June Bonus Post: Espresso Ice Cream Treats

June 19, 2019June 19, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

It’s already time for your June Bonus Post, and this month we are bringing back an oldie but goodie. We’ve shared our sooo easy, tasty and fresh ice cream recipe with you in posts like Kerrygold Ice Cream and Mojito Ice Cream. This month we are using one of our favorite liqueurs — Cafe Borghetti to give the ice cream a delicious coffee flavor. However, we are not stopping at just the recipe, we are also sharing with you some great alternatives for easy ice cream treats to serve to your guests that will put your hosting level over the top!

We started with the basic recipe that we have shared with you previously. Each time we make this recipe we are reminded how amazingly easy this is, and the ice cream tastes sooo yummy. In case you missed the first post, here are the steps. The ingredients that you will need are: 1 can sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, salt, Cafe Borghetti Espresso Liqueur, and heavy cream. Yep! That’s it. Now, before you dig your ice cream churn out of the attic, let us tell you that you are not going to need it. All you need is a hand held electric mixer and a freezer.

Make sure that your mixing bowl and beaters have set in the freezer for about 20 minutes before starting the ice cream. It will make the cream peak faster. Stir together the milk, vanilla, salt and Cafe Borghetti. Set aside.

Place cream in the chilled bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 4 minutes or until peaks form.

Fold 1/3 whipped cream mixture into milk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining cream until ice cream mixture is smooth. Be careful not to over whisk and stir. You don’t want to deflate the whipped cream. The air is what makes this ice cream so light and creamy. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and place in a freezer for 8 hours.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe of Espresso Ice Cream.

After freezing we decided to use our ice cream to make some pre-made treats for friends. We found these cute little cups at World Market. They come with three in a package and are coated on the inside with chocolate. We scooped ice cream into each and placed them back in the freezer until we were ready to serve our guests. It was a such an easy summer treat, and our guests felt like we had put forth extra effort. If you want to give the treat an extra Blind Pig twist, pour a little bit of Cafe Borghetti into the bottom of the cup for an added surprise and dipping while eating the ice cream!

We also used some of our Espresso Ice Cream to make ice cream sandwiches. Instead of using the typical cookie we found some Italian waffle cookies also at World Market. We scooped a spoonful of ice cream on to the bottom waffle. Next we added a handful of Heath pieces and then topped with a waffle cookie. We placed the sandwiches back into the freezer until we were ready to serve. The waffle cookies gave just the right amount of crunch to the sandwich without overwhelming the ice cream. It was sort of like eating a flat ice cream cone.

Other ways to spruce up this delicious treat are to drizzle the ice cream with some Kerrygold Hot Fudge Sauce or just simply dribble a little bit of Cafe Borghetti over the top. YUMMO!

Spending the week at the lake or beach and want an easy, tasty, fresh ice cream treat? This is the recipe for you. With just a few basic ingredients and a hand mixer, you can have your ice cream and eat it too!

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Christmas Morning Bread

December 16, 2018December 29, 2018 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

One of the best things about Christmas is jumping out of bed early in the morning in anticipation of unwrapping presents under the tree. Since our family usually has a big meal planned for Christmas, we don’t tend to eat a huge breakfast. If you have guests staying with you, it’s nice to put your best foot forward at breakfast — especially on Christmas morning. We are sharing an easy, tasty and fresh recipe with you that will delight all of the members of your family on that joyous holiday morning. Your house guests will think that you went all out just for them. You can smile graciously. No need to tell them how easy this delectable breakfast was to make.

This recipe was a combination of a few recipes that we had found over the years. One recipe was from Taste of Home December 2017 issue and the other was from Southern Living December 2009, and then we added in a little twist of our own. This great recipe can be prepped a day ahead and baked fresh in the morning or warmed in the oven. To make Christmas Morning Bread you will need, sugar, cinnamon, frozen bread roll dough, Kerrygold butter, chopped pecans, brown sugar, Templeton Rye whiskey and semisweet baking chocolate bar.

First we started to thaw out our frozen rolls. They were not completely thawed by the time we started to work with the dough, but we think it helped to have the dough slightly thawed. You can make your bread from scratch like Grandma Ruth likes to do, but we opted for the frozen dough which was easier.

