Slice of life: Perfect fall pumpkin recipes

Once upon a time in a land before Starbucks there existed this stuff we call coffee. Not half fat mocha late skinny with frappo organic raw sugar and a twist of Madagascar kumquat syrup or a Free range micro tannic free Sumatran upside down turbo tea. No we all drank COFFEE and were just glad it had enough caffeine in it to get us through the morning, finals and or keep us on deadline.

So it was with a great deal of amusement and a bit of OMG that I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that there is a nation crisis brewing (sorry couldn’t resist that one) because that aforementioned Starbucks was having black outs (oops, can’t seem to help myself) fulfilling the demand for their seasonal specialty drink, the Pumpkin Latte.

Excuse me, customers frothing at the mouth because they can’t spend over 4 dollars for a cup for pumpkin latte? Yes, I know this is a seasonal beverage of choice for millions but let’s get real here, if you can’t buy them you can make pumpkin lattes at home for a fraction of the cost and they’re just as tasty. Then, here’s a novel thought, TAKE IT WITH YOU TO WORK. Yes, it’s a bit more time consuming than driving 3 miles out of your way and through a drive through but once you make it yourself you’ll be hooked on the homemade variety AND you can save yourself bunches of money.

The WSJ article got me thinking about other pumpkin flavored drinks I’ve had over the years. Some with coffee, some with ice cream and some other very special ones for the adult’s only time made with pumpkin liqueur or rum. So it became a mission of love to dig up all the fun and funky pumpkin drink recipes (latte included) that I could so that everyone can indulge themselves and enjoy while pumpkins are in season.

ALMOST THE SAME PUMPKIN SPICED LATTE (dairy or pareve)

• 1/2 cup milk (whole, or 2%) or soy or almond milke
• 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup hot brewed, strong coffee
• 2 tablespoons half & half cream or soy/almond "cream"
• 1 teaspoon white sugar, or more to taste
• sweetened whipped cream (from a can is fine)
• ground nutmeg

In a glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, spice and vanilla. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes- watch closely and remove it from the microwave when the milk is hot and frothy. Pour the pumpkin milk into a tall mug or glass. Add hot coffee. Pour in the cream. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir, and taste. Add more sugar, if desired. Top with sweetened whipped cream on top and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Serve immediately!

Modified from RecipeGirl.com

PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE (dairy)

• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin (chilled)
• 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (chilled)
• 8 ounces vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• Sweetened whipped cream, to taste (optional)

Combine pumpkin, milk, yogurt, sugar and spice in a blender; cover. Blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into glasses; top with whipped cream (if desired) and an additional sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Serves four

APPLE PUMPKIN-TINI (pareve)

• Crushed ice
• 1 1/2 ounce pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 ounce vanilla vodka
• 2 ounces apple cider
• 1 1/2 oz ginger ale

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the pumpkin purée, vodka, and apple cider. Shake for 10-15 seconds. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and top with ginger ale.

Recipes modified from a recipe by Kelly Carámbula. She is the founder and publisher of Remedy Quarterly, an independent food magazine.

PUMPKIN SPICE MARTINI (dairy)

• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger vanilla vodka
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger Irish cream liqueur (such as Bailey's®)
• 1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger pumpkin flavored liqueur
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

In a cocktail shaker combine the ice, vodka, Irish cream liqueur, and pumpkin liqueur. Cover, and shake for at least 1 minute. Strain into a chilled martini glass, and garnish with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg to serve. Makes 1

Submitted by Richard Margonson NY, NY

ICE CREAM PUMPKIN COCKTAIL (dairy)

• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup ice (crushed)
• 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
• 1 oz half and half
• 1 oz spiced rum
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping
• 1 pinch pumpkin pie spice

In a blender or food processor combine the ice cream, ice, pumpkin, half-and-half, rum, and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Process until smooth Pour into a serving glass; top with whipped topping, sprinkle with pinch of pumpkin pie spice.

Serves 1. This recipe can be doubled or tripled.

© Eileen Goltz pumpkin drinks 12