Zaya Dark and Stormy

Happy Fall Ya’ll!  Does it feel like fall at your house?  We just spent an  3 hours in the heat and the sun at our son’s soccer game.  It does not feel like Fall in Dallas! Hopefully the recipe we share with you this week will get you in the mood for cuddling by the fireplace and watching your favorite football team on TV.

zaya dark and stormy

This week’s post we are sharing with you the cousin to The Mary Ann or Ginger that we showed you back in May. The drink is called a Zaya Dark and Stormy. This drink also fits our 3 criteria: Easy. Tasty.  Fresh.  It has three simple ingredients: Zaya Rum, Ginger Beer  and a fresh orange slice.  To create this refreshing drink simply combine 1.5 ounces of Zaya Rum over ice in a rocks glass. Top off with ginger beer. Add ice and garnish with a fresh orange slice.  Now you have a Dark and Stormy!  Wouldn’t this be a great drink to serve at an adult Halloween Party?  It is so easy to make and easy to drink, too!

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Why is it called a Dark and Stormy?  The drink should have a slightly darker shade towards the top of the glass — just like a fall storm rolling in.

Do you have your pumpkins in place?  Is your home looking and feeling like Fall?  We can’t wait to share more Fall drinks and recipes with you in the coming weeks.

Have a great week, and don’t forget to share our site with family and friends!

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DISCLAIMER: THE BEVERAGES ON THIS SITE ARE MEANT FOR ADULTS 21 YEARS AND OLDER.  WE DO NOT SUPPORT OR ENCOURAGE UNDERAGE DRINKING.  ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE

Zaya Rum Manhattan

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And… we’re back!  We took a little break from The Blind Pig Blog last week to celebrate someone’s birthday.  We aren’t naming names or pointing out that someone is a year older, but…

birthday picTo commemorate this great occasion, I asked Craig what his personal signature cocktail would be.  He immediately chose The Zaya Manhattan.

zaya manhattan 5The Zaya Manhattan is a twist on the classic Manhattan cocktail that is typically made with whiskey.  The Zaya Manhattan substitutes Zaya Rum for the whiskey which creates an unexpected silky texture.

zaya manhattan 6We have introduced two of this drink’s major ingredients, Zaya Rum and Carpano Antica Formula to you in posts like, Zaya Bananas Foster and our Sangria recipe. If you typically like classic cocktails, you are in for a real treat with this unique flair.

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The Zaya Manhattan

  • 2 oz. Zaya Rum
  • 2 oz. Carpano Antica Vermouth
  • 2 dashes of orange bitters
  • 1 slice of orange for garnish

Combine rum and vermouth in mixing glass with ice.  Add two dashes of bitters.  Stir and strain into fresh martini glass.  Garnish with slice of orange.  Enjoy.

If you had a signature cocktail, what would you choose?

Each week we add more and more new followers, and we are so glad to add you to our group of friends.  Make sure to tell your friends and family about our blog.  We love hearing your comments and suggestions for future posts, so keep them coming!  Have a great week.

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DISCLAIMER: THE BEVERAGES ON THIS SITE ARE MEANT FOR ADULTS 21 YEARS AND OLDER.  WE DO NOT SUPPORT OR ENCOURAGE UNDERAGE DRINKING.  ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.

Let Them Eat Cake!

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!  We can’t believe this is the official end of summer.  Our blog kicked off  the summer with our Seagram’s Sweet Tea Lemonade.  As we look back at the all of the summer posts we have made since then, we realize the summer flew.  Don’t worry, though.  We have lots of yummy fall and winter treats to tantalize your tastebuds.  We will continue to post.

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Last week we experienced a milestone in our family.  Our middle son, Jonathan turned sixteen.  When the kids were younger Rhonda started a tradition where she always made homemade birthday cakes for the kids.  She made everything from a purse, to a monster truck to an aircraft carrier!  The kids laugh today about how their special cake was one of their favorite memories, and they made crazy requests because they thought their mom could make ANYTHING.  Oh… how we wish for the days that our kids thought we knew and could do it all.  Now that they are teenagers and beyond, that is not the case. 🙂

Jonathan loves chocolate and for the past few years has asked for a triple layer chocolate cake.  This year Rhonda decided to try out a recipe she had adapted with Kerrygold Irish Cream.  It did not disappoint.

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A special birthday requires special candles.  We found these sparkling candles and special 16  at Hobby Lobby on the party aisle.

Rhonda made this cake from scratch.  No cake mixes for this one.  It is adapted from a Southern Living recipe in The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook.  The addition of Kerrygold Irish Cream to this recipe gives the cake a milky chocolate taste and color.

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For the icing, we adapted a Southern Living recipe as well.  The icing is a cream cheese icing recipe, so it had a different texture than the typical buttercream frosting.

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As you can see, our boy was happy with his cake.  Gosh, we can’t believe 16 years have gone by.

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Kerrygold Cake

  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream
  • 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 (1 ounce squares) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream

Spray three 9 inch round cake pans with cooking spray.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar beating at medium speed (5-7 minutes).  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add 1/4 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream beat until well blended.

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Combine flour and next 3 ingredients.  Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition until blended. Stir in chocolate and vanilla.

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Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Kerrygold Irish Cream Frosting

  • 1/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
  • 1 (16 ounce package) powdered sugar, sifted and divided.
  • 3 (1 ounce squares) unsweetened chocolate melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer.  Add 1 cup powdered sugar and chocolate.  Beat until smooth.  Gradually add remaining sugar and Irish Cream, beating at low speed until spreading consistency.

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Spread frosting between layers of cake.  Spread frosting on top and sides of cake.  Store in refrigerator.

 

Both the batter and the frosting are a thick, creamy consistency.  You can tell from the photo that the batter is thick in the pan.  This is a great cake to serve for a birthday or any special occasion.  We would love to hear if you try it out.  Feel free to share comments and questions on our blog.  Don’t forget to look for our posts on Pinterest! Have a great week.

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We know the cake is and looks a little lopsided in this pic.  We are keeping it real on this blog.  Some of the best tasting cakes are a little lopsided and not picture perfect.