By Lorie Ham
It’s that time of year again when we are surrounded by pumpkin everything! Pumpkin spice latte, pies, breads, yogurt, bagels, and even Pumpkin Spice Cheerios. According to Adweek, the Pumpkin Spice Latte, or PSL, is now the most popular seasonal beverage in the chain’s history, with north of 200 million cups sold.
But what if you are tired of pumpkin? Or, maybe you are one of the few who don’t like Pumpkin Spice anything? WebstaurantStore blog lists many other classic fall flavors that can get people into the spirit of the season, no pumpkin needed. They have a list of 10 other autumn flavors that are not only great in baked goods and creative entrees, but also as coffee flavors and holiday drinks! One of those flavors is ginger. Sadly, Starbucks no longer sells their Gingerbread Latte, but there are many other ways to enjoy the great flavor of ginger, including making your own latte!
Wikipedia states that ginger originated from Maritime Southeast Asia. In 2018, global production of ginger was 2.8 million metric tons. It is a popular spice used worldwide to spice up meals, and even as medicine. According to the McCormick Science Institute, ginger is one of the most used spices in the world! Ginger, along with green onion and garlic, is considered part of the “holy trinity” of Chinese cooking.
If you are looking for ways to use ginger, on the Kitchn website you can find 10 late fall recipes with ginger that include Pear and Ginger Upside-Down Cake, Coconut Ginger Candy Drops, and Double Ginger Scones. Cooking Light shares 101 ways to cook with ginger.
One of the most popular sweets using ginger are gingerbread cookies, of which there are many different varieties. They are not only popular at Christmas time, but all throughout the year. If you would like a new gingerbread recipe to try this fall, mystery author Cleo Coyle, whose books feature the owner of a coffee shop and include many wonderful recipes for sweets and coffees, has a fun recipe for iced gingerbread cookie sticks, which are elegant, edible coffee stirrers. You can find even more recipes on her website, and in the back of her books, which make for a perfect read while enjoying your gingerbread latte and cookies!
Cleo Coyle’s Iced Gingerbread Cookie Sticks
Makes about 4-5 dozen cookie sticks, depending on size
For cookies:
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (or 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves)
- 10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature*
- 2⁄3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup molasses (unsulphured, not blackstrap)
- 1⁄3 whole milk (or brewed coffee)*
To finish:
- Vanilla Glaze (see recipe below) and
- Coarse finishing sugar (about 1/4 cup)
*Note: To make this recipe dairy free replace butter with non-dairy margarine and the whole milk with coffee or almond milk.
What is your favorite fall or holiday spice that isn’t pumpkin? Do you have a favorite recipe using ginger? We would love it if you would share some of those with us on our Facebook page.
