Treat Yourself with Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert

August 1, 2020 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

This week you are in for a real treat with Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert. This cool treat combines many of our favs, such as chocolate, mint, and ice cream. However, we must be honest with you that this dessert had to overcome several obstacles in order to be shared on The Blind Pig Blog. For starters, Craig and Blind Piglet #1 ate a portion of the Andes Mints before they made it to the top of the dessert as a garnish. (You may notice that the mints sprinkled on top are a little sparse.) Then there was the problem of the quickly disappearing dessert. Rhonda wasn’t sure if the dessert was evaporating in the freezer or if a band of gypsies had visited The Blind Pig Household and eaten the dessert over night. We’ve been through a lot to bring you this recipe, but we shall overcome! 😉

To make this amazing disappearing dessert you will need a brownie mix, 1 package of Andes mints, vanilla ice cream and Brancamenta liqueur. First mix the brownie mix as directed on the package, and add the Brancamenta into the batter. Then sprinkle chopped Andes mints into the batter and mix well. Next pour the brownie batter into a greased spring form pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. Make sure to check the center of the brownie with a wooden skewer to check that the brownie is done, before removing from the oven. Let the brownie cool completely.

Remove ice cream from the freezer and soften for about 20 minutes. Spoon ice cream over brownie and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining chopped mints for garnish. Place in the freezer for about 3 hours or until firm.

When ready to serve, let dessert stand at room temperature for a few minutes. Remove sides of spring form pan. Cut into slices and serve. Don’t blink, because this dessert will be gone before you know it!

If you are viewing this post via email, join us at www.theblindpig.blog for a full printable recipe of Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert.

The Blind Pig Household loved this dessert! They even placed Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert as a very close second to the Caffe’ Borghetti Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie, which is an enviable compliment to be bestowed on any dessert. As we were enjoying this dessert, we thought of many delicious variations that can be made with this recipe. Want a chocolate caramel dessert? Add a layer of caramel syrup between the brownie and ice cream layer. You could add a layer of fudge topping or sprinkles on top. Change the ice cream flavor for a fun variation. Don’t be surprised if you see a version of this recipe on The Blind Pig Blog again.

Enjoy your weekend and let us know if you made Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert, we’d love to hear what you think!

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Caffe’ Mocha Frozen Dessert

July 24, 2020 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

This past Sunday was National Ice Cream Day, and any loyal Blind Pig reader can tell you that ice cream is definitely one of our weaknesses! How can it not be? This week we have a delicious frozen dessert with a boozy bite to share with you: Caffe’ Mocha Frozen Dessert.

This dessert is a low prep dessert for an impressive return on your investment. Aside from the taste and the instant visual appeal, this dessert can be made hours or days ahead of your social event. It is the perfect summer dessert, because you do not need to heat up the oven and risk making your kitchen hot.

The Caffe’ Mocha Frozen Dessert is made with brandy, Creme de Cacao, and Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur. The boozy flavor of this dessert can be attributed to the combination of the trio of liqueurs with ice cream.

To create this yummy treat, you will need to place 5-6 scoops of ice cream in a blender along with a portion of the 3 liqueurs. Blend the ice cream and then pour the mixture into a large bowl. You will do this step 3-4 times until all of the ice cream has been blended with the liqueur. Next stir the ice cream mixture well to make sure that the liqueur is well blended with the ice cream. After mixing, ladle the ice cream mixture into serving glasses.

Place in the freezer until ready to serve (about an hour or two). Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate sprinkles and Pirouette cookies. Because of the alcohol content in this dessert, we recommend it for adults only.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete downloadable recipe for Caffe’ Mocha Frozen Dessert.

Try Caffe’ Mocha Frozen Dessert this weekend or check out some of our other great frozen treats!

Butterfinger Bourbon Pie

Caffe’ Borghetti PBIF Pie

TBPB Cannonball!

Choco Menta Shake

Espresso Ice Cream

Kerrygold Caramel Shake

Oreo Menta Shake

Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie

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Happy Memorial Day with a Toffee Surprise

May 23, 2020 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Although the past couple of months have felt like years, we have finally made it to the unofficial start of Summer. Congratulations! Last night The Blind Pig Family watched Blind Piglet #2 graduate from high school in a semi-graduation made for the era of social distancing. With some closure on the school year, we are ready to feel the good vibes of summer and social distance ourselves from constantly thinking about COVID.

