One glance at the trees on Mount Royal is enough to know that fall is here. The most cozy season of the year has arrived, signaling students to unpack their sweaters, pull out their toques, and enjoy the beautiful colours of fall before winter sets in. One key autumnal staple in both diet and home décor is the pumpkin. Whether used for pies or jack-o’-lanterns, there always seems to be some part of the pumpkin carelessly tossed into the compost. However, what may have otherwise been thoughtlessly thrown away can actually be saved and used to make a delicious snack. To solve your pumpkin waste problems, The Tribune has compiled three new recipes to make the most out of all of your next pumpkin. Carve the top off like you would with a jack-o’-lantern, then separate the seeds, flesh, and skin into three bowls. Make sure the seeds are clean of pumpkin innards.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Like sunflower seeds, but better. This is a tasty, easy recipe that you can really make your own. Any kind of spices work to season the pumpkin seeds, so get creative!

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F/177° C.

2. Take your cleaned seeds and spread them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

3. Generously sprinkle the seeds with garlic salt, or any other spice mix you like, then bake for 30-45 minutes, shaking occasionally. By the end, the seeds should be dried and crunchy. Let cool, or enjoy right away!

Recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Pumpkin Crisps

For this recipe, it’s important to thoroughly wash your pumpkin. You’re going to be eating the skin, so try to remove any dirt and blemishes.

1. Preheat your oven to 400° F/205° C.

2. Cut the pumpkin skins into long thin slices. The thinner the slice the better, since they will curl up when you cook them.

3. Put the skins in a bowl and liberally sprinkle with salt. Toss the strips, then let them sit for 10 minutes.

4. Add a small amount (1 tablespoon, give or take) of olive oil, and toss the skins again. Bake them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper for 25-30 minutes, then serve with soup or your dip of choice.

Recipe from homegrownfun.com. 

Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

These are the best pumpkin cookies you will ever taste. Though this recipe is a bit more complicated than the former recipes, it is still quite easy to make. The texture of these cookies is simultaneously chewy and melt-in-your-mouth, and goes perfectly with a cup of tea on a rainy fall day.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon groud nutmeg
• 2 cups icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• ½ cup butter, softened

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F/191° C.

2. Cut the skinned pumpkin in half and place face down on a lined baking tray.

3. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until tender.

4. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and mash the flesh in a bowl. If you’re finding it’s a bit stringy, run it through a sieve for smooth pumpkin puree.

5. Once you have that out of the way, get started on the cookies.

6. First, preheat your oven to 350° F/177° C.

7. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the ½ cup of butter and white sugar. Add the pumpkin, egg, one teaspoon of vanilla extract to the butter, and beat until smooth.

8. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.

9. Drop spoonfuls on a lined cookie sheet. Flatten slightly and bake for 15-20 minutes.

10. While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze. Combine the icing sugar, milk, melted butter, and the remaining vanilla. If the mixture is too thick, add milk as needed. Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle the icing over each one with a fork and enjoy!

Recipe from Allrecipes.com.