Pumpkin Spice Lattes

I didn't start drinking coffee until I was in grad school. Brack is only ten, but is a coffee connoisseur from way back. I like mine strong with just a hint of half and half. He is a little more adventurous. Regularly, I find bottles of weird creamer flavors in my shopping cart as I unload at the register. Somehow, he gets them in there without me seeing!

He also loves Starbucks. What can I say? He's a cosmopolitan kid. His love of mocha frappes did result in my collecting two dozen bottles that I cleaned and now use for parties! That habit was getting a little expensive so I found a recipe for iced mochas that we all love. 

So now that it's fall, you can't go anywhere without seeing signs for pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream, and yes, pumpkin lattes! So, I googled a recipe and we tried it this morning. The result? Well, you tell me...

Pumpkin Spice Latte

1 cup milk

2 tbsp canned pumpkin puree

(not canned pumpkin pie)

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice,

plus more for garnishing

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c strong coffee or espresso

Mix milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla in a microwaveable bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap and vent with a small hole. Microwave about two minutes or until steaming hot.

Carefully remove plastic wrap and whisk about 30 seconds or until frothy. Pour coffee or espresso into mug, fill remainder of mug with steamed milk mixture. (I make my coffee pretty strong, so that's what we used.) Top with whipped cream (if desired) and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice. 

It was good, but in order to make it VERY good, here's what I'll do differently next time. I'll add three tablespoons of pumpkin puree instead of two and I'll add two tablespoons of sugar instead of one. I'll also double the vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. I don't want it overly sweet, but I do want it flavor-packed. I also have an old cappuccino machine somewhere, and I think I'll drag that out to steam our milk. Or I'll scald the milk on the stove. The microwave didn't quite get it hot enough for me. All that whisking cooled it off, too.

I told you my boy likes his coffee pretty sweet (like his daddy!), so here he is adding a little more sugar. I thought the sugar was OK, until he generously (as in without asking) added about a half teaspoon or so to mine. It was better! You needed a little more sugar to get the pumpkin pie taste. If you want more of a subtle flavor, stick with the original recipe.

This was good and easy, and we'll definitely be making this a lot in the next few weeks. In fact, I think I'll set up a pumpkin latte bar for Thanksgiving afternoon while we sit around the fire pit!

Tomorrow I'll get back to the details from the Miss Manners Cupcake Party. Hope you'll stop back by my neck of the woods then!

I'm so glad you stopped by my neck of the woods!

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