Autumn-licious

Natalie reminded me of this recipe the other day. (Hi, Natalie!) We found it last year at Baking and Books and it's a keeper.  Though it's a little labor intensive, we actually like it better than Starbucks.  It's definitely cheaper, and a special treat made in batches on a Saturday morning.

 Here's what we do. Make a batch of these muffins, which take only a cup of pumpkin puree, leaving enough pumpkin in the bottom of a 14.5 oz can for a couple batches of the  Latte ~ which we enjoy while eating the muffins.

Let us know how you like it!




Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
(Makes 2 servings)

1 level tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup milk (whole if you dare!)
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed and leveled)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (+ a pinch for dusting later)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups strong coffee (brewed using 2 tbs per 1 cup of water)You can also use a shot or two of espresso instead of coffee.
4 tablespoons Coffeemate creamer
4 to 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar
Whipped cream


Directions:


Begin brewing coffee.


In a blender puree the milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the milk is warm and begins to froth slightly. (About 4-5 minutes.) Remove from heat.


For each serving: Pour 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture into your coffee mug. Add 2 generous tablespoons of Coffeemate creamer. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your drink, I added 3 tsps.) Top off with a touch more ‘pumpkin milk’ then cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Serve immediately.


(The lowfat version, which is also very good, can be found here.)