Fall is my favorite time of year and part of the reason for that is the delicious hot beverages made with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. The tastes of fall are so homey, welcoming and cozy. As an avid coffee drinker I would visit Starbucks on a much more regular basis in the autumn and order my "quad venti skinny two and a half pump pumpkin spice latte." The barista at my local Starbucks knew my order when I would go in so she would start it when she saw me come in the door before I could even have a chance to order it. I would order the "two and half pump" because Starbucks puts FIVE pumps of syrup in their venti lattes which, I think, is too much sugary syrup. You lose the pumpkin flavor let alone the coffee flavor with that much sugar! Ordering half the amount of syrup allows the spices and pumpkin flavor to warm and release into the coffee. At least that is my theory...and I'm sticking to it!
Can you tell how enthusiastic I am about this syrup!?
So, a year ago I knew I was going to be moving to Norway where there are very few Starbucks - none of them anywhere near where I live - and they don't offer the Pumpkin Spice Latte anyway.
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| The only three Starbucks in all of Norway are in Oslo! It's a 7 hour drive from my home! That's just too far for a coffee... |
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| Oslo: Also the capital of Norwegian Starbucks. (P.S. Gardermoen is the "Oslo" airport despite being further away on the map.) |
WHAT WAS I GOING TO DO!?
So I searched Pinterest for a recipe to make my own syrup. I didn't bother trying the recipe when I found it because, honestly, I was too worried that if I weren't able to find the ingredients in Norway I didn't want to be disappointed.
The main ingredient - canned pumpkin - I knew was going to be an issue. I had looked for canned pumpkin on a previous visit and found that I could order it online but I really try to shop locally first. Fortunately I was substitute teaching at the high school in Eid and after school I went to Coop Mega for groceries. They had pumpkins! COOKING pumpkins! So we bought one, of course!
There are differences in pumpkins. There is the kind that you carve into a jack-o-lantern and then there are the more flavorful baking/cooking/sugar pumpkins (depending on where you live and what is available).
If you don't have canned pumpkin puree here is how you make your own:
(Note: I had no instructions on how to do this I just made it up and it worked)
*Cut the stem off the pumpkin.
*Cut the pumpkin in half.
*Use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and stringy pulp. (Save the seeds if you want to roast them for a delicious snack later!)
*Line a baking pan/casserole dish with aluminum foil.
*Rub margarine on the exposed "meat" of the pumpkin. (real butter can burn)
*Place pumpkins "meat" side down on the foil.
*Roast at 220C until the "meat" is soft and can be mashed like potatoes.
*Let the pumpkins cool a bit before handling them. THEY WILL BE HOT!
*Scoop out the pumpkin meat into your food processor (or mash them manually)
*Store in an air-tight container in your fridge.
I was roasting a chicken the day I made the pumpkin puree so I threw the halved pumpkin in the oven with the chicken as it cooked.
Now to the syrup! (PLEASE READ THE WHOLE RECIPE BEFORE COOKING)
INGREDIENTS:
(Note: I doubled the pumpkin puree because I like the flavor but the recipe below states the original amount I found. Double it if you will.)
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| The pumpkin in the picture will be made into a pie later I just wanted to show the type I used to make the puree in the glass bowl. |
PÅ NYNORSK
3 1/2 dl vatn
3 1/2 dl sukker
4-6 stk kanelstenger
2 1/2 ml nellikmalt
2 1/2 ml ingefærmalt
5 ml muskatnøttmalt
45 ml graskarspuré
IN ENGLISH
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
4-6 cinnamon sticks
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp pumpkin puree
*Over medium-high heat dissolve the sugar in the water careful not to bring it to a boil. Stir it frequently to avoid burning.
*Whisk the pumpkin puree into the sugar/water mixture.
*Add all the spices and the cinnamon sticks.
*Simmer on medium heat for 10+ minutes stirring very frequently.
*Remove from heat and let it cool.
*Strain the syrup through a fine metal strainer or cheese cloth into a large glass measuring cup. (Using a measuring cup will help you pour it into your final container)
*Pour into a resealable container (I used a pop bottle which I washed thoroughly with soap and warm water)
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| A cozy autumn still life... |
**TO USE IN COFFEE**
I don't have an espresso maker so I made an "au lait" by pouring equal parts lett melk (2% milk) and regular black coffee into a mug (microwaved it because I don't have a steamer) and added about 2 tsp of syrup. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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| I drew a little label for my syrup and covered it with packing tape before attaching it to the bottle. |
Use your own taste and judgement to figure out what works for you.
I hope this recipe helps my fellow pumpkin spice latte fanatics get their cozy fall warm beverage fix in their own homes no matter what continent you live in!
If you try the recipe please let me know in the comments below!
