Pumpkin Spice Syrup. For years and years I have read about the wonderfulness of Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice Syrup, Pumpkin Spice Latte's, etc. I never quite got it.
My friend Sharon in the UK was going on and on about how much she loves Pumpkin Spice anything and so I thought I would see if I couldn't find a recipe to share with her for Pumpkin Spice Syrup.
This one I am sharing today has been adapted from one I found on the BBC Recipe page, and I don't mind telling you it is delicious!
Not only that but it is relatively easy to make and uses ordinary every day ingredients. It makes about a cup of syrup and will keep for about a week in the refrigerator. It is just a nice size for you to feed all your pumpkin spice cravings!
It is perfect for enjoying spooned onto ice cream, and sundaes. For blitzing into milkshakes.
Drizzled over pancakes and yes, for those Pumpkin Spiced Lattes everyone is crazy about! (I make mine with hot chocolate as the church I belong to doesn't do coffee or black tea.)
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP
I bet you have everything you need in the kitchen right now. Simple ingredients.
- granulated sugar (I use the organic because it is not as refined)
- soft light brown sugar
- warm baking spices (cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg)
- water
- pumpkin puree
I am loving being back in the land of pumpkin again. In the UK pumpkin puree was always difficult to find, although it had become a lot easier to get my hands on it the past few years.
Most of the time I lived there I could only access it through an American Grocery Supply source and at a premium price. The last few years I was able to find it in a few grocery shops, but again, always at a premium price.
I think as more people demand it, it will lower in price and become much more available. Its a supply and demand thing. I was able to find it in Aldi a few times when I was there and Lidl. When I did see it, I tended to scoop it right up!
Pumpkin puree is one of those things that you never have any problem using up. I use it for things such as Spiced Pumpkin Spread (so good on biscuits and rolls), Impossible Pumpkin Pie (oh so tasty), Pumpkin Orange and Cranberry Bread, Pumpkin Pie Roll Ups, Pumpkin Streusel Cake, and Pumpkin Butterscotch Bread to name just a few of the pumpkin recipes I have shared on here through the years.
I have never had a Pumpkin Spiced Latte, but people say they are delicious. I have made a hot chocolate one, and have shared my version of that and the regular latte in the recipe notes below.
I have to say that the hot chocolate one was very tasty!
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE SYRUP
You might think it is a really difficult thing to make, but trust me, its really very easy. It is basically all in the timing.
Everything for the syrup basically gets stirred together in a saucepan and then heated to dissolve both of the sugars. It uses both white and brown sugars.
A quantity of water is added to them and then they are heated along with the warm baking spices and some pumpkin puree over medium heat until the sugars are completely dissolved and no longer feel gritty. I then let the mixture come to the boil.
You then reduce the burner temperature to a fast simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until it achieves the right consistency. If you think you have reduced/thickened it too much, it is a very simple process to add a bit of boiling water to it to thin it down to the right consistency.
You do need to stir it frequently to make sure it doesn't catch and burn. Nothing tastes worse than burnt sugar and it would taint the whole mixture.
There would be no coming back from that. None whatsoever.
This is really good as a sundae syrup. Spooned over vanilla ice cream and topped with candied pecans or walnuts, with perhaps a few ginger biscuit/cookies on the side.
Its also great on pumpkin pancakes or waffles. Just like you would any other pancake or waffle syrup.
I can promise you that you won't have any problem using it all up. You may even find yourself making more or even doubling the recipe so that you can gift a friend with a jar of it.
Happy Pumpkin Spice season!
Pumpkin Spice Syrup
Yield: a generous cup (250ml)
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 15 Min
Fragrant spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves are happily married together in this delicious syrup which actually contains real pumpkin in it. It is easy to make and it tastes amazing. Check the recipe notes to find out how to make your own Pumpkin Spiced Latte.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) organic granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 TBS tinned pumpkin puree
- generous half cup (125ml) water
Instructions
- Measure all of the ingredients into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to the boil and then cook over medium low heat until both sugars have dissolved and you have a thin syrup.
- Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Pour into a clean, sterile jar. Tightly cover and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes:
To make a Pumpkin Spice Latte, heat 1 cup (240ml) milk with 2 TBS of the syrup in the microwave for about a minute and a half to two minutes. Pour into a blender and blitz until frothy. Alternately you can hand whisk it by hand or with an electric mixer until frothy. Pour into a large mug and top up with hot strong coffee or hot cocoa. Top off with a dollop of whipped cream and an additional drizzle of pumpkin spice syrup. Serve immediately.
You are probably asking yourself right now, what is a muffie? Its another word, modern slang, used to describe Muffin Tops.
Made famous by Panera Bread, muffies are just the tops of the muffins, which have long been held to be the most delicious part of any muffin.
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com
This Pumpkin Muffie recipe is the most delicious muffin top recipe you could ever want to bake and to eat. I kid you not.
I adapted the original recipe from a page entitled Lil Luna. The original recipe made a dozen muffin top. I can't possibly eat a dozen muffin tops and so I adapted the recipe to make only six.
Six beautiful pumpkin and spice flavored, cinnamon streusel topped muffin tops.
Moist and delicious from the pumpkin. Flavored with warm baking spices, but that is not all.
I also got two beautiful normal sized muffins. I dare to suggest that the original recipe makes more than twelve muffin tops when using a muffin top pan. I used the proper suggested measures in mine and had extra batter.
This batter I baked in two custard cups to make two additional muffins. Not a problem because my daughter and her husband are coming over this afternoon for an early Thanksgiving dinner, and I will probably gift them the muffins to take home with them when they leave.
I dare say nobody will complain. Every time I bake muffin tops I am reminded of the Seinfeld Episode about Muffin tops. Episode 21 of Season 8.
While eating the top off a muffin at J. Peterman's book signing, Elaine tells Mr. Lippman, who is publishing the book, that someone should open a store selling just the tops. Lippman, stealing her idea, starts a business called "Top of the Muffin to You!".
I won't spoil it for you by telling you the rest.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STREUSEL TOPPED PUMPKIN MUFFIN TOPS
I can almost guarantee you have everything you need to bake these muffin tops in your kitchen right now, except for maybe the pumpkin, which can be very easily picked up at the shops.
- all purpose flour
- white granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- warm baking spices
- baking powder and soda
- salt
- canola oil
- eggs
- pumpkin puree
For the streusel topping:
- old fashioned oats
- flour
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
- toasted walnuts
- melted butter
Don't worry if you don't have a muffin top tin. You can bake these on a baking sheet. Just be sure to line it with some baking parchment.
You also need to leave plenty of space in-between for the dough spreading a bit when baking. I dare say as well, if you want to you can bake the whole mix as muffins. You will probably get about 8 medium to large muffins. (Just a guess.)
HOW TO MAKE THE MUFFIN BATTER
This recipe varied a bit in how it is put together from the regular way of making muffin batter. You begin by mixing both sugars and the oil together in a bowl. It was quite thick. Make sure you mash any lumps in the brown sugar out.
Once you have blended them, you need to stir in the spices, soda and baking powder. This gets mixed together in a bowl first. Make sure you blend them really well together so that the leavening gets mixed evenly throughout.
Up to this point, it won't look like any muffin batter you have ever seen. This is all about to change when you beat in the egg and the pumpkin.
Make sure you use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are not the same thing. Pumpkin puree is just cooked pumpkin, which has been drained and pureed and is quite thick.
The pie filling will have other things added to it.
These get blended in well and then you simply stir in the flour. I stirred it in just until it was evenly mixed with no floury streaks. As with any muffin a few lumps are quite acceptable and in fact desireable!
The muffin batter then gets spooned into the prepared pan (s). And the streusel gets sprinkled on top.
HOW TO MAKE THE CINNAMON OAT & NUT STREUSEL TOPPING
This is also very easy to make. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle the melted butter over top.
Mix everything together until you have a crumbly mixture, perfect for sprinkling.
Unless you are a total glutton you will probably have some leftover muffies to store. You can easily store them in an airtight container with some paper toweling in between the layers to absorb any moisture that might develop and make them soggy.
You can also freeze these, tightly wrapped, in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months. Simply thaw and warm in the microwave for about 15 seconds on high. Delicious!
