Saturday, September 27, 2014

Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cream - Homemade means truly having it your way!

Okay, I will admit that the past several years have seen Pumpkin spice overload.  If I was not ready to face it, then the sight of pumpkin spice potato chips pushed it over the sweet cinnamon scented edge!

That being said, I had to ask my sweet husband what "PSL" meant, and had no idea of the mad rush for the "Pumpkin Spiced Latte" arrival.  I love them, they are delicious. I have a tendency to turn into a high maintenance orderer though, at least making an effort to minimize the sugar, fat, and calories.  It turns into a request for a "light syrup, nonfat, double tall, no whip, no sauce, pumpkin spice latte".  Seriously?  Coffee should not be this complicated.  So, taking the complex out of it, I made it at home.

This delicious creamer can be made as healthy or unhealthy as you'd like.  I will give you substitutions along the way. Experiment until you find what works for you!

PUMPKIN SPICED COFFEE CREAMER

1 Cup Half and Half (Healthier option Fat free half and half, REALLY unhealthy option Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream)
1 Cup Milk (Healthier option, 2% milk)
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Puree' (Not pumpkin pie filling)
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
Pinch of Nutmeg
(Instead of the Cinnamon, Allspice, Cloves, and Nutmeg above,  you can use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Now for the sweet part...pick one of the following
4 Tablespoons Maple Syrup, OR
4 Tablespoons Caramel Sauce for icecream, OR
4 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar, OR
4 Tablespoons of Sugar Free Flavoring syrup (I used Caramel, vanilla, or toffee flavors)
This just depends on what appeals to you at the moment.  So far, I have not come up with a bad option.  (*Note, you can use sweetened condensed milk from a can in place of the milk in this recipe, but don't do it, at least not at first. The calories and fat content of merely a Tablespoon of that are enough to give you are heart attack just by reading the numbers.)

EASY METHOD - Quick, but doesn't taste as rich.  Put all ingredients in a bottle or jar and shake until well combined.  Make additions to your taste.

FLAVORFUL METHOD - Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium low heat.  Continue to whisk while heating until steam arises, about 5 minutes.  Do not allow it to boil.  Strain through a sieve, and allow to cool.  This method will keep the ingredients from settling to the bottom of your cup.  You will find that the flavors become more intense when left in the fridge over night.

This creamer should keep for approximately a week in the refrigerator, but usually doesn't last that long! Whichever substitutions you make, post a comment and let me know how you liked it, and what you used to sweeten it. You can even tell me you used the sweetened condensed milk and I won't call the Pumpkin Spice police!

As the days grow cooler and shorter, there's nothing like a warm cup of sweet spicy coffee to begin the day or simply relax and watch someone else rake the leaves!?!?

WHAT TO DO WITH ALL OF THE LEFTOVER PUMPKIN...Put it in ice cube trays or any freezer safe container, and use it when you are ready)


Happy Fall Y'All, lots of good things ahead!
Graciously yours,
Spoon of Hearts

2 comments:

  1. I used Agave syrup when I made this creamer. It worked out perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is fantastic! Being able to customize a recipe to your own tastes is the real reward to cooking at home. We have recently gotten some of the most amazing local honey that I may use for the next batch. So glad to know that the Agave syrup works well - Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete