Bake + Book: Get Ready to fall in love with Pumpkin Muffin Coffee Cake

YA Reads and Pumpkin Spice Muffins

The Book: I picked up PUMPKIN SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc at the Barnes & Noble Cafe. I think their $5 Exclusive Editions are genius. They place them at the cash register, and you find yourself swept away by coffee, a croissant and the deal of buying a brand-new book for $5.

I loved the cover, was smitten by the autumnal color and was invested in the premise of dueling coffee shops creating the best Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

I didn’t realize this was a YA novel, but I loved the sweet premise, the blush of a teen romance, and the plot of Lucy, a teen baker and coffee savant, who helps her single mom run the indie coffee house, and is vehemently opposed to the trend of the PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte.)

Lucy’s reason for rebel? There isn’t even real pumpkin in it.

Enter Jack Harper, new kid in town, with dimples and sparkly eyes. And whose family happens to be the new owners of the corporate giant: Java Junction. They are opening across the street from her mom’s coffee shop, Cup o’ Jo, during the start of the busiest season and are known for their popular Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

Teen angst + baked goods + burgeoning romance = A fun read.

I had a great time spending the afternoon in New England’s Briar Glen, where fall isn’t just a season, it’s a way of life.

The Bake: In honor of Pumpkin Spice Latte season, I decided to make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake Muffins. In our household, we like the portability of the muffin, rather than the slice of a quick bread. These will definitely become a fall staple, the crunch of the streusel, coupled with the pumpkin muffin was the ideal combination. And unlike the book, where the protagonist bemoaned that PSL’s don’t use real pumpkin! These muffins do. Enjoy the PSL season.