, Courtyard Marriott, Ahmedabad

Ingredients:
1 (3lb) – Sugar pumpkin/ butternut squash
4 tbsp – Olive oil
1 (large) – Yellow onion (chopped)
3 stalks – Celery (chopped)
2 (medium) – Carrots (chopped)
6 cloves – Garlic (crushed)
5 sprigs – Thyme (1 for topping)
1 sprig – Sage
1 sprig – Oregano
3/4 tsp – Salt
1/2 tsp – Ground turmeric
1.25l – Chicken broth
2 tbsp – Apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp – Sour cream
3 tbsp – Whole milk (full cream)

For garnishing

2 tbsp – Pomegranate seeds (optional)
1 tbsp – Pumpkin seeds (optional)

Method:

* Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218 °C).

*Cut pumpkin into quarters; discard seeds. Place on a baking sheet, and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil.

*Bake in a preheated oven until tender, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool until easy to handle. Remove skin, and discard.

* Set aside 1 1/2 cups (about 250 gm) cooked pumpkin; reserve remaining pumpkin for another use.

* Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, sage, and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, for about 8 to 10 minutes.

* Add salt and turmeric; cook further while stirring often, for 1 minute.

* Now, stir in chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin; bring it to a simmer. Cover and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Remove and discard herb sprigs.

* Place half of the pumpkin mixture in a blender. Remove centre piece of the blender lid (to allow the steam to escape); secure lid on the blender, and place a clean towel over the opening.

* Process until mixture is very smooth, for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat the procedure with remaining pumpkin mixture.

* Stir in the apple cider vinegar to the mixture.

* Whisk together sour cream and milk in a small bowl.

* Divide soup evenly among 6 shallow bowls; drizzle with sour cream mixture, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds, if desired.

The red raspberry sauce can be a spookiest ingredient to surprise your friends at the Halloween dinner.

Raspberry & Pumpkin Pie

By Arindam Bhattacharya, executive chef at Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa

Ingredients:
3 – Eggs
100g – Sugar
65g – Brown Sugar
500g – Pumpkin puree (fresh)
175g – Whipped cream
5g – Ginger powder
5g – Clove powder
5g – Cinnamon powder
5g – Salt
7ml – Vanilla extract
100g – Raspberry coulis
180g – Premade chilled pie dough

Method:

* Whisk the eggs and both sugars together until smooth.

*Add pumpkin puree, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Stir until well blended.

* Add 80gm Raspberry Coulis to the mix.

* Heat the oven to 210 °C.

* Transfer pie shell to a baking sheet. Pour pumpkin filling into the pie shell.

* Bake pie at 210 °C for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Garnish with remaining raspberry coulis.

These ghost cupcakes will be loved by bothe kids and adults at any Halloween party.

Ghost on Pumpkin Cupcake

By Jerson Fernandes, executive chef, Sea Princess Hotel, Mumbai

Ingredients:
160g – Refined flour (maida)
1 tsp – Baking powder
1/2 tsp – Baking soda
1 tsp – Cinnamon powder
1 and 1/2 tsp – Pumpkin pie spice
120 ml – Canola or vegetable oil
3 – Eggs (large)
150 g – Brown sugar
225g – Pumpkin puree (canned)
1 tsp – Vanilla extract
100g – Raspberry coulis
180g – Premade chilled pie dough

For frosting
225 g – Cream cheese (full-fat block at room temperature)
115 g – Unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
360 g – Confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp – Vanilla extract
1 pinch –  Salt

Method:

* Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

* Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside.

* Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined.

* Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. The batter will be thick.

* Pour a spoonful of the batter into the liners – fill only 2/3 full to avoid spilling over the sides.

* Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
* In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy.

* Add 3 confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar.

* Frost cooled cupcakes however you’d like. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

* Pipe the cream frosting giving it a ghost-like appearance and garnish using choco chips for the eyes.

* For the accompanying flying demon cookies, sandwich the same frosting between two pumpkin seed choco chip cookie and place it alongside the cupcakes on a bed of crushed cookie and cocoa mixture.