Homemade pumpkin spice latte
Fall’s here, and pumpkins seem to have found their way not only onto our porch but into the kitchen as well.
I’ve baked the requisite pumpkin bread (I will post about that soon!) and now it’s time for a true fall treat: pumpkin spice lattes. I don’t even buy pumpkin spice lattes anymore – if I have a craving (and with the air as crisp as it is, who doesn’t?), I just cook up a batch of pumpkin spice syrup at home. It’s like pumpkin pie in a cup – but with fewer calories and more caffeine. What’s not to love?
To make the syrup, first make simple syrup in a small saucepan (I combine 1 cup each of water and sugar) and simmer until dissolved, stirring often. Then add pumpkin pie spices (either about 2 tbsp. prepared pumpkin pie spice or make your own by combining 2 tbsp. ground cinnamon and ½ tsp. each ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg) and simmer for five minutes. Strain the spices out of the liquid using a sieve or cheesecloth, then add about a tablespoon of pure vanilla.
Once cooled, the syrup can be stored in the fridge for about a week — if it lasts that long!
To make a latte, combine two shots of espresso and 1 tbsp. of syrup in a mug. Fill with steamed milk, and enjoy!
