One recipe? Two pumpkin products!

It is that time of year again! Autumn. My absolute favorite time of year. When leaves change color and pumpkin spice takes over! This recipe creates two pumpkin spice products when it is finished. Two for the price of one!! A simple syrup for using in chai, coffee or anywhere else you want a hint of pumpkin spice and a pleasantly sweet pumpkin purée for use in baking.

 
Isn’t it beautiful? Now imagine the smell!! The ingredients of the pot are as follows: four cups of water, two cups raw cane sugar, one small sugar pumpkin-peeled and chopped, and eight cinnamon sticks. Also add nutmeg, ginger and allspice to taste.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour. The longer you simmer, the more flavorful the simple syrup will be.

  

Allow to cool. Once cooled, strain. The liquid is your sweet and savory simple syrup. This recipe yielded one quart jar and one pint jar. Use this to add the flavor of the season to coffee, chai, smoothies, or whatever else makes you happy. I had some in my oolong tea this morning and it was delicious.

  
Don’t throw away the solids in the strainer!! Remove the cinnamon sticks, then put the pumpkin to the blender and purée. This is your slightly sweet pumpkin purée. This recipe yielded one pint jar. Use this for baked goods. I plan on making pumpkin granola bars. Watch for the recipe in a future blog.

  
This was my first concoction. A clean out the blender smoothie for breakfast on the go. I added twelve ounces of water, one scoop of vanilla protein powder, one-quarter cup of rolled oats, a handful of spinach, and a few generous dashes of cinnamon. Blender is cleaner and the belly is happy!