Halloween Burger Buns

Halloween Burger Buns

There has been some talk in the news lately about hamburger buns. Seems a fast food restaurant decided to make black hamburger buns for a Halloween promotion. Some people had issue with all the food coloring in them, specifically the black food coloring. I came up with an idea for a Halloween burger bun that I think is better. I used cooked pumpkin in the buns for a little touch of orange color and black sesame seeds on the top. You could certainly add a little orange food coloring if you want them a brighter shade of orange. Turmeric could add some natural color, too. I like them the way they are.

Halloween Burger Buns

1 c. water
1 c. cooked pumpkin or squash
¼ c. brown sugar
2 t. salt
2 pkt. Yeast
4½ -5½ c. flour
2 eggs, beaten, reserve 2 T. for brushing the rolls
Black sesame seeds

Heat together water and squash until warm. Place sugar and salt in large bowl and pour in squash mixture. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast and 2 cups of flour. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup flour and eggs and continue mixing. Add flour gradually to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured board for 7-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning dough to coat evenly. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled, about an hour. Punch dough down and divide into pieces. You should get about 18. Shape into rolls. Place on greased baking sheet and flatten a little. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes. Combine reserved egg with a couple of tablespoons of water and brush over the rolls. Sprinkle with the black sesame seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Makes 1 ½ dozen. You can certainly make the rolls larger, or smaller, depending on the size burgers you want. For slider sized buns, you should end up with about 30.
Variation: you can also add ½ t. ground nutmeg, 1-2 T. chopped chives or 1 T. parsley flakes or ½ t. cayenne for a little different flavor.