Espresso Oreo Shake

The Blind Pig household survived snowmaggedon in Texas and now we are looking toward spring break and warmer weather!  What better way to celebrate warmer temperatures and sunshine than with a little ice cream pick-me-up?

Rhonda got the idea for this shake one day while she was sitting at her favorite fast food drink stop… Sonic!  There was an advertisement for a new espresso shake on the kiosk.  Rhonda thought, “I can make an espresso shake for adults that tastes better than that!”  At that point a star was born, she came home and mixed up this easy, but satisfying recipe for an adult espresso shake.

To make this shake you need only a few basic ingredients: vanilla ice cream (our choice — Blue Bell), a little bit of milk, some crumbled Oreos, and some Caffe’ Borghetti espresso liqueur.

Place all of these ingredients into your blender. Blend.  Garnish with some whipped cream and an Oreo cookie.  Delish!

We served ours in small tall serving glasses as a petite dessert. It was just enough to let ourselves indulge a bit without adding on too many calories.  You may want to serve yours in a larger glass.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at http://www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for the Espresso Oreo Shake.

What are you waiting for?  Go grab some Oreos and start making your shake!

 

Caffe’ Toffee Ice Cream

We know what you are thinking.  You saw the title of this post and thought, “Enough with the ice cream!”  We know. We know.  We just couldn’t help ourselves.  The base ice cream recipe that we used for Boozy Berry Ice Cream was so delicious and turned out so well, that we just had to try it with another flavor.  Can we just tell you that once again this ice cream did not disappoint!  Is “Ice Cream Connoisseur” an official job title?  And if it is where do we apply?

This ice cream delicioso is made from the same base that we used a few weeks ago.  However, this time after mixing the base, we added one quarter cup of Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur (We know but it’s so versatile!!!) and a half cup of Heath Bits.  Mix those well into the ice cream base after you have frozen the base in your ice cream freezer.  Place in plastic container in the freezer and 2-3 hours later get ready to enjoy!

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

The hint of coffee flavor mixed with the bits of toffee surprise make an excellent pairing for this creamy ice cream.  If you try it out, we would love to hear what you think!

 

Cappuccino Dessert

Are you a coffee lover?  If so we have the perfect dessert to share with you this week.  The Cappuccino Dessert is so easy with the perfect blend of creamy, coffee, and chocolate.  You will love showing off this delicious dessert with family and friends.

The Cappuccino Dessert is another great recipe with Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur.  Now you might be saying, “Rhonda and Craig, we already have seen lots of recipes with Caffe’ Borghetti.  Why do you use the same ingredients in most of your drinks and recipes?”  Well… there is a very intentional reason for that! First of all, Caffe’ Borghetti is a great product. If you are like us and like most people, who do not own a full service bar with hundreds of customers each week, you tend to use an ounce or two of a bottle of liquor for a couple of drinks.  Then the bottle sits in your bar area or on your pantry shelf for quite some time before you use it again.  We try to show you multiple uses for various products, so you can see that making a purchase of a bottle of liquor is not just for a beverage or two.  Many liquors are quite versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes.  The more recipes that we share with you to show you how to use products, the more you will be making the most of your purchases.

The Cappuccino Dessert is very easy and is a crowd pleaser!  We (Rhonda) made this dessert to share with our great friends, the Burkes, when invited to their house for dinner.  The ingredients you need for Cappuccino Dessert are: chocolate wafer cookies, melted butter, granulated sugar, egg white, cream cheese, heavy cream, Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur, cocoa and chocolate sprinkles.

First you will need to make the crust.  Break the wafer cookies into crumbs.  Mix the crumbs with melted butter, egg white and sugar.  Press the mixture into the bottom of 9 x 9 inch baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 14 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for approximately 30 minutes.

Next prepare the filling.  Place softened cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on high until creamy.  Beat in half of the cream until stiff peaks form. Dollop half of cream cheese mixture over cooled crust.

Place remaining 1/3 cup of cream in a small microwaveable bowl.  Heat on high for about 20 seconds.  Add cocoa and stir until well dissolved.  Place cocoa cream mixture in freezer for about 10 minutes.  After ten minutes remove from freezer and add Caffe’ Borghetti.  Blend cream mixture into remaining cream cheese mixture.

After mixed, dollop on crust.  Smooth out cream cheese mixture swirling the two flavors of cream cheese mixture together.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.  When ready to serve, sprinkle with chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles.  Then cut into squares.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a downloadable recipe for The Cappuccino Dessert.

Are you ready to try it out? Let us know what you think.

Here are other coffee flavored and inspired recipes from our blog that you might like.

