We’ve put together a series of cool pumpkin carving templates that you can use to give your Halloween decorations a spooktacular twist. The templates are suited for different levels of expertise, so whether this is your first carving experience or you’re a neighbourhood champion, we’re sure you’ll have lots of fun trying these.
Simply download and print the template of choice, cut out the areas that you would be carving, tape it to the prepped up pumpkin and use a marker to trace the lines. That’s it, you’re all set to dig in with your tools and transfer the design onto the pumpkin.
If you’re spending this Halloween indoors, as recommended by the government, you could also try this delicious and healthy stuffed pepper recipe that you can easily make at home. The recipe would feed 4 greedy ghouls, but you can always make more for later.
Ingredients:
4 mixed peppers
Glug of olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 courgette, thinly chopped
200g pouch mixed grains
2 tbsp tomato puree
Zest of 1 lemon
Bunch of coriander, chopped
Method:
1. Slice the tops off all the peppers and put them to one side for later. Remove all seeds and flesh from inside each pepper. Now use a knife to carve some petrifying pepper faces. You can keep the offcuts as we’ll use them later. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
2. Heat a pan, add the oil and use a medium heat to soften the onion. This will take about 10 minutes. Next, stir in your crushed garlic, chopped courgettes, and the offcuts from the pepper. Fry for another 10 mins until everything is soft.
3. Add the grains and tomato paste to the pan. Stir it all together for a minute or two so it’s piping hot. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest and coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pop a few good dollops of the mixture into each pepper then put the pepper tops back on. Arrange the peppers in a deep roasting tin and cover with foil. Bake for 25 mins, take the foil off, then bake for a further 10 mins. When they’re done, they should all be squidgy and piping hot - ready for little vampires to get their teeth into!
Let us know if you give the templates or recipe a go and don’t forget to share pictures of your creations with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
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