Warm your fall menu with pumpkin spices

As the crisp air of fall hits our senses, it seems as if we start craving comfort — and for some people, that means the warm flavors of pumpkin pie spice.

The spice blend has soared in popularity in recent years, in part due to certain coffee houses spiking their joe with the flavor.

But there are plenty of other ways to enjoy pumpkin pie spice.

At its core, pumpkin pie spice is a blend of five spices commonly found in homes — cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.

Making a jar of this blend at home is much more affordable than buying a mix at the store. There are plenty of recipes — a popular one calls for two tablespoons ground cinnamon, two teaspoons of ground ginger, one teaspoon each of ground cloves and allspice and one-half teaspoon ground nutmeg — but they are endlessly customizable.

If you’re a big fan of cloves, add another 1/2 teaspoon or so of it. If ginger is your jam, add a little more of that. Just go easy on the nutmeg, as it is particularly strong.

Making pumpkin pie spice at home also allows you to make small batches. You’re more likely to use up the blend before the spices lose their flavor.

Pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for a number of other spices. It’s particularly good in items that call for cinnamon, including classic cinnamon rolls, or it can be mixed with sugar and dusted over churros for a fall-flavored twist.

You can also use it in pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice lattes,  pumpkin spice muffins, sweet potato pie, oatmeals, granolas  ... the list goes on.

Following are a few recipes that feature pumpkin pie spice from www.mccormick.com.

 

Fettuccini Pumpkin Alfredo

1 16-ounce package fettuccine

3 cups milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 slices bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain well.

Mix milk, pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, flour, pumpkin pie spice, chipotle chili pepper and salt in medium bowl until well blended. Set aside.

Cook bacon in large skillet on medium-high heat until slightly crisp. Remove bacon. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Remove all but two tablespoons bacon drippings from skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring, three minutes or softened. Stir in pumpkin mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Place pasta in serving bowl. Add pumpkin sauce and toss to coat well. Top with crisp bacon.

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Hot Chocolate

1 cup milk

1 packet instant hot chocolate mix

1/2 teaspoon pure pumpkin pie spice blend extract

Pour milk into microwavable mug. Microwave on high 90 seconds or until heated through. Do not boil.

Stir in hot chocolate mix and extract until well blended. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

 

 

Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

For graham cracker crust:

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

For cheesecake filling:

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix crust ingredients in medium bowl. Press evenly onto bottom and up sides of nine-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Add sour cream and mix well.

Place one cup batter in a medium bowl, then beat in pumpkin, flour and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Stir vanilla into remaining plain batter. Pour half the vanilla batter into crust. Gently pour pumpkin batter over top. Top with remaining vanilla batter.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for 50 minutes, until center is almost set. Turn off oven and let cheesecake stand in oven two hours or until cooled. Remove from oven.

Refrigerate four hours or overnight. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen crust, then remove sides of pan. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Bread

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

4 eggs

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Set aside.

Beat eggs in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin, oil, orange juice and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Divide batter evenly between two 9-by-5-inch greased and floured loaf pans. Sprinkle top of each loaf with 1/4 cup pecans.

Bake in a 350-degree oven 55 to 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

 

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 egg

1-2/3 cups milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat egg in medium bowl. Add milk, pumpkin, butter and vanilla and mix well.

Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Add pumpkin mixture and stir just until blended. Let stand five minutes.

Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto a preheated lightly greased griddle or skillet. Cook one to two minutes per side, until golden brown, turning when pancakes begin to bubble.

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Spice French Bread

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 loaf brioche bread, cut into 8 slices, about 1-inch thick

2 tablespoons butter

Beat eggs with wire whisk in 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Stir in milk, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice until well blended. Place bread in dish, soaking for as long as three minutes on each side.

Melt one tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet or griddle on medium-low heat. Place four slices in skillet. Cook four to five minutes per side, until golden brown. Repeat with remaining slices. Serve with butter and maple syrup, if desired.

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 egg white

Spread pumpkin seeds in single layer on greased foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 250-degree oven 45 to 50 minutes, until pumpkin seeds are dry.

Mix sugar and pumpkin pie spice in small bowl. Set aside.

Beat egg white in large bowl until foamy. Add dried pumpkin seeds, toss to coat. Gradually add sugar mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Spread seeds in single layer on same baking sheet.

Bake one hour, stirring seeds after 30 minutes. Cool slightly then break apart. Cool completely.

Store in airtight container as long as two weeks.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Spread

1 8-ounce container whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Stir in pecans. Cover.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Spice Latte

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Bring milk, sugar and pumpkin to simmer in medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Carefully pour mixture into blender container. Add coffee, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. With center part of blender cover removed to let steam escape, blend on medium speed until smooth and frothy. Pour into mugs. Serve immediately..