Despite being 80 degrees in the Bay Area lately, seasonal fall flavors are everywhere. I had my first pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks last week and after seeing Erin at House of Earnest post a recipe to make your own pumpkin spice latte syrup, I had to give it a try myself.

First, I hit up my favorite Oaktown Spice Shop for vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks/chips. I learned that saigon cinnamon has a much stronger flavor than "regular" korintje cinnamon, which is usually the type you find in powdered form. Smell them to compare -- you really can tell a difference. (Another favorite spice shop is All Spice in Des Moines. They have such nice packaging and you can order online!)

Ingredients (l to r): vanilla beans, star anise, pureed pumpkin, cinnamon chips

I had all the other ingredients I needed, including the individual spices to make my own pumpkin pie spice blend. Using a recipe I found on The Kitchn, I mixed the spice blend, doubling the recipe to have extra.

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Spices (clockwise, from bottom): ginger, allspice, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon

Then, I created the syrup. Erin had posted two different recipes -- one sweetened with dates and one with sugar. I did make both, so I could do a taste comparison, but I didn't like the date version at all. My sister Amanda, of Hammer & Heels blog fame, did like it but she tends to be healthier than me. Considering that I put an obscene amount of sugar into my cappuccino every morning, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. So, I've just included the recipe for the sugar version below.

• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)
• 1 star anise pod
• 2 cinnamon sticks (or equivalent cinnamon chips)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 vanilla beans (or one large bean, cut in half and then split, so the flavor can easily escape)

Combine the sugar and water in a small pan and cook on medium/low heat until the mixture is slightly bubbly and sugar is totally dissolved. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir constantly while heating up the pumpkin and incorporating it all together. Strain the entire mixture to get rid of any large bits (I used a strainer, but cheesecloth would also work), let cool, then bottle.

Syrup cooking