This past weekend, B and I went apple picking and pumpkin shopping. Even when I lived in my tiny condo, I would always buy a pumpkin. It never felt right to not have a jack-o-lantern on Halloween. And I can’t resist roasting the pumpkin seeds and snacking on them for as long as they last, which usually isn’t very long.
Okay, if I’m being honest, the jack-o-lantern is probably more of a by-product of the pumpkin seeds rather than the other way around.
Now that we have a house, I’m super excited to decorate it with not one, but three pumpkins – two on the front steps (with some beautiful yellow mums) and one under a tree in our front yard (accompanied by a pot of deep burgundy mums). But the true glory of the day was all the pumpkin flavored stuff I got to eat and drink.
It all started with a Pumpkin Spice coffee. This was of the Green Mountain k-cup variety, and not, sadly, of the Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks variety. But it was still very good.
Then, I decided to mix some pumpkin puree into my oatmeal for an extra flavor and nutrient boost. Not a lot – just a spoonful or so. Throw in a dash of cinnamon, or maybe even pumpkin pie spice if you are so inclined, and you got yourself a yummy, hearty, and nutritious breakfast.
When we purchased our pumpkins, I was distracted by a display of locally made fudge, and naturally they had pumpkin fudge. I bought a piece and threw it in my bag to save for later.
From there we had lunch, which I enjoyed with a pint of Shipyard Pumpkin Ale, served with a cinnamon and brown sugar rimmed glass. Yum.
On the way home, B and I shared the fudge. Had I had any idea how good this was going to be, I would have bought a pound instead of just a piece. It was fantastic. It had all the deliciousness of pumpkin pie with the comforting, delectable texture of your favorite kind of fudge. It was the perfect combination. (And even though I love all things pumpkin flavored, I really do not like pumpkin pie. I think it’s a texture thing.)
Later on that evening, not in front of a warm, crackling fire since it was eighty-something degrees out on Columbus Day weekend, I enjoyed a pumpkin spice martini. I found a recipe for this drink somewhere (I honestly can’t remember), and decided to google some different executions. From the results of my search, I came up with a few concoctions of my own and proceeded to the test bar to get mixing and determine a winner.
The end result is a delicious drink that I had to share with you all.
In a shaker filled with ice, combine 2.5 oz vanilla vodka, 1 T pumpkin pie syrup (I use Torani’s sugar free version), 2 T pure pumpkin puree, 2 T half & half, and 1/8 t pumpkin pie spice. Shake like crazy (you want to make sure the pumpkin puree is fully incorporated). Rim a cocktail glass with a mixture of brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs (I used simple syrup to get the stuff to stick, but I think maple syrup will work way better). Strain the drink into the glass, and enjoy responsibly
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| See how yummy it looks!! |
If you don’t have, or don’t want to get, the pumpkin pie syrup (you can buy it online, which is what I did… I was going for homemade pumpkin spice lattes), you can swap it out for some Bailey’s Irish Cream (you may want to use 2-3 T, and get rid of the half & half since you will get the creaminess from the Bailey’s).
And yes, if you caught my Five O’Cocktail piece, you are correctly guessing that I am breaking my own rules by calling this drink a martini. It’s really a cocktail, but when in Rome… You can’t win ‘em all.
PS – check out one of my early pieces comparing canned pumpkin to fresh pumpkin in pumpkin bread if you’re interested in which is the better option (it's under "Saturday").
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