Fall is the time of year for a Rumpkin, the spiced pumpkin-flavored martini recreated here in 2017. This season, I’ve updated the syrup recipe and was even happier with the results.
You start, as in the original recipe with a 1:1 brown sugar simple syrup.
Worth Its Weight
A quick word about measurements. A 1:1 ratio means you use as much of one ingredient as you do the other. The sugar measurements really can’t be done accurately by volume (i.e., with a measuring cup). Sugar comes in different granulated sizes. Crystals of brown sugar vary in size but have more air between them than, say, dashes of powdered sugar. The only way to know how much you’re using is to weigh it on a digital scale. If you don’t have a scale, or can’t be bothered to use one, you can use measuring cups, of course. But the results really aren’t the same.
This year I weighed out 250 grams of brown sugar. I then chose an equal amount of water, 250 milliliters. Water is special. At room temperature, water’s weight in grams equals its volume in milliliters. You can weigh out 250g of water, but you can also just use a measuring cup with ml markings.
Dissolve the sugar and water over medium heat. Swish the pan around to be sure the sugar granules are fully dissolved. It won’t take long, a few minutes.
Just the Pumpkin, Hold the Pie
Into the pan whisk in a 17-ounce can of organic pumpkin purée. This is a modification from the earlier recipe, which used an organic pumpkin pie mix that came already spiced with traditional autumnal flavors. Pumpkin pie mix also has sugar in it, which seemed another reason to avoid it as we’re already mixing it into a sugar solution.
Now raise the heat, bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until the mixture concentrates to a syrup that coats the back of a spoon. This step takes about 30 minutes.
Since organic pumpkin purée is a clean canvas, you’re now left to improve it however you like. A simple choice is a pre-mixed pumpkin pie spice mixture. Trader Joe’s is a fine powder of cinnamon, ginger, lemon peel, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom. These, and not real pumpkin, are truly what we think of when we say something is “pumpkin-spiced.”
I’ve used the pumpkin pie spice mixture with great results. About a half teaspoon turned the sweet but bland pumpkin syrup into a pumpkin-spiced triumph. Alternately, you can experiment with your own flavor combinations, increasing the amount of, say, the warming ginger or introducing black pepper, granulated orange peel, or ground allspice, for starters.
No matter what you do, though, be sure your spices are fresh. Particularly the ground ones lose their pungency quickly over time. If it has been hanging around your pantry for a year or more it’s worth your effort to toss it out for a newer package.
Once the syrup is cool, mix in a tablespoon of vodka to help preserve it and then store it in the refrigerator.