This morning I came across a recipe for Pumkpin Spice Latte. My taste buds were alerted as was my purse because buying the Pumpkin Spice Lattes on a regular basis will render me bankrupt. I was also sceptical as I have had a go at my own before and without much success. This recipe makes a syrup which keeps in the fridge to keep me in coffee exotica all week! I had all of the ingredients except vanilla extract, so I used maple flavouring which worked just fine. I used about 2 dessertspoons of the finished syrup in my mug of coffee and it was fabulous!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

from Coffee Krave

Ingredients for Pumpkin Spice Syrup

• 1 cup of water
• 4 cinnamon sticks and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon OR 5 tsp. of ground cinnamon
• 4 dried cloves
• 2 tsp. of shredded/grated ginger
• 1 tbsp. of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. of pumpkin puree
• 1 whole vanilla bean or 2 tsp. of vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Pumpkin Spice Latte

• 2 shots of expresso
  
• 1 cup of milk
• Whipped cream
• Caramel

1. Pour 1 cup of water into a pot
2. Add 4 cinnamon sticks, 4 cloves, and 2 tsp. of grated ginger
3. Let the water boil and extract the flavors from these ingredients (Usually 5 minutes after it starts boiling. You’ll see the water turn brown.)
4. Filter the water through a strainer and pour water into a saucepan
5. Add brown sugar while stirring and let the water heat but not boil
6. Add nutmeg
7. Add 4 tsp. of ground cinnamon if you did not use the cinnamon sticks
8. Add pumpkin puree
9. Add whole vanilla bean (split open) or 2 tsp. of vanilla extract
10. Stir for 4 minutes while mixture is cooking
11. Be sure to remove the vanilla bean pod from the saucepan once it is complete
12. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes

Recipe for Latte

1. Brew 2 shots of espresso
2. Steam 1 cup of milk
3. Combine milk, espresso, and desired amount of pumpkin syrup

Top with whipped cream, ground cinnamon, and caramel.

I didn’t use any cream or caramel, but I did make a lovely coffee, bit stronger than usual,  added 2 dessertspoons of the syrup and frothed the milk  with my Bodum milk frother.

With my new fall coffee favourite, I had a Rock Cake which is a British school Home Economics class staple, with good reason, they are delicious and hard to mess up!

Rock Cakes (not made with rocks..)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg beaten
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup raisins (I soaked mine in the juice and rind of a lemon before using)

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, baking powder and cinnamon (if using) and rub in the cold butter until it all looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.

Mix in the raisins. Add enough egg and milk (go steady here, don’t just dump it all in, a bit at a time) to bring the mix to a stiff dough which is almost crumbly, but will stay together in ‘cakes’.

Make about 10 rough mounds on your prepared tray. I sprinkled mine with brown sugar before baking.

Rock Cake

‘Where’d you go Bernadette?’ by Maria Semple is one of my new favourite reads. I loved it from beginning to end. The characters are all excellent and I hated and loved a little part of each of them. A thought provoking read without being airy fairy, a good solid story with great people.
I hope this is a book I will remember, I have to confess, I usually don’t remember books very well a few months after I have read them. They stay with me, and a part of it will hang around in my memory, but often times I won’t remember most of it.