My mom texted me last week to brag that she Santa's got all of his stocking stuffers wrapped. Tonight she posted pictures of homemade sugar cookies with neon icing on Facebook. Overachiever.
I've done no holiday shopping yet this year. And absolutely no baking since Thanksgiving - unless you count these nutella truffles, which you shouldn't because they don't actually require an oven. I have about a week left to get my butt in gear or else...can I bring a bag of these Moroccan spiced pepitas to our annual family white elephant gift exchange? Someone brought homemade peach moonshine last year, so I think it's probably a safe choice.
Alright, so maybe I am more prepared than I let on. With a jar of this walnut cocoa brownie mix and a bag of these Moroccan spiced pepitas labeled and ready to go, I've got two people crossed off my gift list. Not to spoil the surprise, I'll keep you guessing who these spiced pepitas are heading off to (could it be you?).
There's a wide variety of spices used throughout Morocco, and using many different spices to create a flavorful dish is common, according to Christine Benlafquih. The spices used on these pepitas are pulled from many of the common ground spices used in ras el hanout in Moroccan cooking. Feel free to add different spices - look to Christine Benlafquif for inspiration on common spices used in Moroccan cuisine!
Back when Phi and Alanna came over to grind everything in sight into flour, we served up a mixed green and persimmon salad on the side of our homemade chickpea ravioli. Phi sprinkled a few spiced pepitas on top that she whipped up so quickly we didn't even see what went into the pan, except I overheard her mutter "lemon pepper" under her breath. The pepitas were the star of the salad.
For pasta night take two, Alanna brought over some fresh market greens and another sweet fuyu persimmon. She toasted a pan of pepitas, guessing at what spices might have gone into Phi's rendition. Unfortunately for her, our DIY spice rack still uses a super-effective 3-year-old post-it note labeling system, and she mistook the cayenne for paprika, adding a heaping fiery spoonful to the bowl.
Her seeds could make a strong man sweat, but don't think for one second that stopped us from scattering them over our salad.
The recipe here pulls inspiration from Moroccan cuisine, known for its rich uses of spices. Pulling from that for inspiration, I mixed in holiday-inspired cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger with more savory cumin and paprika, for a simple snack with layers of spices. While we've been nibbling on handfuls and tossing them on all of our salads of late, they pair most beautifully with the subtle sweetness of a crisp fuyu persimmon and a tart dab of goat cheese over a bed of balsamic-kissed greens.
For a super quick and easy holiday gift, bag them up and slap one of these printable labels on the front.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw pepitas, shelled pumpkin seeds
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper
- ½ - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix all of the spices together in a medium bowl.
- Toast the pepitas in a cast-iron skillet, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, toss the warm toasted pepitas with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
- Add the spices and toss to coat. Let rest until cooled completely.
- Transfer to paper bags to store for up to a month.
- Serving suggestions: Eat them by the handful (yum), or toss on top of a salad with mixed greens, fuyu persimmons, goat or feta cheese, and a splash of balsamic.
Maryanne @ the little epicurean -
Let's not talk about holiday shopping. That's what this weekend is for. But if the check-out lines are too long and I'm too late to order anything online, I'll be keeping these pepitas and your walnut brownies in mind :)
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking -
UGH. Holiday shopping. I haven't even started, let alone thought of anything good... My family just might all get cookies. Or something food-related that I can easily bake. So I totally think your pepitas for the white elephant gift exchange are perfect! :) And that animated gif? Love. Pinned!
Chris @ Shared Appetite -
You are the DIY gift queen!!!! Love these pepitas... and I know Asheley would flip over them. She's a big fan of pepitas. And again... gotta say, that Sprout thing is SO cool!!!!
Sarah Menanix -
I think I know what she's getting in her stocking;) ;)
annie@ciaochowbambina -
Such a great DIY gift! Loving the labels...adorable...and loving the idea of spicy pepitas...it will be hard to share! Pinned!
Alanna -
Girl! This post is epic. Do you sleep?! I loved those pepitas (the non-spicy version!) and the labels are adorable! And I'm glad you finally put those tiny bowls to good use. ;) Love love love these photos.
