RECIPE: Pumpkin Latte

Notice that I said PUMPKIN Latte, not pumpkin spice latte.  This latte is made with roasted pumpkin puree, not the spices used to make pumpkin pie!

I use sunshine kabocha because the flesh is slightly sweet and very creamy.  It's high in fiber and makes a rich low-dairy drink.  If you can't get sunshine kabocha, you can use pie pumpkin but you might need a little extra sweetener (I need an additional teaspoon of maple syrup when I use pie pumpkin).  I suppose you can use canned pumpkin, but I haven't tried that.

Roast the squash or pumpkin whole, remove the seeds and rind, and then puree it in a food processor.  I keep it in glass jars in the back of the fridge.

Pumpkin Latte

Makes 1 serving

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 c. sunshine kabocha puree
• 1 T. maple syrup
• 8 ounces strong coffee
• Heavy cream to taste
• Optional: pinch of pumpkin pie spice 
• Optional: 1 scoop of collagen peptides

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the pumpkin puree with the maple syrup.  I put it in a custard cup and set it on my coffee mug heater (This is the mug heater I like best. It gets hot quickly, has a large surface area, and has two heat settings.  It also has an auto-shutoff.).  You could nuke the puree, but I prefer not to nuke my food.

Heating the pumpkin and maple syrup on my mug warmer

While the pumpkin is heating, fill a large - at least 12 ounces - mug with hot water, and microwave it for a minute or two to heat the mug.  Leave the hot water in the mug until the pumpkin is hot.

Throw out the hot water in the mug and transfer the pumpkin to the hot mug.  Fill the mug with coffee, stir to combine with the pumpkin, add the collagen peptides if you use them and then add cream to taste.  

Sprinkle with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice if you like.

 

NOTE: You could also make this by heating the pumpkin, maple syrup, and 6 ounces of milk in a small saucepan, and then adding 2 oz of espresso, but that's one more pot to wash!   I would do it that way only if I was making more than one.