You can also, likewise, freeze the leftover pumpkin from the tin. I place it into an airtight container and then pop it into the freezer ready to thaw out and use in my future baking endeavors.
Oh, I do so love the autumn when we can freely indulge ourselves in all things pumpkin and pumpkin spice, don't you?
Streusel Topped Pumpkin Muffies
Yield: Makes 6 muffies (plus 2 regular sized muffins)
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
These fabulous muffin tops are autumn favorites with lots of moist pumpkin goodness with a crunchy buttery sweet oat and toasted walnut streusel topping!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 fluid ounces (85ml) canola oil
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- scant cup (1/2 of a 15 ounce tin/212g) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 3/4 (245g) cup plain all purpose flour
For the streusel topping:
- 4 TBS old fashioned oats
- 3 TBS flour
- 3 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
- 3 TBS finely chopped toasted walnuts
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 TBS butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter a six hole muffin top pan (see notes for alternative instructions), along with two medium muffin cups.
- Make the streusel topping by combining the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl with the nuts. Drizzle the melted butter over top and combine all together to give you a crumbly topping.
- Mix the spices, baking powder, soda and salt for the batter together in a small bowl.
- Whisk both sugars and the oil together in a bowl. Stir in the spice mixture, mixing well to combine. Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree until smooth. Stir in the flour just to combine.
- Spoon by heaped 1/4 cupsful into the prepared baking tin.
- Divide the remaining batter between the two muffin cups. Sprinkle a portion of the streusel topping over each. (You may not need it all.)
- Bake the muffin tops in the oven for 15 minutes until done and the tops spring back when lightly touched. The muffins will take about 20 minutes.
- Tip out onto a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Delicious. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes:
If you don't have a muffin top pan you can still make these muffin tops. Line several baking sheets with baking paper. Drop the muffin batter onto the baking sheets by 1/4 cups full, leaving plenty of space in between. Bake time is the same.
Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Fresh Basil. First of all I apologize for the not-so-good photos here today. Apparently a blue bowl doesn't go well with food. I will have to remember that in the future.
It gives things a cold tint, rather than warm. I hope you are able to see past all of that and recognize this dish for the very tasty dish that it is.
The recipe is one that I downsized from one I found in a cookbook by Diane Rossen Worthington, entitled, Seriously Simple.
This is a book I originally bought when I was working at the Manor in Kent. I thought it was an excellent book, and so I decided that I would replace it here in Canada and it is one of the few that I have been able to find.
Many of the books I had to leave behind are no longer available, but to be honest I probably had far too many anyways. I chose to replace this one for several reasons. First I like the way this lady cooks.
And secondly, it is filled with lots of really simple, easy recipes that taste really good. Simple ingredients. Simple methods. Perfect execution.
This particular recipe appealed to me for a variety of reasons. I had a punnet of cherry tomatoes that needed using up for one. I adore pasta for two. And, three, it looked quick, easy and simple to do.
I also had a stale end of a French loaf that came in handy for the crumb mixture and some basil that I knew if I didn't use, would end up being thrown away. I hate waste. This fabulous recipe is a testimony to the Italian penchant for using everything up!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PASTA WITH ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES
You don't really need anything complicated. Its all very simple really.
- ripe cherry or grape tomatoes
- fresh garlic
- French bread crumbs
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- dry pasta
- fresh basil
HOW TO MAKE PASTA WITH ROASTED TOMATOES & FRESH BASIL
I am always amazed when I see such simple ingredients come together to create a fantastically delicious dish. I don't know why! I shouldn't be!
This is incredibly simple. The hardest and most labor intensive part is halving the tomatoes! I can deal with that, can't you!
You will need to halve the cherry tomatoes and put them into a roasting pan, large enough to hold everything when it is done. Since I halved the recipe I used a small roaster.
Scatter the tomatoes into the tin. You then mix together some bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic and seasoning. This gets scattered over top of the tomatoes, along with a healthy drizzle of olive oil.
The use of bread crumbs in this really doesn't surprise me. The Italians are fond of using bread crumbs with pasta and it is often called the poor man's cheese.
The tomatoes are then roasted in a hot oven until they get all juicy and melty and the bread crumbs get a bit golden and crunchy. This smells amazing when it is baking. Trust me on this.
