Pumpkin Spice Syrup

Cut the 300 g of peeled pumpkin into small, even cubes, so they all cook in the same time.

Put the pumpkin in a pan with about 50 ml of water, the star anise and the 5–6 whole cloves. Cover with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then. If the pumpkin dries out before it is soft, add a little water at a time.

When the pumpkin is very soft and mashes easily with a fork, carefully remove the star anise and all the cloves.

Move the pumpkin and any remaining liquid into a tall container and blend until completely smooth.

Pour the rest of the 300 ml of water into a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of salt and vanilla extract. Stir and bring to a gentle boil.

Once it reaches a gentle boil, cook the syrup base for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Add the pumpkin purée to the syrup base and stir well until evenly combined.

Let the syrup simmer over low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick to the bottom.

Turn off the heat. For a thinner, smoother syrup, strain it while still hot through a fine-mesh sieve. If you prefer a creamier, fuller texture, you can leave it as it is.

Pour the still-hot syrup into a perfectly clean bottle or jar. Let it cool, close it and put it in the fridge.

Put 40 g of Pumpkin Spice Syrup in the bottom of the glass. For the hot version, add 180–200 ml of hot frothed milk; for the iced version, add ice and cold milk. Slowly pour in an espresso and finish with a dusting of cinnamon.