Ingredients
2 cups pumpkin seeds
10 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons peanut oil
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut pumpkins (a medium pumpkin contains about a cup of seeds) open from the bottom, removing seeds with a long-handled spoon. Separate flesh from seeds and discard. Floating the mess in water really helps separate the seeds from the flesh, and the seeds float to the top. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl combine 6 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and 4 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and the pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week, but they’ll never last that long, even if you double this recipe.