Sarah Menanix -
Aw - Thank you so much! (And no, not nearly enough. My acupuncturist warned me of getting chronic fatigue syndrome and now I'm terrified.)
ellie | fit for the soul -
Oh noooooo this is just too cute, Sarah!!!! I literally melt at many things, and one of them is cute writing with cute vintage-y labels. Wish I had this for my wedding. :( But beautiful post, and loving that pop-up writing on the pic ;) And let's not talk about overachieving....one thing I'm totally behind on for Christmas, haha. Have a beautiful Monday girl!
Sarah Menanix -
Awww - Maybe for an anniversary party instead?? :) Thank you so much, Ellie! I should probably get to bed so I can get up early and get some holiday shopping in (online...because....well, I don't like the crowds!).
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance -
Love the amazing flavors you used on the pepitas and the equally amazing packaging that you put them in! These would make great take-home gifts at Christmas. Pinned :)
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks for sharing it, Christina! These little bags are my new favorite (as you'll see again later this week haha).
Valerie -
Looove the packaging for these! So cute and festive <3 Looks very tasty as well of course :) Another great recipe! xx
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom -
oh my gawd, I LOVE that your mom is posting pictures of homemade sugar cookies with neon icing on Facebook!!! I can barely get mine to understand her newsfeed!! :P love love love these moroccan spiced pepitas!!! so perfect for snacking and gift giving!!! and love the free printables.. so cute! Happy holidays!!
Sarah Menanix -
Haha - WELL, I just learned last night that she thought that if she hashtagged something on Facebook it automatically posted it to her Instagram feed. Hahaha - #facepalm. Thank you so much, Alice!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan -
I want to eat these!! And also the cayenne version. Plus a goat cheese salad please. YUM. Adorable labels, as always!!
Sarah Menanix -
Come visit and I'll make you a salad. (I'm going to have this as my canned response to you always until it happens, k?).
Trish - Mom On Timeout -
Now I want a Sprout. And how have I never heard of this before??? You are my teacher Sarah...teach me more! Love the packaging, love the pepitas, love it ALL!
Sarah Menanix -
It just came out like a month ago! So here it isssss - one of the first few previews of it. Hehe. Thank you so much, Trish! I have way too much fun wasting time making pretty packaging;)
Julie -
These are adorable and I LOVE the packaging!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely -
Your mom is WAY ahead of me! I could take a page from her book. I did most of my Christmas shopping this week, all online. It was wonderful! I love these Moroccan spiced pepitas. Such a cute little DIY gift.
Sarah Menanix -
I STILL haven't gotten anything for my husband (the hardest person to shop for!). Can I give him pepitas? Haha. Thanks!
Katie | lovely letters -
The cutest packaging ever!! Hope you're doing well. Miss you so!
xx Katie
Sarah Menanix -
Aww - thank you lady! Miss you too! Hope you're having a festive holiday season!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext -
Such a delicious and tasty gift idea! Love Moroccan flavours, so good!
Sheri -
Adorable! These would be a great sprinkled on butternut squash soup!
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West -
You're good! I love the hand-writing function on the Sprout!
Sarah Menanix -
Aw - thanks! It's tough to get use to, but so much fun to write on.
Jessica | A Happy Food Dance -
These look crazy addictive Sarah! I have a feeling I could finish them all in one sitting
Sarah Menanix -
Ha - I totally ate a whole bowl while writing this post!
Sarah | Broma Bakery -
If I can go on a tangent, I posted my mint chocolate covered oreos on Reddit the other day, and someone responded being like these should not be on the baking subreddit. You just covered oreos in chocolate. I was like uhhh just because it doesn't require an oven doesn't mean it's not baking, lady. And i firmly believe it! So yeah, you HAVE baked with those nutella truffles. You have. Hmph.
Sarah Menanix -
Bahaha - Count on Reddit to pick apart every single thing about a recipe! Your chocolate covered Oreos TOTALLY COUNT as baking.
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen -
I want this!!!! Will you send me some???
Sarah Menanix -
Only if you send me flavored sugarrrrrrrrrrr. ;)