We’re officially in the throes of autumn and you know what that means – pumpkin cold foam is back at Starbucks. I repeat pumpkin cold foam is back at Starbucks!! I was never a pumpkin spice latte person (which is simply a statement and not the sign of a superior personality), but when I discovered pumpkin cold foam last year, you better believe I was spending $7 on a grande iced dirty chai with pumpkin cold foam.
The good news is, pumpkin cold foam is extremely easy to recreate at home. Everyone loves a Starbucks copycat. Here’s how I make mine:
Using my Nespresso, I make a double shot of espresso straight into a glass. I set it to the side to let it cool down slightly.
In a measuring cup, I pour some heavy cream and add a scoop of canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. (I usually empty a can of pumpkin into a small Pyrex container and keep it in the fridge for easy access.) I use my handheld frother and whisk it all together, making sure to incorporate a lot of air to make it nice and foamy.
In the glass with the espresso, I add lots of ice and mix equal parts Tazo chai latte mix and oat milk. Make sure to leave a little room on top for the foam!
Then I slowly pour the pumpkin cold foam on top. Viola!
September Cookbook: The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak
Speaking of Starbucks, you know that lemon loaf they have? Well, the lemon drizzle loaf (pg. 114) is about ten times better than that. This cake is so moist and light and lemony! In my opinion, this is cake at its peak performance. I loved it. I did make the icing a little too thin, as you can see by the pool forming on my cake stand, but it tasted great all the same.
Next up, I made the honey and rose water madeleines (pg. 126). I love rose in all capacities – the flower, the smell and the taste. Tip: Make sure you have a light touch when baking with floral flavors like this, or else you risk your treats tasting like a bar of overpriced soap. I was surprised at how well these turned out since my madeleine pan is, how you say, cheap? I also didn’t feel like dipping each one perfectly in the rose water icing, so I Jackson Pollock’d them instead.
After doing a deep clean of my kitchen Saturday morning, I chose to immediately make a mess again for the sour cream, chive and feta scones (pg. 90). Scones are pretty simple overall – the dough comes together quickly and you can use your hands. Just prepare for a floury mess on the counters. Sour cream and chive are in my top five favorite flavor combos, right behind goat cheese + fig and in front of coconut + lime. I had a little leftover blue cheese crumbles so I tossed those in here as well. Delish!
In other news…
This macaroni and peas recipe is my new go-to lazy dinner.
The good news, fall is here. The bad news, Twix seasoning for chicken wings exists. ☹️
Thanks for reading, sweeties! 🍎