Thirsty Thursday: Pumpkin Latte Mudslide

It's that season again. You know, Starbucks Holiday drinks. Pumpkin Spice Latte, Salted Caramel then comes Peppermint Mocha What? You didn't know there were 5 seasons now?! I can assure you that for some people this is basic truth. I have made quite a few Starbucks inspired mudslides, salted caramel mudslide and peppermint oreo mudslide. and so I had thought for a while as to how I could bring a pumpkin spice latte to fruition.

The first go round was for our Halloween party, I made my concoction using coffee ice cream, pumpkin cream liquor, kahlua & fluff vodka...and it was pretty tasty...Just didn't quite capture the true essence that is a Pumpkin Spice Latte, the version that people literally plan their day around(not me, but definitely some people) and I set about to rectify this.

And just this past week Starbucks themselves sent me a sign that they were all gung ho in supporting me in my endeavor by releasing this is very thing one day I was aisle hopping trying to come up w/ideas. I dare you to argue this wasn't their goal...

Behold this diddly...

and my answer was so obvious and simple it would have been almost offensive to not oblige Starbucks in their quest to help me perfect this tasty treat.

Ingredients

1 cup ice cream

1 1/2 oz kahlua

1 1/2 oz vanilla vodka

1 1/2 oz baileys

2 oz coffee

1 cup ice

1 pinch pumpkin pie spice(optional)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend to desired consistency  Keep in mind you can make this w/more or less of any ingredient, including alcohol. This would be super simple to adapt to a Non Alcoholic version.

Just omit the alcohol and use 3 oz coffee and substitute one of the bazillion many caramel flavored coffee creamers.

I made this particular recipe for a gathering I had and used shooter glasses. This recipe yielded 10 medium sized shooters. I would think it would convert to 2/3 glasses if that's how you choose to enjoy it.

and don't worry, I know you are so concerned about not knowing exactly what my first recipe was, the one involving pumpkin liqueur and marshmallow fluff. Stop it, you should know by now I only want for you to get some goodness. Tune in soon and you will get that one too.

and yes. earlier your mind didn't deceive you...I typed the word diddly. that's right. and I am not afraid to own it.

Weekly Addiction: Dunkachino

Seriously. I have a problem. What can I say, when I like something, I love it to the full extent. I am mainly a hot tea girl. I'm half British, that explains everything. I cannot, no matter how hard I try and be a big girl mature adult, I abhor coffee. Wiki is half Italian, half Lebanese. Cafe flows in his veins, he tries, to no avail, to make me adore it. One day he'll grasp it, it's not happening. Ergo, his attempts will continue to be flops. It is not that I don't like coffee flavor, I actually do. Coffee ice cream is my constant companion(look people, I am a woman, it is my duty to not make sense) just gross, coffee is just. Yeah, I don't know, it's too watery. haha Only tea should be that way!!!

But, alas, the point of my addiction. For a little added caffeine, I decided a few years ago to try a dunkachino from Dunkin Donuts, it's half coffee/half hot chocolate. and thus was born an unending love affair. It's ok, Wiki knows about it, he's cool with it. so there is a DD right adjacent to our neighborhood, and basically they know me. really.really.well. I get it almost the same way, every day. "I would like a large Dunkichino w/a little extra coffee in the bottom, caramel and whip cream" 
During the Fall it becomes pumpkin caramel and the winter, mint.

But they know me so well that I sent Wiki to get it one morning, and as I was explaining the directions(wondering if I should just go myself) and then made him repeat it back to me, I endured the famous "eye roll", you know the one ladies, when they think we aren't looking. Wrong. we.see.everything. and 10 minutes later he waltzed back in, looks at me and declares "You have an addiction" (duh) I was like "your point?" He went through the drive thru and said he had only spoken the words, "I need a large dunkachino and I need it made slightly weird"(weird? how rude) and before he could specify the order the response was "do you want it w/a little coffee in the bottom, caramel and whip cream?" He said he paused, completely incredulous, and responded "yes, that way please"

Haha, now that's customer service. and it's led to a slight embarrassment at another, rather popular Coffee chain that you may be familiar with...last year I was in auto pilot mode and heading to get my drink, the drive thru was wrapped around so I decided to run in quickly, my mind was elsewhere. I finally am ready to order, give my usual dunkachino spiel, and as I get my money, hear this slightly snotty retort "Dunkachinio? excuse me, what's that? Do you mean a frappachino?" this is when I slowly start to take in my surrounding and realize that, yep, I'm at Starbucks, not DD. The 16 year old barista is looking at me like I am a complete idiot and the man next to me is laughing. I quickly changed my order to a Venti zen tea, hot...and ran out of there mortified and then, the second I got in my car...started laughing hysterically. 

Like I said, I love what I love;) Just remember, America runs on Dunkin!
PS(I may or may not be drinking a zen tea as I type this, the irony isn't lost on me;)

and can I say how sorry I am for those of you that don't have an Elizabeth at yours? She is the epitome of what every owner ever should want working for them. She is sweet and funny and is always excited to gab with me.