Carving pumpkins is one of the most well-known Halloween traditions. Although this is a typical tradition in the United States, more and more countries around the world celebrate it and Spain is no exception. So if this year you are going to celebrate Halloween at home you should not miss a decorated Halloween pumpkin. But the most sustainable thing is not to buy it already decorated, but to make your own pumpkins, preserve them well until the time comes and then empty it and decorate it at home in a traditional way. In this article we explain the easiest way to carve your pumpkin.
Halloween pumpkins: the origin
The origin of this tradition comes from Scotland and Ireland where there is a legend that a farmer managed to trick the devil and he promised him that he would never come looking for him.
According to legend, when the farmer died, he was denied entry to heaven and begged the devil to accept him. However, the devil He condemned him to wander the paths of purgatory in total darkness. According to the story, the farmer asked for a light and the devil gave him an ember. The farmer took a turnip, cut it and put the embers in it. This is how he managed to illuminate the dark paths of purgatory.
From there it was born the tradition of placing turnips in the windows of houses to scare away the devil during Halloween night. However, when this tradition came to the United States from the Irish immigrants, as there was an excess of pumpkins there, the turnip was changed to the pumpkin.
How to make a Halloween pumpkin: step by step
Halloween dinner
Are you going to prepare a Halloween dinner? Don’t miss these articles with Halloween recipes that you will love.
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take advantage of the pulp of the Halloween pumpkin: recipes
If you want to take advantage of pumpkin, take note of these fabulous recipes that the little ones will love.
Colorful pumpkin flan: recipe
4-6 people
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 350 g pumpkin
- 1 carrot
- 350 g red cabbage
- 350 g baby spinach
- 1 large onion
- 3 medium eggs
- 200 ml. oat cream (or soy)
- white wine vinegar
- a sprig of thyme
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- A few tablespoons of ratatouille
- Extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
- Peel, grate and sauté the onion in olive oil for approximately 8 minutes. Reserve it.
- Peel the carrot and pumpkin; Wash them, cut them into equal pieces and fry them for 5 min. Cover the vegetables with a little water, let them cook for 15 min. and drain them. Once drained, add a third of the onion, freshly ground nutmeg, salt and pepper and grind them.
- Wash, chop and sauté the spinach until the water it releases evaporates.
- Season them with a little salt and black pepper and mash them with half of the remaining onion.
- Clean, wash and chop the red cabbage. Cook it for 15 min. in water with salt and 1 teaspoon of vinegar and drain it. Sauté it for a few minutes in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and blend with the remaining onion.
- Beat the eggs with the oatmeal cream and add a little salt and pepper. Divide this cream into 3 equal parts, add it to each of the purees separately and stir well so that there is a uniform mixture. Grease some flan pans with oil and fill them with the different mixtures.
- Place the flans in a preheated oven at 180ºC and let them cook, covered, in a bain-marie, for 15 minutes. Let them cool.
When they are cold, unmold them and serve them decorated with the ratatouille and some thyme leaves.
Pumpkin Spice Pie
10 people
Cooking time: 45 min
Ingredients
- 250 g pumpkin pulp
- 3 eggs
- 200 gr. whole sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 70 ml mild olive oil
- 250 g whole wheat spelled flour
- 10 g baking powder
- Butter
- flower honey
Preparation:
- Crack the eggs, separating the whites from the yolks. Beat the first ones with half the sugar, using electric whisks, until they are close to firm snow.
- Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until creamy. Add cinnamon, cardamom and mix. Pour the oil in a stream, stirring constantly, until it is well integrated.
- Add 250 g of sifted spelled flour along with the yeast, and continue beating.
- Pass the pumpkin through a fine-hole grater and add it as well. Finally, add the whipped egg whites, using enveloping movements so that they do not lose volume. Mix gently with a spatula until you get a homogeneous paste.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease a round mold of about 20 cm with a knob of butter. in diameter and sprinkle it with the remaining flour.
- Pour the dough into the mold and bake the cake for approximately 40 minutes. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Wait for it to cool before unmolding it and leave it on a rack until it cools.
- Place the cake on a platter and drizzle it with a trickle of honey. Serve it immediately, cut into portions.