Spiced Pumpkin Cacao Atole -Recipe

I love autumn, with its cool nights, harvest of roots and squashes, the brilliant and brief flash of golden flowers on the mountains, and especially pumpkin.  I have a bit of an obsession with pumpkin.  I want to put pumpkin in everything, in stew, in beverages, in pie.  A lot of folks have a favorite pumpkin treat or another.  I used to love to eat pumpkin chocolate chip bread at this time of year, but I don’t really do a lot of sugar, bread, or gluten these days, and I still love pumpkin treats.

I also love corn.  And a steaming thick mug of corn atole with vanilla, spices, and a dollop of butter really makes me happy and warm and feel nourished inside.

So it was a natural progession to combine pumpkin, cacao, and atole this morning. I woke up thinking about it, and made a giant quart- way to much to drink by myself for breakfast, would have been better for two.  But suffice to say, it was quite delicious and satisfying on a fall morning, on the go.  Its a bit like a smoothie, portable, nourishing, liquid  – but instead of cold and full of dampening dairy or frozen fruits- its warm, deeply nourishing, rich with proteins, healthy fats and antioxidants.

Spiced Pumpkin Cacao Atole

2 c water

1 tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp clove

1 tsp allspice

1 tbsp ginger, fresh or dry powder

1/2 tsp black peppercorn, ground

1 tsp cardamom

1 c pumpkin puree

salt, to taste

1 tbsp butter or coconut oil

1 egg beaten

2 tbsp raw cacao paste (or powder)

2 tbsp atole mix, or corn masa   (Corn Maidens Blue Corn Atole is what I used!)

Honey or molasses to taste

Simmer your water until hot, grind your spices well. Add pumpkin, spices, cacao and butter to the hot water and stir/mix well, or until the pumpkin and cacao are well incorporated.

Take the pumpkin cacao off the heat.  Stir in the atole.  Im 2 tbsp cool water, mix atole or masa.

Pour one beaten egg into the hot liquid and whisk immediately  until smooth (if you wait it will cook and become chunky. Not ideal.)  Or place your egg in the blender, and beat on low.  Pour hot atole liquid into the blender and blend until smooth.

Add honey or molasses to sweeten to taste.  Serve hot, with a fresh grind of cinnamon on top.  Add chile if you like a special spicy kick.

Nourish!