Pumpkin Yummyness

Well I am making a concerted effort to blog more after I was quite quiet through October due to exciting busyness.  So a little post for you with seasonal suggestions!

Last night was Halloween, and for the first year in many, I hadn't really prepared all that well.  I usually love cooking and baking Halloween goodies, but because of my busy month.......well I just couldn't be bothered.  I only managed these cupcakes:

The spider cupcake holders my sister bought from Avon and we made our cupcakes look spidery to sit in them.  Then the ones below were swirly doggie doo dahs with orange glitter on top ;-) just because.  Usually I make tombstone cookies and bat and ghost ones too but we couldn't be bothered.  I did however dress my doggies up!  Last year I bought a little witches costume and a devil costume from Poundland for my sausages.  This was last years effort

Frank is on the right wearing the devil's costume and Tessie is wearing the witches costume on the right.  Incredibly difficult to get them both posing perfectly.  So this year I swapped the costumes over!

Witchie Poo Frank

Frank was a reluctant model, I think he was feeling slightly self conscious at being dressed as a girl.  But he is a bit of a big girls blouse so I thought it suited him!

My little Tessie Pops was a better poser.  I think she has the look over the shoulder and 'smize' look down to an art.  I suppose you might also call it a not very impressed to be dressed up look haha.  The devil outfit suits her because although he is tiny and cute, she is a bit of a Princess (doesn't like going out in the rain).

Anyway that was my Halloween, not very exciting really but there we go.  I did however have a delicious dinner that I thought I would share with you.

I made for dinner a cheesy fondue and served it in a baked hollowed out pumpkin!  Pumpkins are in season right now, so if you like eating them AND like cheesy fondue, then they are the perfect combination.  Now I have to say that something went wrong along the way.  The cheese wasn't very runny so sort of went hard.  My parents suggested it may be because traditionally fondue is served over a flame to keep it runny.  But the pumpkin was really hot as it was baked so it should have held enough heat to keep the cheese melted.  I think I went wrong somewhere with the recipe.  You see the inspiration for this was from a picture I saw in the Sainsbury's magazine.  I saw it, thought I can do that at home, I don't need to buy the magazine to get the recipe - how wrong can you go?  It's fondue served in a pumpkin, easy!  Well I was wrong.  I shouldn't have been cheap and should have in fact bought the magazine.  But despite the cheese not being as runny as it should, it was still yummy!  So here is the recipe I followed if you want to try it for a yummy warming meal on Bonfire Night.

You will need:
1 Pumpkin, top cut off and seeds and pulp scooped out
1 Clove of Garlic
1 tsp Lemon Juice
290ml(1/2 pint) Dry White Wine
225g(8oz) Emmental Cheese Grated
225g(8oz) Gruyere Cheese Grated
1tsp Cornflour
1tbsp Kirsch

Method:
Cut the garlic in half and rub around the cheese saucepan.  Then rub all around the inside of the pumpkin and leave the cloves in the pumpkin.  Bake the pumpkin in an oven for roughly 1 1/2 hours at a medium heat (adjust according to whether it looks under or over cooked).  In the saucepan heat the lemon juice and white wine.  Once boiling turn down the heat and add the cheese little by little by little until all melted.  In a cup mix the Kirsch with the cornflour.  Add it to the cheesy mixture and stir until the mixture is smooth. (I think this is where I went wrong as the recipe said not to let it get too hot or it will burn.  Mine didn't burn but maybe over heating it made it go all solid?).  Take the pumpkin out of the oven and pour cheesy mixture into the centre.  Serve straight away with bread, crudites and fondue forks!

You may like to buy the Sainsbury's foody magazine to get the actual method and recipe so you don't go wrong like I did.  But it was yummy none the less and towards the end of the cheese you can use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin flesh and it is all cheesy and pumpkiny and scrumptious.  Will deff warm you up after standing outside for the fireworks on Bonfire Night so why not give it a go.

Oh and don't forget pumpkin is not just for Halloween, it can be eaten allllll through the Autumn/Fall season.  If you are on twitter be sure to follow @PumpkinOil - a fantastic company that are always imparting useful and yummy ways to use pumpkin.  If you're not on twitter their website is: http://www.pumpkinoil.co.uk/ and they are also on facebook so you won't miss out on the wondrous pumpkin fun.

Lots of Love
Betty