Hocus Pocus! A Quick and Easy Halloween Dip That Disappears Like Magic

Halloween looks a little different for me these days. I’m no longer the one getting the house ready for the trick-or-treat parade. Now I’m more likely to be at my daughter’s house, helping hand out the candy and watching my granddaughters head off into the night. I love that.

Before I go, I leave a box of treats on my own doorstep, with some bottled water and a note that says: “Help yourself, but please take only one.” And every year, when I get home, there are still a few treats left in the box. That warms my heart more than I can say.

Still on the Pumpkin Bandwagon

Last month I confessed that I’d finally climbed aboard the pumpkin bandwagon. Well, I haven’t climbed off. Is anyone else still riding along with me? At this rate, pumpkin may become a year-round thing in my kitchen.

And Halloween, the very last day of October, feels like the perfect excuse to double down.

Meanwhile, the Grown-Ups

I love seeing the kids dressed up. There is something wonderful about watching another generation get excited about Halloween: the costumes, the friends, the last-minute fixes, the running around, the bowl of candy by the door. And all of us standing in the doorway calling out, “Be safe! Have fun! Be careful!”

So what are the grown-ups doing? Standing around the kitchen island with something good to eat and something good to drink. That’s my kind of Halloween.

At this stage of life, my idea of a Halloween treat has changed. I don’t need my food to look like an eyeball or a finger. Give me a good dip, something crunchy to scoop it up with, a glass of wine and a few friends around the table. Now that is a treat I can get excited about.

This dip is perfect for it. It’s creamy, salty, a little sweet, with a little heat. Feta and pumpkin are wonderful together, but it’s the lemon that makes it. Best of all, it takes less than five minutes to put together, so it’s ideal for last-minute drop-in guests, or for taking with you when you’re the one dropping in. It’s what I’ll be carrying to my daughter’s this year, because I never arrive empty-handed.

La Limone Spicy Pumpkin, Feta and Lemon Dip

For the Dip

• 1 cup pumpkin purée, preferably homemade
• 6 oz feta
• ¾ cup thick Greek yogurt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, very finely minced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Black pepper, to taste

For the Topping

• A drizzle of hot honey
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• A little crumbled feta
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• A little lemon zest

Method

1. Put all the dip ingredients in a bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
2. Spoon into a shallow bowl and use the back of a spoon to make a few swirls.
3. Drizzle with the hot honey and olive oil, then scatter over the pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta and lemon zest.
4. Serve with toasted pita, crostini, crackers and some fresh vegetables for dipping.

Hocus pocus and a little abracadabra: this one will disappear.

And while the grown-ups are polishing off the dip and the wine, I’ll probably be sneaking a chocolate or two from my granddaughters’ haul. Because you are never too old for Halloween candy.

Stay well zested!

Over to You:

How do you celebrate Halloween now that the trick-or-treating years are behind you? And what do you like to bring along? I’d love to hear in the comments.