Who needs Starbucks?

This time of year I overhear many excited people, thankful the long wait is over and pumpkin coffee has returned to Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks. This year I decided to give the pumpkin coffee at DD a try and ... was not impressed. I felt it didn't have much pumpkin flavor to it at all. So I bought k-cups of pumpkin coffee from Green Mountain to make at work. There, I do half pumpkin coffee half caramel-flavored hot chocolate, essentially making my own mochaccino. It works, but is a short-cut for sure.

In the same issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray with the recipe for the apple cider floats there is a recipe for pumpkin pie cocoa. So when a friend from high school asked for a real recipe for a pumpkin mochaccino I thought, "I can make this work." So I did.

So here's an easy way to be a barista in your own kitchen. And it's a great accompaniment to pumpkin pancakes!

Pumpkin Mochaccino
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
Makes 1 12 oz. serving

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups (6 oz.) low-fat milk
  
• 3 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
  
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  
• 1 1/4 cups (6 oz.) coffee

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, whisk milk, cocoa mix, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice; heat until steaming. Pour into 12 oz. mug.
   
2. Pour coffee into mug.
   
3. Sweeten to your preference. (I like to use Coffee-Mate's Pumpkin Spice creamer.)
   
4. Top with whipped cream. Dust with either cocoa mix or pumpkin pie spice, or top with a drizzle of caramel sauce.