Baked Pumpkin Mushroom & Cheese Fondue with Cider

Enchant your taste buds this Halloween with a delicious mushroom & cheese fondue with cider, baked in the carved-out pumpkin like a tasty cauldron dip.

Baked Pumpkin & Mushroom Cheese Fondue with Cider

Prepare for a cheesy fondue that will enchant your tastebuds this Halloween season.

I present you with this absolutely delicious Baked Pumpkin Mushroom & Cheese Fondue made with Apple Cider.

Mushroom cheese fondue is baked in a scooped-out pumpkin.

This hot cheesy dip looks a bit like a bubbling cauldron of cheese, which is perfect for a Halloween feast.

Just get ready with your forks and chunks of bread, breadsticks or crunchy veg for dunking.

Mushroom Cheese Fondue Ingredients

To conjure this spooky dish, you will need these tasty ingredients.

1. Pumpkin - our cauldron
2. Olive Oil - for oiling the cauldron
3. Emmental & Gruyere - for that melty perfection
4. Leeks - a Scottish staple
5. Garlic  - to fend of the vampires and ghouls
6. Mushrooms - for that earthy twist
7. Cider - this one is for adults (cider is alcoholic in Scotland)
8. Cornflour - to thicken the spell
9. Dill - witches love their herbs
10. Nutmeg - for warmth on a cold night
11. Cayenne Pepper - to spice things up
12. Salt & Pepper - for the season

Variations - Vampires don't mind them!

Here are a few variations you can make to this ghoulish fondue.

• Mushrooms - skip the mushrooms
• Mozzarella - make it even stretchier and add some mozzarella
• Herbs - change them up
• Wine -  white wine instead of cider
• Chilli - for a bit of a kick

Preparation - Conjure up the pumpkin-filled fondue

Let the kitchen magic begin!

The full recipe and method is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Scoop the flesh and seeds out of your pumpkin (keep the flesh for this delicious pumpkin and tomato soup and season and bake the seeds for a tasty snack).
2. Oil the cauldron pumpkin and bake in the oven.
3. While our pumpkin cauldron bakes, saute the onion, garlic and leeks to release their enticing aromas.
4. Add the earthy mushrooms and herbs and saute until they release their juices.
5. Now add the cheese, cayenne pepper, cider and a cornflour slurry (paste) to help thicken the cauldron dip.
6. Season the witch's brew and stir well.
7. Pour into the baked cauldron pumpkin and serve. The baked pumpkin will impart even more flavour for this spooky Halloween dish.
8. Your guests will be left spellbound!
9. Enjoy!

This is real oozy stuff! 

It tastes great and the roasted pumpkin imparts a lot of flavour, but is definitely party food.

You couldn't eat too much of this on your own, it is very rich! 

Graham gave it his best shot though!

How to make it suitable for little trick or treaters

Cider in Scotland is an alcoholic beverage, so not suitable for children.

So, if you are making this melty cheese cauldron for your little monsters and witches (children), just use apple juice instead of cider.

However, if you are in America, apple cider is non-alcoholic anyway, so you are fine.

For another fun Halloween snack, try these Halloween Monster Pops.

Guisers and dooking for apples

Trick or treaters, your little spooky visitors are called guisers in Scotland.

Did you know Halloween comes from Scotland?

The name Halloween comes from a Scottish habit of shortening the real name of this Gaelic festival of Samhain, which was called All Hallows' Eve, to Hallowe'en (hallow evening).

Wee Scottish scary folk (kids), dress up to scare, just like they do in America, but they aren't allowed to shout trick or treat (although many do these days).

Scottish tradition states that children dressed up for Halloween are expected to have a party piece to perform before they are given any treats.

It could be a song, a dance, a poem, a riddle or even a joke.

So a lot of work goes into it.

The treat (gift) they are given is to ward off evil.

And then there's the dooking!

What else do Scottish children do at Halloween?

These days there is always a carved pumpkin, but when I was a child it eas a carved turnip (swede).

Not quite as easy to carve!

There is always dookin for apples.

When children dook or bob for apples, the children hold their hands behind their back and try to grab apples, floating in a bucket of water, with their teeth.

If they manage to grab the apple, they can eat it.

Another game also requires them to hold their hands behind their back while they try to bite sticky treacle-covered pancakes hanging on string, usually in a line, hanging from a washing line (yes we dry our clothes outside).

A messy old business, but lots of fun.

Fondue is more of a modern addition that I came up with, but it's fun for Halloween.

Learn more about Scottish Traditions in this article by the National Trust for Scotland.

Serving Suggestions : Tricks and Treats to dip in the fondue

Serve up the bubbling pumpkin fondue cauldron with these delightful dippers for your Halloween feast.

This is a vegetarian fondue, so only veggie dippers.

You will need forks for dunking some of these dippers.

• Breadsticks
• Crusty bread
• Potato wedges
• Roast potatoes
• Carrot sticks
• Celery sticks
• Oatcakes

What to do with leftover pumpkin flesh?

When it comes to leftover pumpkins, there are so many vegetarian dishes you can make.

1. Pumpkin soup -  simmer diced pumpkin with herbs and spices in vegetable stock, then blend with coconut milk for a rich creamy soup.
2. Pumpkin curry - saute pumpkin and onion with garlic and spices, such as cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala. Add coconut milk for a creamy curry.
3. Pumpkin risotto - make a risotto as usual, but add roast pumpkin chunks and sage at the end for a tasty autumnal dish.
4. Pumpkin spaghetti - toss roasted cubes of pumpkin through cooked spaghetti with some pine nuts, fresh herbs and grated vegetarian-style parmesan.
5. Pumpkin salad - toss roast pumpkin with salad leaves, mangetout, spinach, feta cheese and roasted spiced pumpkin seeds. Top with some balsamic drizzle.

cheese fondue, cheese and mushroom fondue, Halloween fondue, Halloween recipe

dinner

British

Yield: 8-10

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Baked Pumpkin Mushroom & Cheese Fondue with Cider

Enchant your taste buds this Halloween with a delicious mushroom & cheese fondue with cider, baked in the carved-out pumpkin like a tasty cauldron dip.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 1 large pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500g (18 oz) mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 250g (9 oz) Emmenthal cheese, grated
• 250g (9 oz) Gruyere cheese, grated
• 200ml (3/4 cup) cider (or white wine)
• 1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch), mixed to a paste with a little water
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Slice a lid off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Cut out the flesh until you are left with a 2cm (just under half an inch) wall. Reserve the flesh and seeds, see notes).
2. Brush the inside of the pumpkin with olive oil and bake in a hot oven for 20-30 minutes.
3. While the pumpkin is baking heat a little oil in a pan and cook the leeks and garlic for a few minutes until softened.
4. Add the mushrooms and dill and cook for a further 5 minutes.
5. Add the grated cheese, cider (or wine) and the cornflour paste. Season with salt and pepper and some grated nutmeg.
6. Heat gently, stirring constantly until the cheese has melted into a smooth sauce.
7. Pour the fondue into the baked pumpkin. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
8. Get dunking!

Notes

• Toss the reserved seeds in a little olive oil and spices and roast until crisp for a tasty snack.
• Use the leftover pumpkin flesh to make soup, add to stews or make a creamy pasta sauce with spices and cream.
• Leftover fondue can be spooned into an airtight container and once cool popped in the fridge for a couple of days. Make sure it is pipping hot before serving.
• It is tasty stirred through freshly cooked pasta.

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