Pumpkins are a big part of the fall season in New England.
Pumpkin coffee, iced pumpkin spiced lattes, and pumpkin spices create a perfect end-of-summer feeling that will make your mind ready for fall.
We will look at the best pumpkin coffee, dissect an iced pumpkin spice latte, give you a Muffin recipe, a cocktail recipe and share some benefits of pumpkin spice. We hope our little diatribe helps you enjoy your fall season.
Pumpkin coffee
Pumpkin coffees are not made equal. The differences are in the quality of coffee beans and the quality of flavoring of those beans. Our pumpkin coffee is a blend of Nicaraguan and Peruvian coffees roasted with pumpkin pie spices, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove with a naturally derived pumpkin flavor from roasted pumpkins added. Many pumpkin coffees use a chemical spray in my opinion to be avoided.
Iced Pumpkin spiced latte
Yes, they are iced. We are in New England; give it a moment; the weather will change, especially in early fall. Pumpkin spiced lattes are created in various ways, some with pumpkin and others without. My favorite is an Iced Pumpkin latte. I Make it with our cold brewed pumpkin coffee; add coffee and some pumpkin puree in a blender, then infuse the milk with pumpkin pie spices, pour into a tall glass with ice, and drink up. Liquid dessert with minimal calories. For the Milk part, you can use any milk you like. Personally, I like whole milk, but almond milk or oat work well too. If you want it sweet, I recommend maple syrup drizzled in.
Pumpkin Recipes:
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Muffins :
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground Allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground Clove
1/4 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brewed pumpkin spice coffee
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts or toasted pumpkin seeds (reserved)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon ( reserved)
1/2 teaspoon melted butter (reserved)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425
whisk, flour, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
Whisk the Olive oil, melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs together until combined. Then whisk in the pumpkin puree, milk, and coffee. Fold wet into dry ingredients.
Pour into a giant muffin pan with paper liners.
Make the Topping mixture: reserve butter, cinnamon, and nuts or pumpkin seed mix. Top each muffin with the mix.
Place muffins in oven 425 for 5 minutes, then adjust the temperature to 350 and cook for 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
The Great Pumpkin Cocktail :
The recipe makes 17 oz.
So 2 – 8 oz drinks and a few sips to taste while making it!
4 oz Half & half
4 teaspoon Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon powdered Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon powdered Clove
1/2 teaspoon powdered Cinnamon
Dash of Salt
10 oz Pumpkin spice coffee
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
3 oz Bourbon
Froth half & half with Powdered spices and salt, or if doing this at home without a milk frother, heat these up low heat on the stove (some folks would strain it first; I do not), then use an immersion blender to whip it up a bit.
Take the hot pumpkin spice coffee and divide it into 2 glasses.
Add vanilla and Bourbon top with the frothed milk mixture.
Sprinkle some cinnamon on top.
Sit back and enjoy!
Pumpkin is good for you
The spices in your pumpkin latte may have health benefits, as do the pumpkin and its seeds. Let’s start by looking at the possible benefits of pumpkin latte spices.
Allspice is dried, unripe berries of the Pimenta dioica plant. It belongs to the Myrtaceae family. Sometimes referred to as Jamaican pepper. Allspice is native to Jamaica, South and Central America, and Mexico in the south. Commercially it is also grown in Honduras and Cuba. Allspice has been used in folk medicine for cancer-fighting, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Allspice plant compounds include eugenol, quercetin, gallic acid, and ericifolin.
Cinnamon comes from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum Verum. The cinnamon tree is in the Lauraceae family, native to the Caribbean, South America, and Southeast Asia. We are talking about the Ceylon variety of Cinnamon in this post. There is also cassia cinnamon which has higher coumarin amounts in it. Ceylon Cinnamon is a good source of Cinnamaldehyde, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Potassium, Magnesium, and zinc. It also contains very potent polyphenol antioxidants. Cinnamaldehyde, the active constituent of Cinnamon, has been shown to reduce the inflammatory response in our bodies. Reducing inflammation may help Chronic heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.
Clove comes from the flower buds of a tree, an evergreen tree, Syzygium aromaticum. Clove is loaded with the nutrient manganese, which helps with brain function and bone building. It also has high antioxidants, including the component eugenol. Eugenol, in small doses, is recognized for its antimicrobial, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties.
Ginger is a rhizome of the flowering ginger plant in the Zingiberaceae family. This plant is native to South East Asia, India, China, Figi, and Peru.
Ginger is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This superfood has many nutrients and bioactive compounds known to have powerful benefits for your body and brain. It has been used in many digestive folk remedies.
Nutmeg is the seed of the Myristica Fragrans evergreen tree. This tree is native to Indonesia. Nutmeg is loaded with antioxidants, antibacterials, and anti-inflammatory properties. In folklore, it has been used to boost libido (odd for an anti-inflammatory? )
Pumpkin is a squash grown in many gardens. Nutritionally, Pumpkin has Vitamin A, C, B, E, copper, iron, potassium, and manganese. This squash has beta carotene, which your body converts into Vitamin A. pumpkin is a high antioxidant and can boost your immune system. It is also known for improving eyesight. The high fiber content, potassium, and vitamin c may give you heart health and help with weight loss. This is a very nutritious beneficial food.
Adding Pumpkin and these spices to well anything may be a good boost for your body and longevity.
- I am not a doctor these observations are for story purposes only.
Pumpkin coffee is a great way to start the fall season.
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