Pumpkin recipes and decoration ideas for family fun this Halloween

WITH the spirits stirring for Halloween this weekend, it is time to get your haunted house in order. Prep your pumpkins, of all shapes and sizes, and give your home a monstrous makeover for an unforgettable fright night.

Also try the pumpkin-inspired recipes from Morrisons.com. 

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Scarily different

Go large: Outdo your neighbours with Morrisons giant pumpkin, £8.

Spooky squashes: Create a display of carved squashes with Morrisons Munchkins, 50p each.

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Go green: Waitrose has gnarly green pumpkins, Greenkins, for £3.

Simple squash: Get a basic pumpkin for 65p at Tesco.

Pumpkins with knobs on: Get a Tesco novelty pumpkin, with knobbly bits, for £1.50.

White out: Create a spooky doorstep with a ghost pumpkin from Morrisons, £2.

Spookily striped: A stripy celebration squash is 99p per kilo at Lidl.

Carve out a deal

GO to the Argos website for some brilliant pumpkin-carving templates, and alternative ideas such as creating a pumpkin vase and filling it with flowers.

At Iceland, you can pick up a deluxe carving kit for £4.

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The Sainsbury’s Day of the Dead pumpkin-decoration kit creates a unique look, priced £2.50.

Decorations

Bone shaker: Morrisons dancing skeleton is £10.

Fake flickers: Choose safety first with Sainsbury’s flameless pumpkin candle, 50p.

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Roar-some: Morrisons T-Rex skeleton is Halloween dino-mite, £8.

Cracking good fun: John Lewis and Waitrose large Halloween crackers, £4 for six, will make fright night go with a bang.

Spook-tacular: Rattle some bones with Sainsbury’s floating ghost, £8.

Terrifying tables: Serve spooky snacks on Asda’s Happy Halloween plates, £1 each.

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Creepy-crawlies: Wilko’s gigantic hairy spider, £5, is frightful.

Door deco: Show your street you mean business with Wilko’s skeleton door cover, £1.

Blood-thirsty: Drink up from Tesco’s iridescent skull goblet, £2. 

Cross the line: Mark out your territory with Spooky Tape, £2, from John Lewis and Waitrose.

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Pumpkin chilli

(Serves five)

Prep time: 15min 

Cook time: 60min

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YOU NEED

• 1 small/med pumpkin, or butternut squash
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, large
• 2 red peppers, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 800g chopped tomatoes, 400g
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 400g red kidney beans, drained
• 100g frozen sweetcorn
• Salt and pepper
• 2 dashes balsamic vinegar
• 1 good handful spring onions, chopped
• 1 handful jalapeños, sliced
• 1 tub soured cream
• 1 handful coriander

METHOD

Peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into 1-inch thick pieces.

In a large pan heat the olive oil over a medium heat, then add the onion and red peppers and cook for five minutes.

Add the pumpkin and garlic and lightly brown. Then add the chopped chilli, chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon and cook for two minutes then add the tomato puree and stir in.

Add the chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, red kidney beans, sweetcorn, salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and cook for 45 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.

When cooked add a dash or two of balsamic vinegar.

Serve up with chopped spring onions, coriander, jalapeños and a bowl of sour cream.

Pumpkin scones

(Serves eight)

Prep time: 25min

Cook time: 20min

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YOU NEED

• 40g butter
• 200g pumpkin flesh, cut into small pieces (or butternut squash)
• 225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 handful grated cheddar
• 1 small handful fresh coriander
• 4 tbsp milk, plus extra for brushing

METHOD

Preheat oven to 200C/fan180C/gas 6. Rub a little butter on a baking sheet to grease. Cut the pumpkin into pieces and put into a saucepan with enough water to cover.

Bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes. Drain and mash with a fork then leave to cool. Put the flour and baking powder into a bowl.

Add the butter and rub together until you get a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add the pumpkin into the mixture, then add your cheese and herbs. Also add enough milk to make a dough.

Sprinkle flour onto your work surface and knead the dough for 30 seconds.

Form the dough into balls and cut out the scones with a rounded cutter. Roughly 3cm thick.

Place on a baking tray, making sure they are spaced apart.

Use the spare bits of dough to cut out the remainder of the scones and brush with milk.

Bake the scones in the oven for around 12 minutes, until they are a golden colour. Then remove and cool.

Holly Willoughby in hysterics at children’s ‘cheeky’ Halloween drawings

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