Fall is quite possibly my favorite season of all.  I’d like to be able to say it’s the crisp autumn air, the sun setting earlier in the evening, and amber colored leaves that line the streets on a windblown day. But it’s really all about the food.

Well, maybe it’s not all about the food…

Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, 2010

The boys and I usually make an annual pilgrimage to one of our favorite fall destinations:

Apple Hill, Sacramento

Ardenwood Farms, Fremont

Fall food really is the best though.  Apple crisps, pumpkin pies, guinness braised shortribs in the crockpot to ward off chilly nights are what draw me to this season. But because California is in the midst of a drought this year and summer is really just beginning, the only way I realized that fall is now upon us was the first Facebook post on the arrival of the much anticipated Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. I know, I know that sounds a little sad…FB telling me it’s fall.  But FB also told me that there was no pumpkin, and nary a pumpkin pie spice in Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte.  Starbucks listed their ingredients as ‘fall flavors’ among which are cinnamon, caramel ‘food color’ and high fructose corn syrup.  It also costs about as much as a school lunch with way more sugar and roughly the same amount of calories.   With the aid of Pinterest, I decided to make my own with some modifications.

Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Spice Syrup
1//2 c  canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2-4 T maple syrup
2-4 T agave nectar
water

coffee
1/2 c milk

Procedure

To make the syrup, combine pumpkin puree, pumpkn pie spice, maple syrup and agave nectar in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Add water to thin the mixture.  The amount of maple syrup and agave nectar can be adjusted to your preference–2T of each for me was not sweet enough so I added more.  Set aside.

Froth milk by shaking it in a tightly sealed mason jar or tupperware for 2 minutes then microwave for 20-30 seconds or until heated through.

Spoon 2 tsp of the pumpkin pie spice syrup nto your coffee and mix until dissolved.  Pour frothy milk on top and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over the foam top.