Espresso Fudge

Espresso Menta

Espresso Ice Cream

Easy Espresso Cake

Gold Medal Coffee

Borghetti Coke Float

Caffe Borghetti PBIF Pie

Borghetti Brownie Caramel Bites

Borghetti Coke Float

 

 

 

 

 

Sip On This: Espresso Menta

We got a pleasant surprise in Texas yesterday!  It snowed.  We know our friends up North are thinking, “Big deal,” as they roll their eyes, but the people who live south of the Mason Dixon line don’t always get to experience the fluffy white stuff as often as you, so it is quite a newsworthy event.  At The Blind Pig Headquarters we did not get much more than a slight dusting, and to be quite honest, we received more sleet than snow.  However, in Denton, Texas, just a mere 45 minutes west of us, they had enough snow to go sledding and make respectable snowmen.  Of course we had to take full advantage of the opportunity to have snow in our Blind Pig Photos for the week, so make sure to take note.

We would love feedback from our readers, so don’t forget to click on our survey link at the bottom of our post!

This week we are sharing an easy delightful little cocktail called the Espresso Menta.  It has two of our familiar ingredients, Caffe’ Borghetti and Branca Menta.  Yes, we use these ingredients a lot.  We assure you it is for two good reasons.  Reason #1:  Both Borghetti and Branca Menta are excellent liquids.  They are superior to other liquors in their respective categories.  We won’t give you all the details here, but trust us.  Others do not have the same craftsmanship or quality.  Reason #2:  We try to give you multiple recipes that can be made with the same ingredients.  No one wants to purchase a whole bottle of something and only use 1 ounce.  By sharing multiple recipes with the same ingredients, you are able to see the versatility of the ingredients and recipes that we share on TBPB!

The Espresso Menta is a versatile cocktail that can be used as an after dinner drink, a sipping cocktail with appetizers, or even served as a brunch cocktail.  The espresso and mint flavors pair nicely with chocolates and sweets for a dessert cocktail.  The coffee flavor makes it a wonderful brunch beverage, and the combination of the two produce a fantastic cocktail to sip slowly.

The Espresso Menta is made with only 2 ingredients — Caffe’ Borghetti and Branca Menta.  We added a sprig of mint for garnish, because you’ve got to accessorize!! To make the Espresso Menta, place your Branca Menta bottle in the freezer for about an hour to chill.  Next pour 1.5 ounces of Caffe’ Borghetti and 1 ounce of Branca Menta over a cup of ice in a shaker.  Shake until the shaker becomes chilled.  Pour into a small sipping cocktail glass.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.  Sip and enjoy.

The Espresso Menta is a great cocktail to serve when entertaining, because there is little prep. The flavors will have your guests wondering how you found this gem of a cocktail.  You can tell them about us, or maybe you want to keep your source a secret?

We would love to hear from you and get your feedback on what you would like to see on The Blind Pig Blog.  Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey.  Thanks!

  

Disclaimer: The beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older.  We do not condone underage drinking.  Drink responsibly.

 

Borghetti Mochaccino

Hey friends, sorry we are a few days late on our first post for August.  We’ve been busy trying to wrap up the summer and spend time with family from out of town.  We didn’t forget about you, though.  This week we have a super easy, creamy and smooth delish treat that you will be dying to try — Borghetti Mochaccino!

What’s a Mochaccino?  A  mochaccino is typically an espresso shot (double) with a combination of steamed milk and cocoa powder or chocolate milk. Often mochaccinos  have chocolate syrup, whipped cream and added toppings such as cinnamon, nutmeg or chocolate sprinkles.  Our mochaccino recipe is served frozen and best enjoyed with a straw and spoon.

First you need to make the chocolate espresso syrup.  Place sugar, Cafe’ Borghetti and water in a small saucepan and bring to a slow boil.  This takes about 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and add in chocolate chips and Irish cream (We used Kerrygold) stirring until melted and the syrup is smooth.  Place the syrup in the blender and blend for about 2 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture.  Pour into 8 ounce glasses or serving bowls. Cover with plastic wrap.  Freeze for 8 hours.  Let sit for 15 minutes prior to serving. Top with chocolate sprinkles when ready to serve.  Yummo!

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a full downloadable recipe for Borghetti Mochaccino.

Borghetti Mochaccinos make an elegant dessert for dinner with friends.  The flavor of the espresso liqueur shines through. This dessert is so smooth and creamy, you will fall in love with it immediately.

Try it this weekend and let us know what you think!

   

 

Easy Espresso Cake

We hope that you enjoyed your celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 with our yummy cocktail, The Moon Walk.  You haven’t tried it yet?  No worries, there is still time to commemorate the historical event with a friendly cheers to NASA.

This week we are sharing with you a terrifically easy dessert that is perfect for a family reunion or last-minute get together.  You will be surprised when you see how easy it is to make this cake, and astonished with its rich, moist flavor.  We got the basic recipe from our friend Cara when she visited us for dinner one evening.  We Blind Pigged it up and bit, and now it is one of our go-to favorites.  In fact, we (Rhonda) has made it 3 or 4 times this summer.

