My sweet tooth fell out years ago and my favourite part of Halloween has nothing to do with the high-fructose corn syrup that will have my daughter on a high-fructose high for the next week or so (unless the dog gets the candy again, in which case we get low-fructose histrionics). Halloween just wouldn’t be Halloween without toasted pumpkin seeds.

I am eating them right now, less than an hour after picking them out of the slimy innards of our now-illuminated jack-o-lantern.

Just pick the slippery seeds out of the pumpkin guts, give them a good rinse and remove any pumpkin flesh. Put the oven on to 325 F.  Dry the clean seeds on a towel for a few minutes and put them in a bowl to coat with a little olive oil.  Place them on cookie sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Bake them for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Eat them while they’re hot.

Better than Smarties any day.