Soooo, I came upon a pumpkin drink.
It all happened after roasting and pureeing a huge fairytale pumpkin...
(Fairytale pumpkins are the bestest for eating. You will be amazed at the beautiful flesh and flavor.)
I never really get sick of pumpkin treats.
Do you?
I have not had very many this season yet, so I am still in -
Lucky it's pumpkin eating season happiness.
As you may know, when you puree a pumpkin you have to strain out the water before using the puree for baking.
After you oven roast and puree your pumpkin, you can scoop the puree into a cheesecloth bit by bit (I use a flour sack towel), and twist your puree bundle to let out the water.
Or, you can put your puree in a towel or cheesecloth, over a strainer, then over a bowl for a few hours.
I do both.
This time around, I decided to collect some of the roasted and pureed pumpkin water.
I decided to collect it half way through, so some was lost.
But I put the rest in a pitcher.
I thought it might taste good, if I heated it, and added some flavor to it.
Like a pumpkin drink of sorts.
Mister Lovee says it's like a cider really.
Which in looking up the proper definition of cider, it could sorta be.
And punkins are technically fruit, right?
Although cider is more of mashed fruit, typically apples.
Not the water of the fruit.
So, who the heck knows, haha!
Anyhow, I decided to heat some up...
Then I put some sugar and spice in a bowl.
4 cups pumpkin water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a good pinch ginger
a good pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
You must do the salt, it enhances all the flavors.
Without it, the whole thing tastes like something is missing.
I popped the spices into the heating pumpkin water...
As it got hotter, I made sure to whisk things up really well.
Dissolve the spices and sugar thoroughly.
Once it comes to a boil, pour into a cup, and let cool a bit.
Then, sip away...
It tastes like pumpkin pie in a way.
First sip, your brain tries to understand what you are sipping.
Then it goes, oh ya, pumpkin.
Yumm.
I tested a few things too.
If you want to be extra rotten, you can put a tiny little tinge of real butter in the pot.
I know this is borderline ridiculous.
But, I wanted to see if it did anything.
Like, added more of a decadent dessert body.
It was yumm, but just as good without it, if not better.
I also tried a little chocolate, like, hot pumpkin chocolate.
It was okay.
But much better in the original fashion.
Although, I am not a huge lover of chocolate or the flavor, so, it's hard for me to judge.
I really can't tell you how lovely just the hot spiced pumpkin water was.
What should it be called?
Does anyone know?
Maybe it already has a proper name, and I am the only one that doesn't know.
Haha!
I thought about all the things you can do with this sugar and spice pumpkin water.
Ice cubes?
Use it instead of plain water in oatmeal?
Use it instead of plain water with a proper package of ready made hot chocolate.
Truly, you could try it instead of water in lots of baking projects, me thinks.
As for me.
I think I am still celebrating Halloween.
Piano + Jacko
Yes yes, in fact.
I am.
I have decided that from this day forward, I will celebrate Halloween until Nov. 5th.
Maybe up until the 7th or 8th actually.
Because, the abrupt shift from October 31st to November1st is much too traumatic for this Halloween loving heart.
I mean, for the love of squash, it's still tanning weather here.
I need a few more days after Pumpkin Holiday Halloween to hope for cool.
89' F today.
It's chilly late night.
But day, warmest warms.
So, how I ask, can I be shuffled past the spookiest day so quickly?
I need a buffer.
Or else, haha!
If I had a therapist, I am sure he/she would agree with me.
:)
Don't you?
Love, V
ps: When I make pumpkin soup, I don't extract the water from the puree, and just use the puree plus some chicken stock. But if you are a vegetarian, you don't need the chicken stock. You could use veggie stock. Or just straight pumpkin if you'd like. I do that too.
