Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Home

Did you know that a well known mega-chain coffee shop, the pumpkin spice lattes are chock full of fat, calories, and, should you choose to order them with non-dairy milk, they aren't vegan!? That's right, the PSL concentrate has milk in it. Even a tall, which is actually small, PSL with skim milk and no whipped cream has 200 calories, but even worse, 37 grams of sugar, that's about 3 tablespoons in a teeny 12 oz cup. Imagine what you get with 2% milk and whipped cream.

Normally, I would order a PSL without hesitation. However, I happened to have some leftover pumpkin puree after making muffins so I thought I'd create a homemade version of the classic fall drink. It just works out that it is also lower in fat, calories, and sugar.

For one latte:

2 oz espresso, or strong brewed coffee
2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
6 oz milk of your choice (I use cow's milk, but feel free to experiment) heated and frothed

You simply mix all of the ingredients into your favorite mug and garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon. If you like it sweeter, you can add a few drops of stevia or a little more syrup. This was perfect for me. You can also make a big batch of concentrate to keep in the fridge. Just don't mix in the dairy or coffee. Do that fresh for the best flavor. Enjoy!

Cream cheese sugar cookies

I know that some people enjoy crispy cookies. I am not that person. I long for chewy, soft, and flavorful cookies. I am also not a person who eats store-bought cookies, unless they happen to be Oreos or Girl Scout cookies. But that's another story.

Here in Colorado, it can difficult to make a chewy cookie. The dryness in the air literally pulls the moisture from your baked goods. Please know that it may not be your baking. You could be a fantastic baker, but will fail in Colorado without making adjustments to your recipes.

With that said, I want you to take my sugar cookie recipe. These cookies, if baked properly, should stay chewy for about a week...if they last that long. There is not a magic time that I can list because it really depends on the size and shape of your cookies. Also, this recipe is for rolled and cut cookies. They won't spread or flatten out in the oven.

2 cups softened butter
2 cups sugar
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
4 cups of flour

Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, extracts, salt, and egg. Then gently mix in flour. Refrigerate dough for at least two hours. Seriously, don't skip this step. If you do, the cookies will spread too much and come out crunchy.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and bake at 350 degrees until the bottoms are barely browned. Then remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to finish cooling and then store in an air tight container. You can frost them if you wish or drizzle with melted chocolate, but they are also great plain.