You know it???s fall when you find Pumpkin in EVERYTHING
When you live in a climate like Northern California???s, Autumn really isn???t that much different from Spring or Winter. So, how do I know the season has changed? Just check out the menu at any coffee shop. Starbuck???s is featuring a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pumpkin mixed with espresso, blended with classic spices, (do I taste nutmeg and cinnamon?) and topped of course, with the requisite whipped cream, and MORE spice. Sounds delicious. And, like all espresso specialties, rather expensive.
So, how would one get these tastes at home? Well, I wouldn???t recommend stirring raw pumpkin into your coffee. That sounds less ???delicious,??? and more ???stringy mess.??? But for those like me who need some fail proof methods, it???s not so cut and dried. Some recipes will have you simply sprinkle a store bought pumpkin pie spice blend into your coffee. But I like a little more luxury than that.
My preferred method:
Set a nice, medium roast coffee to brew. While that???s working, warm up about a half cup of heavy cream or half and half in a saucepan. No boiling here, just warming. Sugar the cream to your taste (I pour about 5 teaspoons of sugar in here. Seriously). Brown sugar is best, but work with what you like. Make sure you whisk the sugar and cream until well incorporated. No graininess allowed here. Once your sugar is incorporated, stir in a tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin. Give it a taste, add more pumpkin if desired. Grate a pinch of fresh nutmeg and sprinkle about a teaspoon of cinnamon into the pumpkin cream. Once your coffee is ready, pour in your pumpkin cream. Viola! You can save the leftover pumpkin cream for subsequent use, but I wouldn???t keep it more than a few days.