I cooked my pasta and chopped my basil while the tomatoes were roasting. It was ready just as I was taking the tomato mixture out of the oven.
Ready to drain and then toss everything together, along with the basil. The basil wilts a tiny bit in the heat of the pasta.
Basil is really difficult to chop. It also bruises very easily. I tend to roll the leaves up very tightly in a cigar shape, then make some lengthwise cuts and then cut it crosswise.
That is what works best for me. Or you can also just cut it crosswise into a chiffonade. Both work well. It wilts in the heat of the pasta anyways, so its all good.
I was really pleased with how this turned out. It was delicious. You could add cooked shredded chicken to it to make it a bit more substantial if you wanted to. You could also add some grilled shrimp or salmon. Yummy!
Diane suggests adding a little Balsamic Syrup. I was going to do that and forgot. It would taste excellent I am sure. Maybe I will do that with the leftovers. She says the leftovers make a great salad chilled and served the day after with cold roast chicken, salmon or other fish.
Quick, easy and incredibly delicious for very little effort. That always spells winner to me! I hope that you will give it a go!
Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Fresh Basil
Yield: 2 - 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min
This is a small batch recipe, but you can very easily double it to feed more. Its rustic in flavor and presentation and a great way to use up the last of the garden tomato glut.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup (100g) fresh French Bread crumbs
- 4 TBS freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces/230g) Penne or fusilli pasta
- a handful of fresh basil leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Put the tomato halves into a large baking dish.
- Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and black pepper together in a bowl. Sprinkle evenly over top of the tomatoes. Drizzle evenly with olive oil.
- Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling, browned and slightly thickened.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, just to al dente. Drain well.
- Toss the pasta together with the roasted tomato mixture, stir in the chopped basil and serve immediately.
Now that autumn is upon us, we can feel free to enjoy delicious soups and stews without any fear of heating up the kitchen. In fact, with the cooling temperatures a hot soup for lunch or supper might well be just what the Doctor ordered.
This delicious Garlic & White Cheddar Bisque is a favorite in my kitchen and makes an excellent light lunch or supper, or even an excellent starter for a celebratory or holiday meal!
It is smooth and creamy with a beautiful rich flavor, and is very simple to make. You can also make it ahead up to the point where you add the cheese.
Simply reheating it and then whisking in the cheese just prior to serving.
You may find yourself wondering what is it that makes a soup a bisque? Traditionally in France, a chef would define a bisque as being a soup made from shell fish and thickened with a paste created from their shells.
Sounds appealing eh? (NOT!) Julia Child was the first person to popularize Lobster Bisque in North America. Her recipe uses both shells and ground rice to thicken the bisque.
These days, more often than not, it is a term used to describe a creamy soup, usually made with vegetables, with a smooth velvety texture, which uses cream to enrich it.
They should feel smooth and luxurious in the mouth. Creamy and rich they are often served as the first course of a large dinner. You can use a food mill to puree them to the perfect silkiness, or you can do as I do and use an immersion blender. Both work equally as well.
This Garlic & White Cheddar Bisque recipe I am sharing with you today is a beautiful bowl of soup. Not only is it rich and creamy, but it has a beautiful flavor.
If you love the flavors of garlic and of cheese, you are going to adore this simple soup!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GARLIC & WHITE CHEDDAR BISQUE
Most of the ingredients for this beautiful soup are common every day ingredients.
Leeks
Carrots
Parsnips
Celery
Chicken broth
White wine
Evaporated milk
Garlic
Seasoning
A sharp white cheddar cheese
Cornstarch
Water
Butter and canola oil for sautéing the vegetables
You will only need to use the white and very light green parts of the leek, discarding the darker green part or freezing them to use in a stock somewhere down the road.
Leeks have a tendency to be sandy, so do make sure you wash them really well. Dirt gets easily caught in the rings of a leek, so you will want to get all of that out.
HOW TO CLEAN LEEKS
Submerge sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water. Give them a gentle stir or shake to remove any soil or grit between the layers. Allow the leeks to sit in the water for a few minutes. Then scoop them into a colander using your hands or a slotted spoon
Alternately, you can cut off the length of leek you need, removing and discarding the root end. Make a cut down one side lengthwise, cutting through to the center of the leek. Wash and rinse the leek under cold running water, using your fingers to separate the layers.