Next we combined the sugar and cinnamon. We melted our Kerrygold butter in the microwave. We sprinkled a few of our chopped pecans in the bottom of a sprayed bunt pan. Next we made our whiskey caramel sauce. We placed brown sugar, butter, and whiskey in a small saucepan; brought it to a boil; cooked and stirred for 3 minutes. Then removed from heat to cool.

After about 5 minutes, we poured about 1/3 of caramel in the bottom of the bundt pan with the pecans. This gave the top of our bread a nice sweet glaze.

We prepped our area by having the rolls handy, along with the butter, sugar cinnamon mixture and bundt pan. Next we took a roll. Dipped it in the butter, and then rolled the top 1/2 of the roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. We placed the roll in the bottom of the pan. We continued until we had a fairly even layer of rolls on the bottom of the pan. We drizzled caramel mixture and pecans over the first layer of rolls. Then we continued layering the rolls and adding pecans and caramel drizzle over each layer until we had 3-4 layers. Our package of rolls was 3 lbs. We thought, “What the heck. The more the merrier, right?” Wrong. It was too much dough and our rolls overflowed in the oven. Stop at about 2 pounds of dough. (wink)

Next we covered with plastic wrap and placed in a warm toasty spot in our kitchen to rise for about 45 minutes. If you want to bake these Christmas morning, you can cover and chill them in the fridge. We would suggest taking them out and letting them rise slightly before placing in the oven.

When you are ready to bake, place them in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees. Make sure to place a baking sheet covered in foil on the bottom oven rack. (Believe us, you do not want to skip this part. We saved ourselves from cleaning up a huge mess by doing this!) Bake bread for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, and then invert on a serving plate.

To make the chocolate whiskey glaze you will need to melt the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. We melted ours in small bursts of 30 seconds, so we didn’t over cook. When chocolate is melted, stir in 1/4 cup of whiskey and stir until smooth. Drizzle the chocolate whiskey glaze over the top of the bread.

If you are viewing this post in your email, visit us at http://www.theblindpig.blog for a full printable recipe of Christmas Morning Bread.

When we made our bread in our test kitchen, it did not last long. Blind Piglets #2 and #3 and their friends finished it off pretty quickly. We had a few left overs for the next day, and we think it tasted better on day 2.

Are you going to treat your family Christmas morning? Do you need to impress your mother-in-law? Whether you are staying in or headed out, Christmas Morning Bread will be sure to become one of your family’s holiday favs. Let us know if you try it out. We love hearing what you think!

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Saucy Gift Ideas for the Holidays

December 9, 2018December 9, 2018 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

We are so glad to see many of you sharing and commenting our latest posts: Golden Mint Crinkles and Yum Rum Balls. ‘Tis the season to share and give, so keep on sharing. This week we have another great idea for giving and sharing this season.

If you are looking for an easy treat to share in a goody bag, with your child’s teacher, the mail man, or just a little something special to add to a gift, Kerrygold Hot Fudge Sauce is a great place to start.

Kerrygold Hot Fudge Sauce is a great addition to a holiday gift basket.

This sauce is a great topping for a variety of treats and desserts. Drizzle some over a sponge cake for a little extra pizzazz. Serve over a bowl of fresh berries. Use it for a yummy ice cream sundae. Warm it up and place in a fondue pot with lots of fun fruit, brownies, marshmallows, or angel food cake dippers. Drizzle some over a pile of pancakes or french toast on Christmas morning. Get creative, and let us know how you used the sauce.

Getting organized took longer than actually making the sauce. First decide how you want to package the sauce. Rhonda went to Hobby Lobby and found a variety of cute little jars and bottles. We have also seen bottles similar to this at World Market, or you can purchase small canning jars at the grocery store. Make sure that the bottles are safe for food, and not just made for decoration. Bring the bottles home and wash them thoroughly. We put ours through the dishwasher on high heat to make sure they were well sanitized. We (Rhonda) found some fun tags, bows and ribbons at Hobby Lobby to dress up the bottles and jars for a festive flair.

You can find a variety of jars and bottles at Hobby Lobby. Make sure they have been thoroughly washed.

Next start the process of making the sauce. You will need a package of unsweetened chocolate baking squares, butter, sugar, milk, vanilla, salt and Kerrygold Irish Cream. We have a variety of variations to this recipe that we will share with you below.

