I really didn’t get what all the fuss was about with the “hysteria” over Pumpkin Spice Latte beverages and EVERYTHING Pumpkin Spice Latte, in general. I thought it was way over the top. People should get a life! I mean it’s just a flavored squash when you think about it, right?

Then as a baker, I, too got the squash “bug” and decided to experiment with some desserts that might be a different riff on the typical Pumpkin Spice Latte flavor combo. In my most recent book”Baking with Success” I have my award winning Pumpkin Ice Cream recipe, and thought that it might be fun to use it in my search for a dessert with a new take on this Thanksgiving holiday flavor.

After much experimentation, I think I came up with a really cool dessert that shakes up the everyday Pumpkin Spice Latte flavor genre. I made a cinnamon Blondie topped with my own Pumpkin Ice Cream and then slathered in a latte flavored Italian meringue!!

I build this dessert of beauty in a simple 9X5X3 inch loaf pan. When I am ready to serve it I allow it to soften a bit on a heat proof serving platter, and then I singe it with my little blow torch.
A Pumpkin Spice Latte dessert worthy of Thanksgiving or any holiday for that matter!

Cinnamon Blondie

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch salt

8 tablespoons or 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9 x 5 x 3” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle one heaping teaspoon flour into the pan and after distributing the flour, shake out excess over a sink. Set aside.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula, blend until just combined.
5. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until a small knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely and remove from pan.

Latte Italian Meringue

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup water

4 large egg whites at room temperature

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 heaping tablespoon instant espresso

1. In a saucepan, stir together sugar and water. Bring to a boil without stirring. Insert a candy thermometer and cook it until it reaches 240° F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer using the whip attachment, beat egg whites until foamy.
3. Add cream of tartar.
4. On high speed slowly add hot sugar syrup and continue beating until meringue forms stiff peaks.
5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold espresso powder into meringue leaving streaks.

Assembly

1-2 pints pumpkin ice cream, softened in a bowl (Recipe can be found in “Baking with Success”)

Cooled Cinnamon Blondie

Latte Italian meringue

1. Line a 9 x 5 x 3” loaf pan with plastic wrap allowing some excess plastic wrap to go over each side.
2. Place Blondie in bottom of lined pan.
3. Fill space inside pan with ice cream, packing it as much as possible until the ice cream is level with the top of the pan.
4. Cover the top of the Baked Alaska with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.
5. Remove Baked Alaska from freezer and unmold onto a heatproof platter, ice cream side up. Remove plastic wrap.
6. Using an offset spatula, cover the top and sides with prepared meringue creating swirls and spikes. Lightly brown the meringue using a blowtorch or place under a broiler.
7. Serve at once by cutting into slices.