Pumpnickers Bar

I love roasted pumpkin seeds. They're best when picked straight out of pumpkin goo and slow-roasted in the oven, smothered in parmesan/garlic or cinnamon/sugar. YUM! And so I began to wonder: could pumpkin seeds be enjoyed another way, say in bar form? The fusion challenge provided inspiration. Roasted pumpkin seeds could be fused with the Snickers bar, already infused with caramely, nutty goodness.

(Photo: my bucket o' pumpkin seeds.)

Ingredients/supplies: Fresh pumpkin seeds, sugar, salt, butter, Snickers bar, vegetable oil, wax paper. Quantities of some ingredients may vary; read on.

Directions: Start by roasting seeds. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine pumpkin seeds with melted butter in a large bowl. (Amount of butter depends on amount of seeds- about a tablespoon per 3 cups of seeds.) Sprinkle in sugar and salt in equal amounts to taste (Again, amount depends on seeds, but you want them coated.) Spread mixture on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast until seeds are browned and crispy. At minimum, it will take 45 minutes. I roast mine for 2 hours because I like them very crispy.


When seeds are done, prepare bar. Carefully unwrap the Snickers bar (save wrapper) and place it in a large cup or bowl. Microwave it until melted, checking and stirring every 30 seconds to make sure it doesn't burn-- chocolate burns easily. When melted, add a tiny amount of vegetable oil (less than 1/4 tsp.) to make it more stir-able. This is a chocolate-molding trick my mom taught me.

Now fuse! Mix a small handful of seeds-- I'd say 20 if they're small or 10 if they're large-- into the Snickers mixture. Stir thoroughly. Lay a piece of wax paper on top of a plate. Spoon mixture onto wax paper, then use your fingers to mold it into the shape of a bar. Wrap wax paper tightly around it and quickly place in the freezer. Freeze 15 minutes to set shape, then move to refrigerator for 1 hour. Carefully re-wrap your bar in the Snickers wrapper, just for fun.

Results: I was apprehensive at first, but the Pumpnickers bar was DELICIOUS!!! A candy bar fusion revolution! Lee had to ask me to pose for the thumbs-up photo, because I just wanted to chow down. It had just a hint of pumpkin flavor, good texture, smooth chocolatey aftertaste. It seriously made me want to try mixing other stuff into candy bars... sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, candied oranges, beef jerky...