Place the chocolate and butter (We used Kerrygold butter, of course.) in a small saucepan over low heat stirring constantly. Add the sugar and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the milk stirring constantly and cook for an addition 3-5 minutes until the chocolate sauce is smooth and creamy. You want to keep the heat on low and do not let the sauce boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt and Kerrygold Irish Cream. Yes, it’s that quick and easy!

Kerrygold Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:
1 -8 oz package of unsweetened chocolate baking squares
1/2 cup of Kerrygold butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 ounce of Kerrygold Irish Cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Melt unsweetened chocolate baking squares and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add 2 cups of sugar and continue to stir for about 30 seconds. Add milk to saucepan and continue to stir until sauce is smooth and creamy. Make sure sugar is dissolved, but do not allow the sauce to boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla, salt and Kerrygold. Cool before placing in container.

Can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. Reheat sauce in microwave prior to serving.

Makes approximately 3 cups.

The sauce is good for up to two weeks when stored in the refrigerator. It is best served warm, so you will want to include that information on your instruction tags to your friends. We made sure to remind our friends to place the sauce in a different container before placing in the microwave.

We love choices and variety, and there are several variations you may choose from for your sauce depending on your taste. For a coffee flavor with your chocolate sauce, substitute the Kerrygold Irish Cream with Cafe Bourghetti Espresso Liqueur. Want a little mint and chocolate? Add Branca Menta in place of the Kerrygold. Caution: Branca Menta is strong, so we would only include half as much Branca Menta as Kerrygold. Feeling a little frisky and want some whiskey? Replace the Kerrygold with Templeton Rye Whiskey. Zaya Rum and chocolate complement each other nicely, as well. So now you have choices to satisfy the range of the taste buds in your rainbow of friends and family.

Try it out this week and let us know if you will be in the spirit of giving some Kerrygold Hot Fudge Sauce this season! It’s time for our December Bonus post this week, so be on the lookout for our Merry Margarita!

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Happy Anniversary, Blind Pig

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

The Blind Pig Blog has made one trip around the sun! Yes, this week marks our one year anniversary of The Blind Pig Blog. What an adventure this year has been! We are so grateful to our faithful subscribers who have joined us in this fun adventure. Each post has had its own special flare and flavor. At the end of 2017 we posted our Top Ten most popular posts for the year. This week, we want to take you on a trip down memory lane and share our personal favorites with you.

10. Spiked Honey Watermelon Limeade

spiked honey watermelon limemade

We first shared this delicious beverage with you during our Watermelon Wars. Not only is the drink fun to make, but it is a great drink for summer cookouts or pool parties.

9. The Royal Hurricane

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The Royal Hurricane is one of the newer members of The Blind Pig cache, but will most likely be a crowd favorite at our household this summer. It’s an excellent beach or lakeside drink.

8. Kerrygold Cinnamon Rolls

Kerrygold Cinnamon Rolls

No one makes rolls like Grandma Ruth, but these are a great substitute when Grandma is not near.

7. Kerrygold French Toast

kerrygold french toast

This recipe is a must-have at your next brunch. By the way, Mother’s Day is just right around the corner.

6. Salted Whiskey Caramel Corn

salted whiskey caramel corn

This post is one our favs because it was so darn easy to make, and was such a delightful surprise!

5. Zaya Banana Bread

zaya banana bread

Zaya Banana Bread is hands down the BEST banana bread we have ever had. It even tastes better after a day or two.

4. Kerrygold Ice Cream

kerrygold ice cream

This post was probably our most overlooked post, and it was definitely one of the best recipes we shared with you. It is such an easy way to make homemade ice cream, and it is delish! The chocolate sauce is a dream, too.

3. Caffe Borghetti Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie

caffe borghetti pbif pie

Six words: Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie. Need we say more?

2. Mary Ann or Ginger?

Mary Ann or Ginger1

This fun, easy drink is a crowd pleaser and one of our favorites to serve at get-togethers and gatherings.

1. The Skinny Agave Margarita

This post started it all. Not only does The Skinny Agave Margarita taste great, it is a versatile crowd pleaser for any social gathering. Besides, who doesn’t appreciate a good margarita every now and then?

Thank you for being a loyal follower. Please share our posts and site with friends. We would love to have them join us. New to our site? Please subscribe.