To make this delicious dessert you will need a few basic ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix, 1 box of instant vanilla pudding, 1 box of instant chocolate pudding, eggs, chocolate chips, water, oil, and Cafe’ Borghetti espresso liqueur.  This recipe is a popular recipe that you may have used before, but the secret ingredient is the Cafe’ Borghetti.  The espresso liqueur elevates the chocolate flavor of  the chocolate pudding and chocolate chips.  It creates a richness that is divine!

Mix all of the ingredients together with your electric mixer.  Place in a greased bundt pan  at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.  Cool on a wire rack.  Remove from pan and top with chocolate sauce.  We drizzled Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce over the top of the cake for added flavor and flair.  For the chocolate sauce you need cocoa, sugar,half and half, butter, and Kerrygold Irish Cream or Cafe’ Borghetti.

If you are viewing this post via email, make sure to visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete downloadable  recipe for Easy Espresso Cake.

So easy.  So tasty.  So fresh!  This will quickly become your go-to dessert.  Try it today and let us know what you think.

 

 

June Bonus Post: Espresso Ice Cream Treats

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!

 

 

 

 

Happy Anniversary, Blind Pig

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

theroyalhurricane

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 Margaritathe 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

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.

 

Do You Fondue?

fondue 3 waysDo you fondue? We are surprised to learn many people have never tried this delicious and easy dessert with many variations.  We show you three of our favorites today.

fondue3

Fondue is a Blind Pig Family favorite.  We have many great memories of sitting outside near the fire in the evening and culminating the night by chowing down on some heavenly dessert fondue.  We like all kinds of fondue, but it seems like the people in our family with the sweet tooth always win out and expect dessert fondue when they hear the name.

fondue4

Today we are bringing you 3 easy, fresh, and tasty ways to have fondue. These three delicious options take very little prep and if your house is like ours, there is very little clean up.

fondue1

Prior to making fondue, we always prep our dipping ingredients.  Our family favorites are: sliced strawberries, chopped apples, marshmallows, cubed angel food cake, graham crackers, sliced bananas, and popcorn. Other great dippers are pretzels, raspberries, blackberries, sponge cake, and brownies. Basically anything that tastes good covered in chocolate or caramel — which is basically everything.  Right?

 

Option 1:  Kerrygold Chocolate Fondue.  This creamy fondue is made with  1 12 ounce bag hershey’s milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup of milk, 1 ounce of Kerrygold Irish Cream, and a tablespoon of peanut butter.  Place all ingredients into a fondue pot or a small saucepan on the stove — low heat. Stir ingredients until smooth and creamy.  When you are ready, pass out the skewers and let the dipping begin!

fondue7

Option 2: Espresso Chocolate Fondue.  This is a great option for the coffee lovers in your life.  Follow the directions listed above for Kerrygold Chocolate Fondue.  Add 1 ounce of Caffe Borghetti Espresso Liqueur. Stir until smooth and then dip!

fondue16

Option 3: Nutty Butter Rum Fondue. This fondue takes a different turn and is not made with chocolate, but with  caramel. The caramel flavor of Zaya Rum compliments this fondue nicely. Put 1 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil for 6-7 minutes.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of Zaya Rum and cook for about a minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter until melted.  Stir in 1/2 cup of half and half until the mixture is smooth.  Finally stir in 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts. This fondue is great with popcorn and apples.  It makes an excellent Fall treat.

fondue5

Fondue can be prepared ahead of time and reheated once you are ready to serve.  It is fun to make the Kerrygold Chocolate Fondue as a base.  Separate the fondue into small little ramekins or shot glasses for guests to use as their own dipper.  Just make sure that you serve the fondue warm.

Kerrygold Irish Cream gives this chocolate fondue a creamy texture and taste.

Many of our followers ask us, “What do you do with the food and drinks you make for The Blind Pig?”  The answer is that we eat it!  If we make something that doesn’t pass our taste testers, we don’t share it with you.  Here is a look at the rest of the story, after the posed pictures are complete.

fondue9

Official Blind Pig Taste Testers.

fondue10

The pans were licked clean and there were only 2 lonely slices of strawberries left on the plate. They came and they conquered!

fondue8

Now that you know 3 easy ways to fondue, will you fondue?  Which one will you try first?

What a week!  It was spring break for 3/5 of The Blind Pig household, so there was a flurry of activity. Did you see the sneak peek we put on Instagram?  Grandma Ruth was here and we made cinnamon rolls with a Blind Pig twist!  No one makes cinnamon rolls like Grandma Ruth.

cropped-theblindpigblog_1496628470_280signature2