Single Serve Better Than Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

It's autumn. Pumpkin everything is here. Either you love all the pumpkin things or it's like a pumpkin nightmare on Halloween. I happen to fall into the love all the pumpkin things category, including the very seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte. I'm not willing to justify spending my money at Starbucks to enjoy one, though.

Don't get me wrong. Gift me a Starbucks card and I'll be there in a minute. I just don't have it in my budget.

Now, down here in Texas we really haven't had any days that have felt like autumn. We are supposed to get a cold front tomorrow, so maybe, just maybe we'll be blessed with autumn temperatures for a day or two. Still, the weather hasn't stopped me from enjoying a homemade pumpkin spice latte. It's actually quite easy to make.

While the recipe calls for milk, it can easily be adapted to a nondairy/vegan version. Our favorite nondairy milk right now is the Silk Vanilla Protein blend with almond and cashew milk. If you use the Silk Vanilla or any other vanilla flavored, sweetened nondairy milk, be sure to omit adding vanilla and sugar to the latte. If replacing the dairy with a plain nut milk, you'll still need to add vanilla and sugar to taste.

My coffee of choice is the Deathwish Vahalla Java blend. It's a great option for this recipe since you'll want a strong coffee, but of course, use whatever blend you favor.

Single Serve Pumpkin Spice Latte

1 C dairy or nut milk

1Tbsp pumpkin puree

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup strong hot coffee

Optional: whipped cream, dash of nutmeg

Heat milk over medium just until hot. Whisk in pumpkin puree and sugar. Remove from heat and add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and the hot coffee. Pour into a mug and, if desired, top with whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg. 

*Recipe may be doubled to share with a friend. 

Perfect Pumpkin Scones with Pumpkin Spice Icing

When autumn rolls around, people seem to divide into to camps. The one's who go crazy putting pumpkin into everything and the ones who mutter, "Meh" under their breath as their pumpkin crazed friend lists all the pumpkin related recipes he or she has made. Everything from pumpkin soup to pumpkin spice lattes. It's an obsession for some.

I must admit, I fall into the pumpkin lovers camp, An absolute favorite around here is my recipe for Pumpkin Pancakes. And for your dog, try these Wheat Free Pumpkin Dog Biscuits. 

I love making scones. They are simple and delicious with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa on a cool autumn morning. So, with my pumpkin cravings in mind, I whipped up a batch of pumpkin scones yesterday morning. There were no regrets. I may have to make another batch next weekend!

I recommend baking scones on a pizza stone. They bake more evenly and come out perfect. I always had problems with burnt bottoms when I used a cookie sheet, but not with my pizza stone. 

Pumpkin Scones

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree, chilled
• 3 1/2 Tbsp buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp half and half

Pumpkin Spice Icing

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin puree
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp half and half

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thoroughly mix together in a large bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and both sugars. Break butter into small pieces and cut into flour mixture until butter is no longer visible. I prefer using my hands, but you can also use a pastry cutter or a food processor on pulse. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Pour into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dust a surface with flour and knead into a circle. Slice dough into 8 wedges. Dough will be sticky.

Transfer dough wedges to a baking stone or a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Brush with 1 Tbsp half and half. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes before drizzling with icing.

For icing:
Whisk together powdered sugar, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and half and half. Drizzle spoon fulls of icing over cooled scones, or pipe icing onto scones by using a plastic sandwich bag and cutting a small hole in one corner.

Best eaten warm, but may be stored in an airtight container for breakfast the next morning :-)

Wheat Free Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

After my oldest son's dog died, we ended up with Leo, a typical sassy, aloof cat. He has been a great addition to the family, but little man wanted a dog. So, I finally relented with a promise that we'd look for an older rescue dog after school let out. Well, that's not quite how it happened. A few weeks before the end of school a friend of mine posted photos of the cutest little puppy to her Facebook timeline. He was in need of a home. My friend is a foster for dogs and had been at the local shelter after hours to pick up a couple dogs that were going to foster homes when a man drove up with the puppy. His intentions were to drop the puppy off at the shelter. Did I mention the shelter was closed? So, yeah, he was dumping the little guy on the shelter steps with the off chance he'd be found alive in the morning. Like a puppy was just going to sit there until they opened their doors. My friend rescued the little guy and took him home, but couldn't keep him due to a house already full of dogs. You can guess where this story is headed. Yes, weeks before school was out we adopted a slobbery, energetic, uncivilized mess of a puppy, and we couldn't be happier.

Julius

His name is Julius, evidently taken from Paul Frank's Julius Jr. ( little man named him). He has chewed up more than one shoe left unattended. He sneaks off with the kids stuffed animals and hides them in his crate. He irritates the cat, though I think Leo secretly likes him. But what cat can admit to liking a dog? Julius loves to play fetch and go on walks. We even took him with us to South Padre Island, where he seemed perplexed by the never ending waves and loved frolicing in the sand.

At the Beach

I picked up some treats for Julius at our local pet store out of their bulk bin. There were three different kinds because I wasn't sure what he'd like. He ate the fresh breath minty biscuits, but wasn't totally sold on them. His favorite were the pumpkin flavored ones. I decided I could probably make them at home cheaper, while also making use of that darned dog bone shaped cookie cutter that has been sitting in the cookie cutter drawer untouched for who knows how long. Eons, maybe. So today little man helped me bake up a batch for Julius. And apparently, he approves. He gave me his sappy-eyed "please can I have another" look after gobbling up the one little man had given him.

Brown rice flour is easy for dogs to digest. Evidently pumpkin is supposed to be calming to their tummies too, though as I type this there is an uncanny smell wafting up from the dog sleeping at my feet, so I am unsure if that is true. But, then again, he's a living vacuum eating what ever food the boys drop on the floor so that might not be a fair assessment.

Wheat Free Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbsp dry milk
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together pumpkin and eggs until smooth. Add dry milk, sea salt, and brown rice flour, combining with hands to form a stiff dough. Roll dough out on floured surface, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, depending on the size of your dog. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. Bake 15 minutes, turn biscuits over, then bake for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in air tight container in the refrigerator. 

Pumpkin Pancakes with Hot Cider Sauce

I have been making these pancakes since 1993. When I did the math and realized that meant I had been making them for 19 years I felt kind of, well, old. I discovered the recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Celebrations Magazine. Around here they are  known as pumcakes, as my oldest son affectionately named them. For an extra treat serve them with the hot cider sauce. You won't be disappointed.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 C. all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 C milk

1/2 C canned pumpkin

2 slightly beaten egg yolks

2 tbsp canola oil or coconut oil

2 egg whites

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and stir until just blended.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into pumpkin mixture.

Cook on hot lightly greased  skillet or griddle until bubbly. Turn and cook until lightly brown on both sides.

Hot Cider Sauce

3/4 C apple cider or apple juice

1/2 C packed brown sugar

1/2 C light corn syrup

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbly. Simmer about 20 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Let stand 30 minutes before serving to thicken.