If you are bringing on those good vibes at the lake or beach this weekend or you are hanging out in your own backyard, we have a delicious and extremely easy dessert you can make.

To make the Toffee Surprise you need only three ingredients: your favorite vanilla ice cream, Heath toffee bits, and Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur. We made our dessert with Blue Bell’s Vanilla Bean ice cream, and you can find the Heath Toffee bits on the baking aisle of your grocery store. If you can’t find the toffee bits, you improvise by purchasing Heath bars and breaking them into tiny bits.

Place 2-3 scoops of vanilla ice cream into individual serving bowls or glasses. Sprinkle with the toffee bits. Don’t be afraid to be generous with the sprinkling! Finally drizzle Caffe’ Borghetti over the top of the toffee bits and ice cream. Then you are ready to serve! If you want to make your dessert ahead of time, you can prep the desserts and place in the freezer until ready to serve. The Borghetti will solidify some, but it still has a great flavor and appeal!

The combo of toffee and coffee make this dessert a super yummy treat! Try Toffee Surprise this weekend and let us know what you think!

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Oreo Menta Shake

March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

It has been a long week friends. Without a lot of good news, we thought that we would share a little pick me up. At the point that Rhonda is writing this post, Craig is having his second virtual happy hour of the week. How do you have a virtual virtual happy hour? Schedule a zoom meeting with your closest friends, grab a cocktail and happy hour it up! The Oreo Menta Shake would be a great concoction for a virtual happy hour.

In celebration of our Irish heritages and as a toast to St. Patrick’s Day this week, we thought that we would share a special adult shake with you with a little mint to savor. The Oreo Menta Shake is an easy adult shake to create, and tastes just as delicious as it looks! The Branca Menta adds just enough minty kick to this smooth, creamy concoction. It will have you feeling like you found the end of a rainbow.

Before we get started with how to make the Oreo Menta Shake, we would like to share a fun story with you. We are always interested in how various products get their start. We have used Fernet Branca Liqueuer in a few of our other recipes that we have shared with you on the blog. Fernet Branca, which has been around since 1845, is like the grandfather to Branca Menta. Branca Menta was created in the 1960s. Apparently a famous Italian Opera singer named Maria Callas was known to drink Fernet Branca along with a touch of mint syrup before each performance. The Branca family were huge fans of Maria Callas. They were very flattered that she drink their product, but were confused why she felt that she needed to “improve” on their creation. Inspired by her idea, the Branca family began to produce and sell both Fernet Branca and Branca Menta. So the next time you have a sip of Branca Menta, you can think about Maria Callas and her contribution to the liqueur family.

To make the Oreo Menta Shake, you need some mint chocolate chip ice cream (we prefer Blue Bell), some crushed Oreos and mini Oreos for garnish, milk and Branca Menta Liqueur.

Place the ingredients together in a blender and pulse until creamy and smooth. Pour into serving glasses and garnish with mini Oreos on cocktail skewer or toothpick. We gave our glasses a little extra flair by rimming the glasses in chocolate syrup and rimmed in crushed Oreos. You can sprinkle some crushed Oreos over the top of the shake for extra flavor and appeal.

If you are viewing this post via email and would like a full printable version of our recipe for Oreo Menta Shake, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog.

The Oreo Menta Shake makes a great dessert when hosting guests. This is definitely going to be on our summertime menu for gatherings at our house! What about you? Are you already making plans for sunny summer gatherings with friends?

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

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Celebrate Summer with Ice Cream

June 29, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

We got away for a few days to spend some time at the gorgeous white sand beaches of Florida to soak in the sun.

Now it is time to think about the 4th of July and fireworks! If you have hung around our blog long enough you know that ice cream is a favorite summer treat for our family. This week we are taking a look back at 9 great ice cream favs to try this summer.

Treat #1: Tequila Strawberry Lime Ice Cream Pie

This is one our favorite ice cream desserts. The strawberry, tequila, and pretzel crust make an interesting but very tasty combination.

