Pumpkin Spice Latte

It feels like forever since I've posted something and I've really missed it! In between the mayhem that's been the last 3 weeks and not having internet I've completely missed the boat on a Halloween theme post, and I really really wanted to talk about Pumpkin Spice Latte (or PSL for short). I'm so late that PSL season is over at Starbucks and they've moved on to Christmas themed coffee! Its not even winter yet guys! Halloween is such a big thing here it really novel for me.

Miss B introduced me to PSL a few weeks ago, describing it as Autumn in a cup. Though I was initially dubious I really really liked the couple of sips I had of hers. Sadly, every PSL I tried to buy at Starbucks after that wasn't quite as pumpkin-y, and I was even more disappointed to discover that the only thing that makes it a PSL is pumpkin spice syrup, there's not actually any pumpkin in it. However, a quick google search revealed a different story and I was quite delighted to find that people actually put real pumpkin in their PSLs. Yep, real mashed pumpkin or pumpkin from a tin. I was so excited that I *had* to make my own as well. Pumpkin from a tin is not available here (not that I could find anyway) but I did manage to find these super cute mini pumpkins that yielded just the right of pumpkin once mashed.



After reading a bunch of recipes online, here's what I ended up doing

1. Make pumpkin pie spice (all ground stuff from a jar): 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part ground cloves, 1 part all spice, 1 part nutmeg, 1 part ginger.

2. Get mashed pumpkin: I chopped up one of my mini pumpkins, boiled it and mashed up the flesh. There ended up being about 2 tablespoons or thereabouts of mashed pumpkin. I'd recommend putting it through a sieve unless you want fibrous stringy bits in your coffee.

3. Heat up milk: with a spoon or two of pumpkin pie spice (adjust to taste) and a spoon or two of sugar. If you want froth but don't have a coffee machine, an alternative is to put the heated milk in a coffee plunger and agitate the milk (i.e. move the plunger up and down really quickly and repeatedly until you get foam).

4. Mix together: the milk, mashed pumpkin with your espresso or instant coffee.

Pretty simple right? and tastes just as good as Starbucks - if not better, since its just the way you want it. Here's Patch Bear (still surrounded by pumpkins) enjoying his cup of PSL



And for kicks, Mr T carved the bigger pumpkin that I found. Rather successful don't you think?