Nothing says ‘fall’ like a good dose of pumpkin pie spice!

Fall is here in my part of the world! It is still warm in the day but cooling down nicely at night. The air has a different smell, and the merry little breeze has a slightly crisp rustle. The wheat and corn have been cut, and the flowers are drooping from frosty nights. I am looking forward to crackling fires and toasted marshmallows. I love wearing cozy sweatshirts and toques. I also love not needing to take care of the yard! I have this dream of having a gorgeous yard every summer, but that involves hot sweaty work! Fall is relaxing. It’s the after-summer-break. Read on to find a few interesting facts and some recipes that taste of fall!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Quick Facts
-A blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves
-Referenced in cookbooks dating back to the 1890s
-$500 million in consumables using PPS in annual sales (2016)
-Spice companies began selling the mixed spice labeled Pumpkin Pie Spice in the 1950s
-The mix we know today went on the market in 1935, sold by McCormick
-Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte launched in 2003 and has sold 200 million since then
-A grande pumpkin spice latte has a whopping 380 calories

Mom’s Pumpkin Pie
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 cups pumpkin puree
1 scant TBSP flour
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
Mix in order given. Pour into 2 unbaked pie shells. Bake at 425* F for 10 min, then 350* F for 30 min. (This recipe is certainly written for a baker, but this is just how she gave it to me!) I always have to have a piece of this at Thanksgiving. It is a taste of home!

Whipped Pumpkin Butter
3 TBSP milk, room temp
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
3-5 TBSP honey (or sweetener of choice)
Dash vanilla
Whip together the milk and butter until well blended. Beat five minutes, scraping bowl, until butter is light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat two minutes. Delicious on a lightly toasted slice of sourdough!

Pumpkin Spice Latte
2 TBSP pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, slightly rounded
Sweetener to taste
1 cup milk
1-2 tsp vanilla
1 shot espresso or strong coffee
Whipped cream for topping
Add puree and PPS to pan and heat. Add sweetener and stir until smooth. Whisk in milk and vanilla. Stir until hot. Mix with a stick blender for added frothiness. Add hot coffee and top with whipped cream. Give it a sprinkle of PPS to up the beauty and enjoy! (Depending on the milk and sweetener you use, this could be close
to calorie free, for sure if you skip the whipped topping. Which I wouldn’t!)

Here is what Starbucks says about their PSL:
“Espresso and steamed milk are combined with a blend of pumpkin and traditional fall spice flavors. Enjoy it finished with whipped cream and Pumpkin spice topping.” Starbucks.com. For a lot of folks, the return of the pumpkin spice latte also heralds the return of fall. It invokes cozy sweaters, walks through crunchy leaves, and crackling fires. Are you a fan of pumpkin spice lattes? I’ve never had one from
Starbucks, but I do know I like this homemade version!

Pumpkin Cheesecake
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup + 1 TBSP milk (divided)
1 TBSP sugar
8 oz whipped topping
1 prepared graham cracker crust
15 oz canned pumpkin
2 packages instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size each)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin spice
Beat together the cream cheese, 1 TBSP milk and sugar in bowl. Fold in 1/2 the whipped topping and spread in crust. Stir the pumpkin, pudding mix, cinnamon and pumpkin spice until smooth. Spread over cream cheese layer in crust. Cover with the leftover whipped topping. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top as garnish. Chill 4
hours before serving.

There are a few things I did to lighten this recipe up! It is definitely NOT diet food, but it is delicious! I used almond milk. I whipped my own cream. I know that certainly didn’t lighten anything up, but I’m a bit of a sucker for ‘real’ food, and cream fits my criteria. I also used a gluten free ‘graham cracker’ crust. I was so enthused to find this recipe, and it is good! The recipe calls for Pyure or Gentle Sweet. Pyure can be found at Walmart in the sugar section. Gentle Sweet at trimhealthymama.com.

Pumpkin Pie Dip
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup Swerve
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1.5 cups whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with a bit of Swerve.
Beat cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, gently folding the whipped cream. Refrigerate at least 30 min before serving. Serve with apples, gingersnaps, graham crackers, or your favorite fruit.

Pumpkin Spice Substitute
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Whisk together. Store in labeled jar. Use in any recipe that calls for pumpkin pie spice.

Tell us what you like to use pumpkin pie spice in! Happy fall, everyone!

-Eva