Pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin turnovers - Dairy Foods

I had a great weekend, most of it was spent in the kitchen.  I hosted a dinner party on Saturday night, made a huge breakfast Sunday and enjoyed this pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin turnover on Sunday afternoon.

Aren't these dishes awesome?  They are New Wave Cafe cups, sent to me by Villeroy and Boch.  I love how colorful and unique they are, perfect to serve lattes in.

Enjoying a delicious, homemade latte was the perfect way to spend my Sunday.  Shopping with my sister later in the day was great, too.
Did you know Starbucks has a cult-like following of their pumpkin spice latte? People literally cheer when it becomes available (myself included).  I drink way too many and will never feel badly about allowing myself this treat.

I was thrilled to find this recipe so I could continue the pumpkin spice latte obsession at home.

Pumpkin spice latte (recipe adapted from The Kitchn)

makes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons homemade pumpkin puree, canned pumpkin or 1 teaspoon of Torani Pumpkin Spice Syrup
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don't have an espresso machine.)

Note, I made homemade pumpkin puree out of a sugar/pie pumpkin, Annie Eats blog has a great post with step-by-step directions.

Directions:

In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. If you don't have a blender, don't worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.

Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.

Optional: Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

I made pumpkin turnovers for my dinner party Saturday evening and had leftovers to go along with the latte.  These turnovers were very easy using just a few ingredients; puff pastry, canned pumpkin, sugar and spices.  Oh, and don't forget the whipped cream!

Pumpkin turnovers (recipe from A Good Appetite)

Ingredients

3/4 c or so pumpkin purée
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch clove
pinch all spice
1 T brown sugar
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
flour
1 egg beaten with a little water

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silcon pad.

Mix the pumpkin purée with the spices & sugar. Taste & adjust to your preference.

Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface until its about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 9 squares.

Put a tablespoon or so of the pumpkin mixture in the center of each square. Use your finger or a brush to put a little of the egg wash around the edge of the squares. Fold over to form a triangle & press to seal shut. I like to also fold the edges up a little to really seal them. Brush the tops with more of the egg wash. (You can sprinkle with a little more sugar if you want.) Cut a slit into the top of each turnover with a sharp knife.

Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350 F & bake until gold brown, about 10 more minutes.

Serve warm with whip cream.

Makes 9 small turnovers.

Mmmmmmm, so good!

I hope you enjoyed your Halloween weekend!