South Africans love any opportunity to dress up, socialise, and share delicious food which is probably why many have come to embrace the traditionally American holiday of Halloween. Celebrated on 31 October, Halloween centres on dressing up in fun and frightening outfits before trick-or-treating in the neighbourhood, and returning home with bucket loads of sweets. With the pumpkin being a popular symbol of this celebration, the team from Laager Rooibos has put a local spin on the traditional American pumpkin pie, and also shared some fun activities to try!
“We want to bring a taste of South Africa into this year’s Halloween and there’s nothing more South African than Rooibos!” says Candice Sessions, Laager Rooibos Marketing Manager. “Whether you’re participating in the Halloween-inspired costumes and treats, or just getting together as a family, this delicious Laager Rooibos Pumpkin Pie recipe is a must-try. We’ve also put together some fun pumpkin-related activities that will keep the little ones entertained as well.”
Laager Rooibos Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
1 sheet shortcrust pastry
250 g cream cheese, softened
410 g pumpkin puree
½ cup butter melted and cooled
2 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 Laager Pure Rooibos teabag (cut open bag and remove leaves)
¼ tsp salt
2 cups heavy cream
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese for 5 minutes until light and fluffy, scrape the sides down often with a spatula.
3. Add pumpkin and mix for another 5 minutes.
4. Add melted butter and vanilla and mix for 1 minute.
5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
6. Add icing sugar, cinnamon, allspice, tea leaves and salt.
7. Place short-crust pastry in a deep-dish pie pan. Blind-bake for about 10-12 minutes.
8. Once out of the oven, pour pumpkin pie filling into the pie crust.
9. Place the pie dish onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes
10. Reduce oven temperature to 175 degrees Celsius and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes. Cover the pie with foil to prevent too much browning.
11. Leave to cool for about 1 hour. Then, let chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
12. Top with freshly whipped cream.
Pumpkin Decorating Activities
Making the Laager Rooibos Pumpkin Pie will only require the inner goodness of the pumpkin. This leaves the shell of the pumpkin which can be used for some fun children’s Halloween activities.
1. Carving Pumpkins
Carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns is a traditional Halloween activity, just remember to help younger children with the cutting and carving. Get the children to design and draw the face on the pumpkin, as well as scoop out all the seeds* before you carve. You can then place candles inside the pumpkin and set them outside to get in the spirit of Halloween.
2. Pumpkin Painting
If you want to bypass the hassle of carving or have much younger children, then they can do some pumpkin painting instead! Give the children some permanent markers or paint and let them interpret Halloween in whatever way they please. They can even add stickers, leaves, flowers… anything to add a bit of Halloween flair.
3. Pumpkin Centrepieces
Another great pumpkin decorating idea, particularly if you’re hosting guests, is crafting a pumpkin centrepiece. Cut a hole at the top of the pumpkin and place a jar or glass inside. Then get the children to go around the garden collecting wildflowers, grasses, branches, and any other natural decorative items which they can use to create the centrepiece.
*Don’t forget you can also have a lot of fun with the pumpkin seeds so don’t through them away! Hang onto them and let them dry out so they can be used for arts and crafts – or even toasted as a delicious snack!
Laager Rooibos has a range of Pure Rooibos and flavoured Rooibos teas, including a range designed specifically for kids, under the Tea4Kidz brand. To access a range of healthy recipes, advice and tips, visit the Joekels website at www.joekels.co.za, or @LaagerRooibosTea on Facebook and Instagram.
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Author: Agnes Matladi from Olivia Jones Communications on behalf of Joekels.
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