Shut the Front Door

Shut the back door, shut the window, shut the door to the garage. Shut all the doors. Ladies and gentleman (yes, man, because Kyle is probably the only male that reads this silly blog), it is actually possible to make PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES IN YOUR CROCKPOT. In case you didn't know, my crockpot and I are lovers. I'm nearing the point where pretty much 75% of our dinners are made in one. However, I let out a yelp of joy when I discovered I could (attempt) to re-create my favorite Starbucks beverage of all time without leaving my house. Eureeka! Maybe now I don't have to put whip cream on my coffee in the winter and pretend it's a fancy coffee drink. 

Who wants to come to playgroup at my house?? ;)

Ingredients

--2 cups milk (I used 1%)
--2 T canned pumpkin
--2 T white sugar
--2 T vanilla (not a typo. it asks for tablespoons)
--1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
OR: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a teeny tiny pinch of ground ginger
--1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee

--garnish with whipped cream (optional)
The Directions.

This will make enough for 2 people to have a big mug with a bit leftover. If you are having friends over, adjust the recipe accordingly. I used a 4-quart crockpot, but as small as a 1.5 quart will work with these amounts.

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again.

Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon. I added a cinnamon stick to be fancy.
(if I rinse it off, can I re-use it? It seems wasteful to toss.)