Pumpkin Seeds!

Oh, pumpkin seeds, how I do love thee.  You grace the stage but once a year, coinciding with one of my favoritest holidays, Halloween.  Like many of us, I never outgrew the thrill of putting on a costume and assuming a new identity.  Of handing out candy and receiving in return.  Of all things spooky, ghoulish, and creepy-crawly.  Of watching horror movies in the dark.  Of carving pumpkins, planning each year's creation well in advance and reveling in the gory guts of each pumpkin interior.

Prior to the oven

Which brings us to pumpkin seeds, a byproduct of pumpkin carving that you'd be ill-advised to waste.  Because, my friends, they are delicious - nutty, chewy, savory, salty seeds of goodness.

You've probably had plenty of pumpkin seeds that weren't very special at all.  Too much work, too much fiber, not a high enough payout.  And this is a fair conclusion, I think, based on the huge number of pumpkin seed recipes that just plain GET IT WRONG.

I'm serious.  You think you don't like seeds, make them my way.

The pale seeds TRANSFORM into these brown, crispy goodies. 

See, most recipes--almost all, in fact, that I have found--make a vital mistake.  They have you wash - and even sometimes dry - the seeds first, before seasoning and baking.  Why?  Why would you wash the pumpkin flavor away?  It just makes no sense!

Happy Halloween!

Instead, leave all the pumpkin slime on them.  It seems gross, but so does eating raw pumpkin.  Yet cook the seeds, and the pumpkin residue caramelizes and darkens to a deep brown, leaving a subtle pumpkin flavor and a big visual impact.  Amplify the savory notes with a splash of worcestershire sauce, and sprinkling of salt, and a knob of melted butter.  Bake, cool, and prepare to be spooked--who knew a pumpkin seed could be this good?

The BEST Pumpkin Seeds
I'm nothing if not modest

3 cups of pumpkin seeds (about 2 large pumpkins' worth), UNWASHED
1 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Go through unwashed pumpkin seeds and remove any large pieces of pumpkin guts.  Toss seeds with worcestershire sauce, melted butter, and salt; stir well to evenly coat.

Spread seeds on the prepared baking sheet and bake until dried, well browned, and very crispy - about 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even browning and toasting.

Cool completely before serving.  Store in an air-tight container for up to one week.  As if they last that long.