Pumpkin Spice Latte

I'll admit, I've never tried one of those now all too famous pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks...  Why, you ask.  Well, a few years ago I bought one of their gingerbread lattes, and I've never forgiven them for it.  It was excessively sweet, without a trace of discernible coffee.  There was nothing latte-like about it.  Yet... there's been so much talk about pumpkin spice (see also) that I thought maybe it might be different... maybe I'd give it a try.  Then I came across a recipe on the kitchn.com that claimed it was even better than Starbucks.  Part experiment, part culinary adventure... with the added bonus that, unlike the Starbucks version, this pumpkin spice latte contained actual pumpkin.  I was in! 

 
Serves 3

Cooking the pumpkin first helps to remove the canned, tinny flavor; it also helps to deepen and enhance the pumkin's flavor.

Adapted from the kitchn.com

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin 
• 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (you can substitute this with a mix of a healthy 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, a healthy 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg)
• a pinch of ground cardamom
• 2 tablespoons sugar  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 cups 1% milk 
• 3 shots espresso, about 1/3 cup (if you don't have espresso try a very strong coffee)
• sweetened whipped cream (almost optional; try this one in a can)
• cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for garnish 

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat cook the pumpkin with the spice mix for 2 minutes or until it's hot and smells cooked.  Stir it a bit as it cooks. 
2. Add the sugar and stir until the mixture looks smooth.  Careful not to overcook the sugar, it will caramelize and begin to stick.
3. Add the milk and vanilla.  Mix well using a spatula to scrape up any stuck bits if necessary.  Warm gently over medium heat, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over.
4. Blend the mixture with an egg beater (or whisk) until well mixed and a little frothy.
5. Add one shot of espresso each to three mugs and add about 1/2 cup of the pumpkin-milk mixture to each mug.  Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg if desired. 

Heat the pumpkin and spices.

Melt the sugar.

Add vanilla and milk.

This is a decadently delicious latte, but one that you can feel comfortable enjoying any day of the week.  It's not too sweet, and it has a wonderful hint of pumpkin (while managing not to taste at all like a candle).  In fact, the flavors are really well balanced, with all of the ingredients complementing rather than overwhelming the espresso -- essential for any latte. 

The original posting recommends that you whip up a batch of the pumpkin-milk mixture ahead of time, store it in the fridge, and use it throughout the week.  I imagine microwaving the mixture a bit just before making your latte would speed things along nicely.  Just don't forget the whipped cream!

And now for the PSA portion of this PSL post.  These lattes are slightly addictive.  If you're at all sensitive to caffeine (or a tad bit lactose intolerant...) this may not be the drink for you.  Because you will want a second cup, maybe even a third, and by that time you will have forgotten right from wrong, left from right, day from night... and nothing else will matter... nothing but the latte.  So please keep your wits about you, and drink responsibly.