PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 1mins
Cooking time 1mins

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all ingredients in a small bow. Mix well. Store in an airtight container for up to one year.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

2 tablespoons canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix, plus more to garnish
freshly ground black pepper, a pinch
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar (Splenda or Stevia)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup half and half (whole milk, reduced fat or skim milk if you must)
1/4 cup hot espresso OR strong brewed coffee
sweetened whipped cream for serving
Combine the milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pepper and vanilla in a medium microwave safe bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole. Microwave until the milk is hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk vigorously until the milk mixture is foamy, about 30 seconds.

Pour the espresso or coffee into a large mug and add the hot, foamed milk mixture. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

STEAMER
A “steamer” is simply steamed milk plus your choice flavored syrup. Heat milk in the microwave, on the stovetop or using a frother, making sure it does not come to a boil. Pour into a mug, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons flavored syrup, to taste. Tip: You can find Torani Italian Syrups at a considerable discount at Cost Plus World Markets, now located in 35 states and counting. Check the site for a store near you.

A milk frother, less than $20, makes it so easy to turn out perfect steamers and lattes at home.

DIY FLAVORED SYRUP
Coffee shop coffees taste so great because of those delicious syrups they add, but you can make them yourself and avoid those expensive trips to the coffee shop. All syrups have a base of 2 cups to sugar into 2 cups water in a sauce pan, set over low heat. Stir constantly until the sugar completely dissolves. Add in vanilla extract, caramel, or mashed raspberries to taste, depending on the flavor of syrup you desire. Stir until combined. For the raspberry syrup, you’ll want to strain out the berry chunks.

TIPS AND TRICKS
LEFTOVER COFFEE
It’s not easy to toss excellent coffee down the drain simply because it is no longer ideally fresh—especially when it’s made from beans you’ve roasted yourself. Don’t. Pour it into ice cube trays and you’ll never drink wataered down coffee again.

Once frozen, pop the cubes into a zip-type bag to be stored in the freezer. Coffee cubes are ideal in place of ice for iced coffee and other summertime blended coffee drinks. Coffee cubes come in very handy when a recipe calls for just a small amount of brewed coffee, too.

A true coffee addict will love cookies or brownies that use coffee instead of water in the recipe.

MORE: Cooking with Coffee

GO COLD BREW
Cold-brewing your own coffee is both easy and cheap, and it offers a much different taste (less acidic) than hot-brewed coffee. To do it, soak ground coffee beans in water for 12 hours (overnight), and then strain out the grounds. Now you can either pour this coffee over ice and add cream and sweetener, or you can heat it up in the

JUST A PINCH
Don’t suffer through bitter coffee. A pinch of salt added to the grounds prior to brewing counteracts the bitterness and gives the coffee a smoother taste.