Halloween is almost here, and that means jack o’ lanterns. And what do all jack o’ lanterns, big or small, jolly or frightful, traditional or bourgie, have in common? Pumpkin Seeds. If you’re anything like me, you only eat them once a year; they are a flavorful treat that tells me Halloween has begun and kicks off the fall/winter holiday season.

Meet Vincenzo Humunculati and Humunculotte Lenya, the jack o’ lanterns that so selflessly gave their insides, their organs and guts, to give me a little nosh in late October. These pumpkins, despite their size, and webbings of pumpkin goo, did not actually have too many seeds, but after rinsing and separating goo from pumpkin seed, I was left with about one cup of seeds to roast and eat with glee.

This year I swayed a bit from the traditional roasted pumpkin seed with plain Kosher salt, and went for something new, something a bit spicy, something to make Vincenzo and Humuculotte proud, Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds. Just as easy as the traditional, with just a handful of ingredients, these pumpkin seeds are warm, a tad piquant, and all together delicious.

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds, lime, salt, and cumin well to coat evenly. Place the seeds on a large cookie sheet, and bake, tossing frequently to make sure the seeds don’t scorch, for approximately 20 minutes. Seeds should be fragrant, and toasty brown.

Happy Halloween!