HOW TO MAKE GARLIC & WHITE CHEDDAR BISQUE
This is a very simple soup to make. You begin by sautéing the vegetables in a mix of butter and oil. The oil allows you to heat the butter to a higher temperature without it burning and the butter lends a lovely nutty flavor to the vegetables.
You want to make sure all you do is to soften the vegetables without coloring them, so do keep an eye on them and stir them frequently. You also only want to soften them until they are crispy tender.
Once that is done you add some chicken broth and dry white wine and allow the vegetables to simmer in that until they are soft. If you don't have any dry white wine don't panic.
There are some very good things that you can substitute for dry white wine. There is an excellent article here on Spruce Eats regarding this issue.
Do not make the mistake of confusing evaporated milk with condensed milk. They are not the same thing.
Today I used ginger ale with superb results. Who would have thought you could do such a thing! It worked wonderfully.
And there was no aftertaste from the ginger ale. Apparently Ginger ale has the same sort of dry, sweet taste as white wine. In any case, it was an excellent substitute.
Once your vegetables have softened in the broth you will need to puree them in the broth until they are smooth. I use my immersion blender for this, but you can also use a regular blender, or push it through a seive.
Once that is done, make a slurry with some corn starch and cold water and add that to the soup along with a can of evaporated milk. You could also use cream, but evaporated milk does the same thing.
It is much lower in fat and trust me when I tell you that you won't taste it in the long run. I always have evaporated milk in my store cupboard and I use it a lot in the place of cream when cooking. Undiluted of course.
Although both products have been heat treated to remove some of the water, condensing the product roughly in half, condensed milk has sugar added to it which makes it incredibly thick and sweet.
All of the content you see here on this page, both photography and written, are the sole property of The English Kitchen, Marie Rayner. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Once you have added the milk and cornstarch slurry, you will need to bring the mixture to the boil and then reduce it to a simmer, simmering everything together until it bubbles and thickens.
Once this has happened you can add the cheese. I always grate my own cheese for things like this. It melts much better into the soup.
I add it by small handfuls, stirring in and melting each handful before I add another one. It works a charm. You soup/bisque will now be done and ready to serve.
I tried to make some fancy leaf shaped garlic croutons to float on top of my soup today, but alas, they didn't end up looking like leaves. I sure miss my autumn set of cookie cutters that I had to leave in the UK. They were the perfect size and shape.
It was a set I had gotten from Gooseberry Patch many years ago. I also had a Christmas set and a Heart in hand cookie cutter and a special gingerbread man cookie cutter that had a heart in the center. I try not to think overly much about what got left behind because when I do, it upsets me a tiny bit.
In any case, I hope you will make this lovely soup. Its really simple to make and deliciously rich and cream. If you don't love it, I'll eat my hat!
Garlic & White Cheddar Bisque
Yield: 6
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
This rich, delicious soup makes an excellent first course for a holiday meal, or when served with some crusty bread a fabulous light lunch or supper.
Ingredients
- 1 TBS butter
- 1 TBS canola oil
- 1 medium leek ( the white and light green parts only) washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 small parsnip, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 stick of celery, trimmed and chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
- 1 cans of chicken broth (28 ounces)
- 2/3 cup (160ml) dry white wine (see notes for substitutions)
- 2 TBS corn starch
- 1/4 cup (60ml) water
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 2 cups (240g) freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Once the butter begins to foam add all of the vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, over moderate heat until the vegetables are crispy tender (6 to 8 minutes).
- Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer, then add the chicken stock and wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for15 to 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
- Using a stick blender (or very carefully in a regular blender) blitz the soup until smooth.
- Whisk together the corn starch and cold water. Add this to the soup along with the evaporated milk. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and bubbling.
- Whisk in the cheese, one handful at a time, until the cheese is thoroughly blended into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Ladle into heated bowls and serve immediately.
Notes:
If you don't have any white wine you may substitute the following in its place and in the equal amount. Ginger ale. Additional chicken stock. White wine vinegar and water mixed half and half. Water.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons