FoCo Joe: Pumpkin Spice Latte
What a wonderful weekend for Halloween. Midterms are mostly behind us, the beauty of fall perseveres with weather that by Dartmouth standards is “warm” and the San Francisco Giants just won the World Series. Yes, friends, orange rules everything around me, and even in FoCo I cannot escape it.
One would think that for such a joyous holiday I would conjure up something really creative and special, but in the spirit of all the #tbt (#throwbackthursday, for those of you who live under a rock) Halloween costumes on Instagram, I too am throwing things back to the hype of every fall season — the pumpkin spice latte. I cannot say that I have always been a fan of the beverage, or the entire pumpkin craze for that matter, but I will always have a soft spot for my childhood friend’s mom’s Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. Kathy Byers, if you are reading this, I look forward to this year’s pie at Thanksgiving dinner — thanks in advance!
Do-it-yourself pumpkin spice latte is, genuinely, as easy as it sounds. FoCo already has pumpkin spice coffee just before the cookies and a crate of ice cream treats, which is awesome. But what will we do when winter arrives? (For those freshman skeptics, trust me — winter is coming.) For those of you yearning to keep fall around forever, this is for you.
Step 1: Fill a cup of coffee about two-thirds full. That may sound controversial. I know so many of us rely on coffee for our survival up here in the woods, but a cup that is too full will affect the ultimate consistency of the drink.
Step 2: Add a moderately-sized spoonful of pumpkin ice cream into the coffee. Stir until consistent. A thicker, creamier consistency requires more ice cream, while a thinner consistency asks for more liquid and less ice cream.
Step 3: Add a spoonful of chocolate chips and stir. The chocolate adds a nice depth to the sweet flavors and complements the coffee taste well. No need to go overboard here; the amount of chocolate chips will not have a significant impact on the drink’s thickness.
And that’s it! Add any desired amenities — a taste of vanilla soft serve, perhaps, or an iced pumpkin spice latte. Caramel sauce, over by the ice creams, is another option.
Happy Halloween, dear readers. If you need a refreshing drink to clear your stuffed candy-coated throats, try this one! The taste of fall goes a long way.