We have many seasons here in America. We have the Christmas season, Football season, Tax season, and the dreaded Flu season. But I’m glad to say that the happiest season of all has arrived: Pumpkin Spice season! Yes, friends, get ready to be assaulted by Pumpkin Spice everything as you travel up down your grocery store aisles. Cake mix, donuts, coffee creamer, puddings, marshmallows; you name it, there’s a Pumpkin Spice version available “for a limited time only.”

I decided to jump on the band wagon, especially since fall is honestly my favorite season,  and I love the aromas and flavors that define this time of year. So here’s my take on a few Pumpkin Spice treats that will satisfy your taste buds with that irresistible flavor you’ve been waiting all year to enjoy. Now if we could just get some fall weather up here in East Tennessee to go along with our seasonal favorite. These 90 degree days are getting old!

 

Pumpkin Spice

The Pumpkin Spice flavor is more about the spices that pair well with pumpkin than the pumpkin itself. You can buy pre-made mixtures or make your own as I have here. Feel free to play with these flavors to suit your own tastes. My recipe is definitely more complex than your typical store version and using freshly ground nutmeg and allspice from whole berries makes it more intense as well. Simply mix together:

3 tablespoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

 

Pumpkin Spice Irish Soda Bread

I doubt the Irish used these fragrant spices in their soda bread, but I think this recipe makes a lovely bread that is delicious served on its own, or even better when paired with the Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread below. If you don’t have pumpkin seeds, you could substitute sunflower seeds, pecans, or walnuts.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment. In a bowl, whisk together:

3 ¾ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin spice

¼ cup lightly toasted pumpkin seeds, unsalted

In another bowl, mix together

1 ¼ cup buttermilk

½ cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, all at once, and mix together with a large fork until the dough comes together into one ball. If dough seems dry, you can add a wee bit of buttermilk. Turn out onto a flour surface and briefly knead together, adding a bit more flour as needed. Form dough into a simple round ball and place on a cookie sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Gently press down to make a fat disk, then take a large knife and cut in half, all the way through. Make a similar cut at 90°, forming a +. This cut will not only be attractive, but give the interior of the loaf a good bake. Dabble a little buttermilk on top of the loaf with your fingers, then gently pry open the cut sections. Sprinkle the entire top, including cracks, with a few spoonfuls of a large grained raw sugar. Bake in a 400° oven for 35 minutes, or until the loaf is golden brown top and bottom, and the “cracks” are no longer gooey.

 

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread

So simple, so yummy! And so perfect with the above recipe or on your favorite bagel. If you buy the cream cheese in a tub, just reuse it to store your custom creation.

In a mixer, combine:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

2 tablespoons lightly toasted chopped pumpkin seeds (or substitute pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds)

 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Custard

I have a friend who is a manager at a certain well-known coffee shop. He told me that one dear lady who came in recently to order coffee, actually cried tears of joy when she saw that Pumpkin Spice Latte had returned to the menu. Imagine how excited she would be if she knew she could eat her favorite drink with a spoon! That’s the idea behind this unique custard. And it takes very little time or effort to make, thanks to a microwave.

In a microwave, heat up to simmer:

2 cups of half and half

Stir in 2 teaspoons of instant coffee, or more if you want a strong coffee flavor. In a larger microwave safe bowl, beat until fluffy:

6 large egg yolks

½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Mix in until well combined:

4 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

Very gently, pour into the egg mixture a small amount of the hot half and half mixture and stir, to temper it, so the eggs don’t cook instantly. Then pour in the rest and mix well. Stir in until well mixed:

½ cup pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Put the bowl into the microwave and cook on high for one minute and then stir well with a whisk. Cook another minute and stir again. Continue until mixture is thickened, which in my microwave takes about 3 minutes or so. You can go 30 seconds at a time near the end if you know it’s close to being done. Let the mixture cool well. I use an ice bath if I’m in a hurry, using two identical metal bowls, with ice in the bottom one and the hot custard in the top one and stacking them together, stirring the custard until it’s cool. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Once cool, you can use your favorite serving glass to form alternating layers of the cooled custard, sweetened whipped cream, and chopped candied pecans, ending with whipped cream on top, sprinkled with Pumpkin Spice and more chopped nuts as a garnish. I know the original coffee drink doesn’t have candied pecans, but I wanted this creamy dessert to have a crunchy component and the flavors work very well together. Enjoy!