This Halloween we are grateful to be living our new ‘normal’ following a long 18 months with COVID cancelling our favourite holidays!
Here at China Blue, we are doing things a little differently this year! We have a small selection of Halloween décor in our shop but we are trying to encourage a more sustainable October 31st.
A not so fun fact – Over the course of Halloween in the UK, it is estimated that we throw away 13 million pumpkins and produce over 2000 tones of plastic waste.
So ….. our studio shelves are filled with spooky ceramics ready for you to create your own Halloween decorations and displays! You can design and paint your own pottery to use year after year, rather than buying single use items. Creating keep sake items like these not only have sentimental value but are also a great activity for the whole family!
Paint a scary skull or add some colour to a witch or wizard! We have small pumpkins to hold tea lights and large ones to fill with candy! Our deli area has plenty of sweet and sour confectionary to prepare you for when trick or treaters come knocking!
Our café, Wild Thyme Deli & Kitchen will be stocked with freshly baked spooky cakes by our talented pastry chef, Tori.
Below, Tori shares her favourite pumpkin muffin recipe for the carvings that usually end up in the bin, so nothing goes to waste!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
This recipe makes 12 delicious fluffy muffins!
Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- 150g dark soft brown sugar
- 1tbsp baking powder
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ ground nutmeg
- 225g buttermilk
- 85g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
- 1 medium egg
- 250g pumpkin pure (method below)
- 1tsp vanilla essence
- 180g dark chocolate chunks
1) To create a pumpkin pure, keep all of the pumpkin flesh you scrape out when carving your Halloween display. Steam until soft and the pureed in a blender. Set to aside to cool. (You could do this the day before you bake your muffins – just store in the fridge!)
2) Pre-heat your oven at 180degrees.
3) Whisk together sieved flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
4) In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, egg, pumpkin puree and vanilla essence.
5) Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and fold together to combine. Be careful not to over mix!
6) Fold in the dark chocolate chunks and divide into muffin cases.
7) Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester skewer come out clean.
Leave to cool and then enjoy!!
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