Treat #2: Kerrygold Ice Cream

Hands down, this is the easiest, yummiest homemade ice cream we’ve ever tried. The recipe is so basic and simple that it is easy to adapt for other flavors.

Treat #3: Kerrygold Caramel Shake

This shake is like discovering a gold mine of ice cream and chocolate delight. The easy recipe makes this a fun and quick dessert for any guest.

Treat #4: Mojito Ice Cream

Based on the same recipe as treat #2, this ice cream has a rum and mint twist. Serve with a sprig of fresh lime and let the refreshing, cool taste wash over you!

Treat #5: Cafe’ Borghetti PBIF Pie

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie is Craig’s favorite dessert of all time! The chocolate sauce mixed with the crispy peanut butter crust is a delicious combination.

Treat #6: Cannonball

We shared this treat with you in May. Like other ice cream treats, this can easily be adapted for a range of flavors and tastes. We are thinking about making a red, white and blue combo for the 4th. What do you think?

Treat #7: Espresso Ice Cream

Have you tried this one yet? We (Rhonda) recently finished the last few bites of this yummy treat that were left in our freezer. Don’t forget to check out the fun serving suggestions included in this post.

Treat #8: Choco Menta Shake

The king of our ice cream treats — The Choco Menta Shake! If you are a mint chocolate chip or a Girl Scout Thin Mint fan, this is the shake for you. Stay extra cool on the inside and out with this special treat.

Treat #9: Borghetti Coke Float

So easy, so tasty, and so fresh! Remind yourself what it was like to be a kid — only better, by trying the Borghetti Coke Float.

Which treat is your favorite? Try one or try them all. We’d love to hear about it.

Disclaimer: Beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking, and never drink and drive.

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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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Cannonball!

May 31, 2019 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

The cry of, “Cannonball!” echoes across the nation to announce the dawning of summer. After trying this delicious treat, you will be screaming, “Cannonball!” with every ten-year-old on the block! This yummy summer dessert is a fun twist on the typical ice cream sundae. Mix together three different kinds of ice cream, some brownie bits, twist it up and you are ready to enjoy your summer.

The best thing about this dessert is that there is no need to heat up the oven. You will be cool as ice cream while preparing this treat. Although this dessert is easy even for the novice bakers and cooks, you do need to plan ahead. It take about 2 hours of adding one layer at a time and a final 4 hours to freeze completely. You can’t decide to serve this 10 minutes before the guests arrive.

You will need three different kinds of ice cream to make this fun treat. We used Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, Coffee, and Dutch Chocolate. You also need some freshly baked brownies. We used a brownie mix for ours, but store bought would work, as well. If you like, add some peanuts or pecans to the mix. The last ingredient you need is a batch of our delicious Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce.

Take the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and soften for about 5 minutes. Choose a medium size glass bowl. Pour about 1/4 cup of Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce in the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle in about 1/4 cup of nuts. Spoon vanilla ice cream into the bowl covering the chocolate sauce and nuts. With the back of a spoon spread the softened ice cream over the sauce and up the sides of the bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

Next take the coffee ice cream from the freezer and soften for about five minutes. At this point you will want to check on your first layer of vanilla. Ours started to slide down the sides some. The ice cream was still soft enough that we could use the back of the spoon to hollow out the middle some more and bank it up the sides of the bowl. Now add a layer of brownie bits. Be generous on this part. Rhonda was a little stingy with the brownies, and our cannonball could have used more. This is also a step where you could substitute something other than brownies. Like cookie dough? Chocolate chips? Nuts? Sprinkles? We would advise you to avoid anything that would get too hard when frozen. Brownies are perfect, because they serve as a soft texture surprise in the cannonball.

After adding the layer of brownies, spoon a layer of coffee ice cream over the top. Smooth out the coffee ice cream with the back of a spoon trying to leave a slight dip in the middle of the bowl. Place in the freezer for another 45 minutes.

Take out the chocolate ice cream from the freezer to soften for 5 minutes. Pour a layer of Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce over the hardened coffee ice cream. Add the chocolate ice cream to the small dip in the middle of the bowl. Place in the freezer for 4 hours.

When ready to serve, take the bowl from the freezer and place in a bath of lukewarm water in the sink for about 5 minutes.

Invert the bowl on a serving plate. Top with more Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce and nuts if preferred. If you are not ready to serve your cannonball quite yet, you can return it to the freezer until ready. Once you have cut slices, serve immediately. WARNING: this dessert did not last long around our house. Be fully prepared for it to disappear quickly.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a printable recipe of TBPB Cannonball.

You can see the interesting layered marble look of the ice cream, chocolate sauce and brownies. This treat is so delicious and incredibly easy to make. There are so many different variations that can be made from this recipe. Don’t be surprised if you see a rum caramel cannonball or a Branca Menta mint variation in the near future! Try it for your next swim party and let us know what you think! Happy Summer!

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Have a Coke Float and a Smile

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

The weekend has quickly approached and The Blind Pig Family is headed a many different directions, so this week’s post will be short and sweet and to the point. The other day as we were enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather, we were looking forward to all of those things that make spring and summer great — baseball, vacations, cookouts, and ice cream. It’s no secret on this blog that we have a strong affinity toward ice cream. What welcomes spring and summer and good times more than ice cream? How about a little ice cream with a twist?

Our Borghetti Coke Float is exactly the right special treat to take you back to simpler times, while putting a little adult spin on it. This easy, tasty treat is so easy to make you’ll be sipping on it on your front porch swing in no time flat.

The star ingredient in the Borghetti Coke Float is Cafe Borghetti. Cafe Borghetti is an espresso liqueur made with real espresso beans. It has a low alcohol content of 25%, so it is perfect for a little sweet treat in the middle of the day. The Cafe Borghetti gives the float a twist of coffee flavor which pairs well with the ice cream and Coke. So delicious! We first shared Cafe Borghetti with you in our Save Room for Pie post. (This is still Craig’s favorite dessert!)

To make a Borghetti Coke Float, you need only three ingredients: Cafe Borghetti liqueur, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and a bottle of Coca-Cola. We used Blue Bell Vanilla Bean ice cream, and Coke Zero for ours.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at http://www.theblindpig.blog for a complete printable recipe of Borghetti Coke Float.

So what do you think? Are you going to spend some time swinging in your hammock this week sipping on a Borghetti Coke Float?

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Not Your Mama’s Apple Crisp

October 21, 2018October 21, 2018 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Hey, good news. It finally stopped raining in Dallas! We have had more rain in the past two months than we sometimes receive in a whole year. It has rained almost everyday for 8 weeks, and this weekend we get to finally see the sun. Alleluia!

To commemorate sunshine, fun and the kind of fall weather that we wish we could have, we are continuing our Apple Festival with a great apple crisp recipe: Not Your Mama’s Apple Crisp (sorry Ruth). Apple crisp is so great, because it is easy to make. In fact, Rhonda has been making apple crisp since the good old days of 4-H cooking class. It is one of those recipes that makes us feel at home. Of course, this time we twist it up a bit with a little Blind Pig magic.

For this recipe, we use our favorite caramel sauce recipe that we introduced in our Zaya Bananas Foster. Empty the contents of a jar of caramel sauce into a 10 inch saute’ pan and place over medium heat. Add a pinch of cinnamon, butter, orange liqueur and rum. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce a few minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Next mix old fashioned oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in slices of softened butter until crumbly.

Press half of the mixture in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Spread a layer of thinly sliced apples.

Drizzle the apples with caramel sauce, and then sprinkle again with a layer of oat mixture. We continued with three layers. Drizzle 1/2 cup of Angry Orchard Apple Cider over the top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of hard cider, and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Apple crisp tastes best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream over the top. What doesn’t????? If you want to be extra indulgent, drizzle more caramel sauce over the ice cream.

If you are viewing this post in an email, be sure to visit our site at www.theblingpig.blog for a printable recipe.

This dish is hands down a winning recipe on a cool fall evening! This recipe is large and makes enough for about 12 people. It’s the perfect dessert to bring to a friend’s house when invited over for a cozy fall evening. Maybe you should try it tonight?