Pumpkin & Ginger Traybake

Turn that leftover Halloween pumpkin into cakey goodness.

You’ll need: 175g melted butter, 140g runny honey, 1 large egg, 250g raw pumpkin, grated (or butternut squash!), 100g dark brown sugar, 350g self raising flour, 1.5 tbsp ground ginger, 5 tbsp icing sugar, lemon juice.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (160 fan) and grease a 30 x 20 square tin, or a roasting tin, or whatever you have really. Beat together the butter, egg, sugar and honey before adding the grated pumpkin and ground ginger. Finally add the flour, mix it all together, pour into the tin and bake in the oven for 40-50 mins. Cooking time might vary according to what you’re cooking it in, so keep an eye on it! It’s ready when its golden and a knife poked in the middle comes out clean. Leave it to cool for 5 mins in the tin before turning it out to cool. Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice to the desired consistency, if its too thin add more icing sugar, then drizzle lovingly on top of the cake and set the flatmates loose.

Pumpkin & Ginger Soup

More leftover pumpkin possibility for savoury types.

You’ll need: As much pumpkin as you have left, 1 large onion, chicken stock, tabasco, a thumb size piece of fresh ginger grated, salt and pepper, soy sauce.

Fry the onions in a big ol’ pot until soft, add the grated ginger and as much tabasco as you dare. Chop the peeled pumpkin into cubes then throw it in, pour over boiling water until it meets the same level as the pumpkin, add a couple of chicken stock cubes then leave to simmer until the pumpkin is soft and bendable. Season generously with salt and black pepper, then ladle into bowls and drizzle over a bit of soy sauce.

Chilli with Chocolate

You’ll need: 400g beef mince, 400g tin of tomatoes, 1 red pepper, 1 onion, 1 beef stock cube, 2 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp paprika,1 tbsp chilli powder, 1 bay leaf, worcester sauce, 400g tin of kidney beans, 2 squares very dark chocolate.

Soften the onions, add the mince and cook until brown, crumble in the beef stock cube before adding the cumin, paprika and chilli powder. Add the tomatoes, chopped red pepper, bay leaf, a splash of worcester sauce and the kidney beans. Simmer for 25 mins before melting in the chocolate.

Frozen Banana Pops

Pretend you’re a member of the Bluth family, these aren’t so warming, but damn tasty.

You’ll need: Bananas, chocolate, toppings (nuts, hundreds and thousands, popping candy – whatever!)

Chop up banana, poke sticks in, dip in melted chocolate, roll around in topping, freeze for 30 mins. Easy peasy!