Cozy up with these recipes from Pumpkin Spice Up Your Life
My ninth Scholastic foodie book, Pumpkin Spice Up Your Life, has been out in the world for two days! You can order it from your favorite local bookstore or right here, from Indiebound. In the meantime, you can enjoy a “taste” of chapter one below, a book discussion guide, plus a brand-new coffee and waffle recipe to share! The first recipe is for a Cracklin’ Campfire Cappuccino, topped with ooey-gooey s’mores! The second recipe is for a Snug Mug S’mores Waffle. Pair these two treats together for your next fall bonfire!
Here’s a sneak peak at chapter one, read aloud by yours truly:
Here is a reader’s discussion guide so that you can talk about the book with friends and family!
Pumpkin Spice Up Your Life discussion questions
How to make a Snug Mug Cracklin’s Campfire Cappuccino
Easy coffee or espresso:
You can use decaf or regular espresso or coffee for all these drinks. If you don’t have an espresso machine at home, don’t worry! If your parents are coffee drinkers, they may have an AeroPress, moka pot, or French press handy. You can use any of these to make espresso. Just follow the directions for each!
If you don’t have any of those options, you can make yourself a batch of strong coffee instead, using a regular coffee maker or a one-cup coffee maker (like a Keurig). One cup pods are super easy. You can use one shot or two shots of espresso for any of these drinks, or about ⅓–½ cup strong coffee instead.
If you don’t like coffee, that’s okay, too! Any of these drinks can be made as hot cocoa drinks (just substitute a tablespoon or two of chocolate syrup for shots of espresso). Or, as an alternative, you can make these recipes using steamed milk without the coffee shots as well.
Cracklin’ Campfire Cappuccino
You’ll need:
You’ll need: a 12–16 ounce coffee mug, a measuring cup, a microwave, a couple of spoons, a couple of small plates, and a handheld milk frother or whisk
Ingredients for cappuccino:
1 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. graham cracker crumbs
½ cup whole or low-fat milk
½ cup strong brewed coffee or 1–2 shots espresso
1 tbsp. dark chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s)
A handful of mini marshmallows or 2–3 large marshmallows
2 graham cracker squares
3–4 milk chocolate bar squares
Directions:
First, drizzle honey onto a small plate. Sprinkle a mound of graham cracker crumbs onto a second small plate. Dip the lip of the coffee mug into the honey and then into the graham cracker crumbs, until the entire lip of the mug is covered in graham cracker crumbs. Pour ½ cup milk into a glass measuring cup, and microwave for approximately 1½ minutes.
While the milk is warming in the microwave, pour 1–2 shots of espresso or ½ cup strong coffee into your mug. Stir in 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate syrup and stir. Remove your milk from the microwave, and using a battery-operated frother or a handheld whisk, froth the milk to desired foaminess. Pour the milk into your coffee mug.
Next, toast some large marshmallows on a skewer over your stovetop or using the broiler on your oven (note: Have an adult help you with this step). If you’re using mini marshmallows, you can pour them into your mug, and then place the mug under a broiler for 30–45 seconds to toast your marshmallows.
USE EXTREME CAUTION when using a broiler or open flame. Place your toasted marshmallows atop your coffee. Make one s’mores using your graham cracker and chocolate squares, and place this atop your mug.
Enjoy this ooey-gooey s’mores coffee in front of a crackling fireplace!
Snug Mug S’mores Waffle
You’ll need: a waffle iron, cling wrap, measuring spoons and cups, parchment paper, large mixing bowl, a liquid measuring cup, and a baking sheet. NOTE: Anytime you’re using a stove, oven, or griddle, a parent should help you. Griddles and waffle irons get VERY hot, so use extreme caution and never touch a griddle with bare hands.
Ingredients:
2 ½ instant dry yeast
1 cup whole milk, lukewarm (slightly warm to touch)
2 ½ sticks butter, softened
4 cups flour
6 tbsp. light brown sugar3 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
½–¾ cup
Chocolate squares
Chocolate syrup
Regular or mini marshmallows, toasted
Graham cracker squares
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk 2 ½ teaspoons of instant dry yeast with 1 cup of lukewarm milk. Let the milk/yeast mixture sit at room temperature for five minutes.
Add in eggs, flour, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.
Knead with your hands or mix with a spoon until a sticky dough forms.
Add in the softened butter and knead until just combined. (Note: This may seem like a lot of butter and it will make the dough very slick. Don’t worry! The butter makes the waffles extra delicious!)
Set the ball of dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cover securely with plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for three hours. Once the dough has risen, knead in the pearl sugar (Note: Pearl sugar is small, pearl-sized balls of sugar.
If you have trouble finding it at your local grocery store, you can order it online from Amazon.com or from specialty baking stores. The more pearl sugar you add to the batter, the sweeter your waffles will be. You can experiment with the amount until you’re happy with the overall taste.). Then divide the dough into 10 balls. Cover the balls with plastic wrap again and allow to rise for an additional fifteen minutes.
Heat your waffle iron (if the waffle iron has a heat setting, you want it on medium to high). When your waffle iron is ready, place a ball of dough at its center and close the lid.
Cook the dough for approximately 2–3 minutes, depending on your waffle iron, until the waffle is golden brown.
Carefully and with the help of a parent, remove the waffle from the iron and set on a plate. Continue the process until you’ve used up all the dough. You’ll have enough dough for eight to ten waffles.
Top this Snug Mug waffle with—you guessed it—one or two s’mores! Drizzle it with chocolate syrup, add some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!
If you want to pair this S’mores waffle with a Pumpkin Spice Supreme Latte instead, check it the recipe here:
Be sure to check out the other Scholastic foodie books as well!