Pumpkin Pie Milkshake ~ 10.30.11

I can't help myself- when it comes to pumpkin flavored anything... I'm IN!

I really can't believe I'm about to admit this but it's October 29th as I type this and I have yet to make anything pumpkin-y. I'm not sure if it was my lack of time or my fear that there would be another pumpkin shortage this year or whatever, I just haven't made much in the muffin/cookie/cake/bread department involving my favorite flavor!

Ah, but thanks to my crazy pregnancy cravings- that was all put to rest tonight. I made a delectable Pumpkin Pie Milkshake patterned after one I saw over here.

Oh me.

Oh my.

I do SO love Pumpkin Pie flavored stuff- I have pumpkin spice Hershey kisses (which I ration out through the year) and found Pumpkin spiced candy corn at our Market District GE this year, too!

I can't say a word about those pumpkin lattes everyone is goo goo over, I'm not a coffee drinker at all. BUT I do have a box of decaf Pumpkin Spice tea made by stash that I love! ;)

So, pumpkin beverages are so fun to have this time of year and while I DO love a hot beverage, I'm a sucker for anything ice cream related. I adapted this recipe just a bit by adding gingersnap cookies to it. As I recall, a few years back a local burger place had gingersnap milkshakes that I could.not.get.enough.of- at the time. Maybe I was pregnant then, too. Wait... I was! with the twins! LOL Anyway, give this recipe a try anytime between now and Thanksgiving- after that, we'll all move onto PEPPERMINT flavored milkshakes, etc!!!

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake

adapted from Our Best Bites

To your blender, add:

1/4- 1/2 cup milk- start with 1/4 cup and then add more in the last step
1/3 cup pumpkin
heaping 1/4 tsp of pumpkin pie spice -easy to make your own
dash of vanilla extract
2 Tbs brown sugar

Blend together all of the above, THEN add:

2 cups of vanilla ice cream

Give it a whirl and if it's not whirling well, add 1/4 cup more milk.

Pour into a tall, frosty mug and sprinkle crushed gingersnap cookies on top!

sip slowly and enjoy every minute

Makes ONE generous milkshake!

Best Ever Hot Cocoa Mix ~ 10.7.09

Gray, ominous, chilly days like this call for a hot steamy cup of the most delicious hot cocoa.

We tried this recipe last year (or the year before) and it is now a family staple! It is creamy, thick and best with your favorite topping: whipped cream or marshmallows. In the pic above we added some Ghostmallows, could you tell.

3 cups nonfat dry milk

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I uesd Hershey's as Dutch processed is hard to find)

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbs cinnamon (optional)

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Working in batches, pulse ingredients in food processor until chocolate is finely ground.
To make hot cocoa, stir 1/3 cup (I think a 1/4 is fine) of mix into 1 cup hot milk. Top with marshmallows and cozy up with someone you love.

Makes 20 servings

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months (or in my case, a lot longer- just found some in my pantry and drank it tonight. it was from our last batch... last fall)

(inspired by America's Test Kitchen)