We are closing out this post with a shout out to Blind Piglet #1. She turns 21 years old today! Happy Birthday. XOXO

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Disclaimer: The beverages shared on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Never drink and drive.

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Move over Paciugo…. here comes Kerrygold ice cream!

August 27, 2017 / theblindpig11 / 6 Comments

So, how was your eclipse viewing? We didn’t get a chance to view it up close and personal, because we were both at work. However, our daughter was in the path to view the total eclipse. She said it was AMAZING! Whether you viewed it or not, we hope your eclipse was a little more fun with last week’s post!

We are always searching for great recipes to try and then share with you. We always try to stick to our criteria of easy, tasty, fresh. Well… this week we feel like we struck gold! We actually discovered this wonderful little golden nugget of a recipe a couple of weeks ago, but with the eclipse and all we decided to hold off on sharing. Believe us. We can’t wait for you to experience this one for yourself. It’s just that the cosmos had other plans, right?

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The secret ingredient to this tasty treat is Kerrygold Irish Cream. We mentioned Kerrygold in our post, “Half Price Shakes After 8.” We both love ice cream. Not only is it a delicious treat in the summer, but one always can make room for it. It slips into the cracks! We found this recipe on www.Kerrygoldusa.com by guest bloggers Lisa Riedl and Anna Schaber, so we thought that we would try it. After all, the description said that it was easy, and it was! Sooo easy.

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The ingredients that you will need are: 1 can sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, salt, Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, and heavy cream. Yep! That’s it. Now, before you dig your ice cream churn out of the attic, let us tell you that you are not going to need it. We were doubtful also. How do you make homemade ice cream without a churn? You don’t need rock salt and loads of ice. Nope. All you need is a hand held electric mixer and a freezer.

Make sure that your mixing bowl and beaters have set in the freezer for about 20 minutes before starting the ice cream. It will make the ice cream freeze faster.

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Stir together the milk, vanilla, salt and Kerrygold. Set aside.

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Place cream in the chilled bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until peaks form. We had to beat ours for closer to four minutes.

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Fold 1/3 whipped cream mixture into milk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining cream until ice cream mixture is smooth. Be careful not to over whisk and stir. You don’t want to deflate the whipped cream. At this point you are going to want to sit down and start eating it. This creamy smooth goodness is hard to resist, but you must, because it needs to go into the freezer for 8 hours. (Confession: Rhonda couldn’t resist licking the bowl.)

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After 8 long hours have passed, you are ready to serve in serving bowls or in small cones. The ice cream is soft with a texture similar to Paciugo’s gelato. Thus the title for today’s post. We must mention that ~~a group of four teenage boys~~ our official taste testers gave the Kerrygold Ice Cream 2 thumbs up! This ice cream recipe was so easy and tasty, that it has our wheels turning. We think we could adapt this recipe to try some other unique and wonderful flavors. If we try others, we will be sure to let you know.

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To make this treat extra special, we chose to make Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce to drizzle over the top. Score #2! We found this recipe on www.cooks.com. You will need non-sweetened cocoa, sugar, Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, half and half and butter.

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Mix the cocoa and sugar. Then you blend in the Kerry Gold and cream. Add butter and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Yum-O! You can make this ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to one week. We see lots of other possibilities for this rich chocolate sauce. You may see this one again.

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kerrygoldicecream

Kerrygold Ice Cream

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1.5 ounces of Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur
2 cups heavy cream, cold

In a large bowl stir together milk, vanilla, salt and Kerrygold. Set aside.

Place cream in a chilled mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until firm peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into milk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining cream until ice cream mixture is smooth.

Pour ice cream into loaf pan and freeze for at least 8 hours.

kerrygoldchocosauce

Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce

1 cup non-sweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream
1/3 cup half and half
1/4 cup butter

In a 3 quart sauce pan, mix cocoa and sugar, then blend in Kerrygold and cream. Add butter and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. If made ahead, let sauce cool; cover and chill up to one week. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

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We hope you get a chance to try out the Kerrygold ice cream and chocolate sauce. If you do, please let us know.

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If you are new to our blog, welcome! We are glad you have joined us. Please continue to tell family and friends about our blog, we would love our community of followers to continue to grow.

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