How to make your favourite seasonal drinks from the comfort of your own kitchen

For many, Autumn is their favourite season. Bursts of reds and yellows replace the greens of summer. Snug jumpers replace shorts as we head out for long, invigorating walks. Best of all, hot, seasonal drinks start appearing on the menus of our favourite coffee shops. But if you can’t bring yourself to leave the cosiness of your pyjamas to venture out for one, we’ve got you covered!

We’ve rounded up some recipes so that you can make your favourite season drinks from the comfort of your own kitchen. So, what are you waiting for? Put the kettle on and get creating! (All of our recipes make two cups.)

Deluxe hot chocolate

Arguably everyone’s favourite drink to warm up with on a crisp, Autumn day, the hot chocolate is simple and luxurious but can taste very differently depending on the recipe that you use. For a quick cup, most of us would use cocoa powder to make our hot chocolates. If you have a bit more time, our recipe uses real chocolate to achieve a creamier, more chocolatey, more decedent version of this family favourite.

Recipe:

200ml milk

50ml double cream

40g chopped chocolate (70% or more cocoa solids)

Marshmallows (optional)

Method:

Getting the right chocolate is important for this recipe. The higher the cocoa content, the more chocolatey the drink will be. Begin by finely chopping the chocolate. Pour the milk and double cream into a pan, add the chopped chocolate and gently bring it to the boil, whisking until smooth.

Serve with marshmallows, whipped cream and any other toppings that take your fancy.

Pumpkin spice latte

The pumpkin spice latte has massively grown in popularity over the last decade and is now synonymous with the Autumn season. Developed by Starbucks, pumpkin wasn’t used in their original recipe, with the flavour instead coming predominantly from the mixture of spices. In 2015, the coffee chain changed their recipe to include pumpkin puree and remove artificial colours. Our recipe also makes use of the winter squash that gives this drink its name.

Recipe:

4tsp pumpkin puree

1 pinch cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg

60ml espresso coffee

500ml milk

Method:

Spoon 2 tsp of pumpkin puree into a large glass. Add a pinch of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir in the espresso coffee and mix. Heat 250ml of milk (any type) in a saucepan until steaming. Pour over the puree mixture and stir to combine the mixture. Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.

Salted caramel latte

Another coffee that people love during the colder months, this drink is a product of the salted caramel boom that started around 2010 and has grown in popularity ever since. It’s easy to get your hands on a pre-made syrup, but we think you can’t beat making it from scratch. Our recipe includes instructions for how to make your own salted caramel sauce, perfect for the drink but also for drizzling on deserts! It’s a skill everyone should possess.

Sauce recipe:

100g granulated sugar

45g butter

60ml double cream

½tsp of sea salt

Method:

Use a small saucepan to heat the sugar over a medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to slowly stir the sugar as it melts. When melted, allow the sugar to boil until it turns golden brown. Add the butter and stir until melted. Slowly pour in the double cream, stirring until the mixture thickens. Lastly, add the sea salt and stir to ensure even distribution through the mixture. Transfer into a small glass container and leave to get to room temperature before storing in the fridge.

Drink recipe:

200ml espresso

250ml full fat milk

2tsp salted caramel sauce

Method:

Boil a kettle ready to prepare the espresso. Heat the milk to between 60-70c and when hot, froth with a milk frother. If you don’t have a frother, pour your milk into a lidded glass jar, shake it and microwave for 30 seconds to heat.

Place two teaspoons of the salted caramel sauce in a small pan and melt on a low heat or over boiling water. When melted, pour one teaspoonful of the sauce into the bottom of a latte glass and stir with a dash of hot milk to dissolve.

Spoon two dessert spoons of foam into the bottom of the cup. Hold it back with the spoon as you pour in the hot milk until the cup is two thirds full. Top with the remaining foam and carefully pour in the hot espresso.

Apple Tea

While coffee is king when it comes to winter drinks, teas also have their own autumnal makeovers that can’t be missed! This apple tea recipe is packed full of flavour, combining spices with fresh fruit to give you a perfect blend of seasonal punch.

Recipe:

3 cups water

½ apple

1 inch cinnamon stick

½ inch ginger piece

1tbsp lemon juice

4 pepper corns

½tsp tea powder

Honey

Method:

Add all of the ingredients apart from the honey and apple to a deep pot and reduce until there are about two cups remaining in the pan. While this is brewing, peel and mince the apple into small pieces.

Off the stove, add the minced apple piece, cover the pot with a lid and leave for five minutes. Lastly, strain the mixture and add the honey.

Hot Toddy