Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Seeds

Sugar & Spice Pumpkin Seeds

Dry seeds are the key to crispy seeds to be sure to dry the seeds well.  I let mine sit out for 24 hours or more.

Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
6 Tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The seeds should be lightly toasted so they may take longer or shorter depending on how dry and large they are. In a bowl large stir together 2 Tablespoons of sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seeds and sprinkle remaining sugar over the, stir with spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds. Do not over cook or it will burn! Pour seeds into the bowl with the sugar and spices and toss to coat. Allow to cool and store in air tight container at room temp.

Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Seeds

After we hulled the seeds out of the carving pumpkins, I separated the seeds from the pulp, then I washed them thoroughly in a colander and then laid them out on a dish towel to dry. They were nice and dry after sitting that way for 3 days.
Dry seeds are the key to crispy seeds.
This recipe makes the seeds taste reminiscent of pumpkin pie! Must be the pumpkin pie spice.
Anyway, they are delicious.
Here's the recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
6 Tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The seeds should be lightly toasted so they may take longer or shorter depending on how dry and large they are.

In a bowl large stir together 2 Tablespoons of sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seeds and sprinkle remaining sugar over the, stir with spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds. Do not over cook or it will burn!
Pour seeds into the bowl with the sugar and spices and toss to coat.
Allow to cool and store in air tight container at room temp.

Woman's Day Magazine - Dead Man's Dip

Woman's Day Magazine - Dead Man's Dip

Dead Man's Dip

Serves 12

Active: 1 hr/Total: 1 hr

INGREDIENTS:
1 unsliced loaf whole-wheat or brioche bread (about 1 lb)
1 regular breadstick
3 cans (14 oz each) artichoke hearts, drained
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 block (4 oz) fat-free or 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp hot red pepper sauce
Decoration: paprika and a clean plastic toy skeleton
Dippers: baby carrots; red and yellow bell pepper strips; celery sticks; cucumber slices
You'll need: two 6-in. bamboo skewers and some toothpicks

PREPARATION:
1. To make the bread coffin: Using a serrated knife, horizontally slice through top third of bread loaf, keeping top of bread attached along the long side opposite you; this will be the coffin lid. Carefully raise lid three-quarters open. Insert a skewer through bread top at each back corner of the lid, carefully threading each skewer through the bottom part of the loaf. This will keep lid open. Using kitchen shears, snip top of skewers flush with bread lid.

2. Following the contours of the loaf, and starting 1/2 in. in from loaf edges, score a rectangle in cut surface of bread bottom with a small knife. Carefully discard bread from inside the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-in. bread wall on all sides and a hollow into which to put the dip. Hollow out bread from coffin lid. Insert 3 or 4 toothpicks into breadstick along one length. Attach breadstick handle to front of coffin.

3. Pulse artichoke hearts, Parmesan, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and pepper sauce in food processor until finely chopped. (If serving hot, place dip in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high 3 minutes or until hot.) Carefully spoon dip into prepared bread coffin. Decorate with toy skeleton, if desired. Sprinkle top of dip with paprika. Serve with assorted dippers.

Plan Ahead: You can make the dip up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate, then heat in the microwave and serve hot or at room temperature. Make bread coffin up to 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

Per 1/4-cup serving: 93 cal, 5 g pro, 6 g car, 0 g fiber, 5 g fat (2 g sat fat), 8 mg chol, 401 mg sod