Pumpkin Spice Affogato

I've had this in my head for a couple of weeks. How to make a pumpkin spice latte seem...fresh. The obvious answer is ice cream.

Pumpkin ice cream is where it's at. I admit my first taste of pumpkin ice cream came at the verrry beginning of the season. Like September 1st or 2nd. It was at Scoops by Holden Beach, where we held a bachelorette party for my dear friend, Shana. The store sells Blue Bell ice cream, and they'd just started selling Pumpkin Praline. It was heaven.

Affogato is an Italian drink meets dessert. You'll need: Pumpkin ice cream, espresso, pumpkin spice, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar.

Get your espresso going. I love my little Moka espresso maker. I used it for red-eyes in grad school (coffee with a shot of espresso), and it makes the perfect amount for this drink. If you don't have an espresso maker/machine, I think a strong cup of coffee would work.

While the espresso goes, make a little whipped cream. A little sugar goes into the cream.

And a little lot of vanilla.

Bzzz. Don't you love those bubbles?

Whip until you get stiff peaks but don't overwhip or you'll get butter.

Set the scene for assembly.

Three big scoops of ice cream.

Pour in the fresh espresso.

Top with whipped cream.

And finish it with some pumpkin spice. This is when the shaker comes in handy.

You can totally grate a little semisweet chocolate over it if you're into the that sort of thing. (I'm way into that sort of thing) It's like the richest, most awesome pumpkin spice latte. The ice cream gives you creaminess, sweetness, and pumpkin flavor. The whipped cream is just..decadent. And I think a dessert like this should be decadent.

Pumpkin Spice Affogato (makes 1 drink)

Ground espresso
1/4 c heavy whipping cream
1/2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large scoops pumpkin ice cream
Pumpkin Pie Spice

• Prepare a cup of espresso according to your machine or maker's instructions.
• While the espresso brews, prepare the whipped cream. Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl. Whip with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Scoop ice cream into your favorite mug. Pour the freshly brewed espresso over the ice cream. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice over top. Enjoy right away!