It’s that time of year again 🎃
So, have you noticed?
It’s that time of year again?
Pumpkin spice everything! 🎃
Actually, I really do like pumpkin pie spice – it’s one of my favorite spice blends. Pumpkin pie spice usually consists of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspices, and cloves – all those comforting flavors that remind us of fall and holiday baking.
If you’re lucky enough to have an Indian market near you then you can buy these spices as whole seeds for a great price. Grind whole spices in a coffee grinder and you’ll experience their flavors much more intensely.
Did you know that cloves, one of the prominent spices in pumpkin pie spice, has antioxidant superpowers? Some antioxidant superfoods can be hard to find or are out of your food budget, but cloves are one of the best bang for your buck antioxidants.
Cloves, one of the prominent spices in pumpkin pie spice, has antioxidant superpowers.
Cloves have an exceptionally strong flavor so try adding just a small pinch to anything you’d normally put cinnamon or ginger on. I like to sprinkle ground cloves on toast with peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon.
Chai tea is a fantastic way to pack in a bunch of high-impact common spices, including cloves, all at once. I like to make a batch in my instant pot and enjoy it hot or cold throughout the week.
To make instant pot chai tea add 8 cups of water, 30 allspice berries, 20 green cardamom pods, 12 whole cloves, 8-10 cinnamon sticks, and about a 3 inch piece of fresh ginger (diced) to your instant pot and set it for 5 minutes at high pressure. Let pressure release naturally. Add 8 black tea bags and steep 4 – 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, strain, and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Keep in fridge for up to 10 days. You can add sweetener - I like it unsweetened. To serve, mix tea with equal parts of plant milk (soy and almond milk work well) and enjoy hot or over ice. Delicious!
Enjoy Chai tea over ice with almond milk!
Use your freshly ground spices to make flavorful spice mixes. Make pumpkin pie spice mix with 3 Tablespoons of cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ginger, 2 teaspoons of nutmeg, 2 teaspoons of allspice, 2 teaspoons of ground cloves, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper (optional but good). Try it out in the recipe below.
Your challenge this week is to enjoy the flavors of fall spices.
What fall spices are your favorite? How do you enjoy them?
Post in the comments below and let me know.
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