Mac Daddy Dessert: Peanut Butter Whiskey Oreo Cheesecake

Happy Father’s Day to all. This week I am giving Craig the weekend off since it is Father’s Day! I am focusing on one of our latest discoveries.  If you like chocolate and peanut butter, this is a mac daddy of desserts.  When you mix cream cheese, oreos, peanut butter, caramel and little bit of peanut butter whiskey, you have hit the pinnacle of summer desserts. Right?

We originally found this yummy recipe in an August 2016 issue of Living magazine.  We have been sitting on this gold mine for far too long, and now it’s out of the bag.  This dessert is rich, rich, rich, but don’t be intimidated.  It is incredibly easy to make, so you will not be spending hours in a hot kitchen prepping this for your favorite father figure.

To make this delectable dessert you need: a pie crust, heavy cream, peanut butter, vanilla, cream cheese, sugar, crushed oreos and your favorite peanut butter whiskey. (We used Screwball Peanut Butter Whiskey.)

To start you will need to bake the pie crust.  We used a Pillsbury refrigerated crust.  Next beat together the cream, peanut butter and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Then add in the peanut butter whiskey until well combined.  Add the cream cheese and sugar beating until completely combined.

Fold in some of the crushed Oreos into the cream cheese mixture. Add the mixture to the cooled pie crust. Cover and refrigerate.

Before serving sprinkle with remaining Oreos and drizzle with caramel sauce. Yummy. Yummy.  Yummy!

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at http://www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Peanut Butter Whiskey Oreo Cheesecake.

This dessert was a huge hit in the Blind Pig household.  Due to the rich flavors, we quickly noticed that small slices are best.  Craig liked this dessert so much that it just might take the place of the coveted PBIF Pie that he loves so much. How about making Peanut Butter Oreo Cheesecake for your dad this Father’s Day?

 

Good Bye Summer…

We have put this post off as long as we possibly can.  We can’t ignore the date on the calendar any longer.  It is September 19, friends, and you know what that means?  It means that summer is racing to an end and fall is quickly approaching.  Fall is a great season, but summer means more sunshine, frolicking at the beach, sunning by the pool and all of the great fresh fruits, berries and ingredients that are in season!  This week we are giving you one more chance to make any of these great summer recipes.  Here is a look back at some of our best!

Raspberry No-Churn Ice Cream

S’more Ice Cream Cake

Cake Batter Rum Ice Cream Bars

Strawberry Raspberry Pie

Blind Pig Mojitos

Borghetti Mudslide

Hatch Chile Paloma

Strawberry Mint Spritz

Which one is still on your list to try?  Try it out and let us know  how it goes.

Thank you summer!  We will see you next year. 🙂

 

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

 

Spiked Summer Lemonade

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  We know we are posting a little late.  We have been soaking up the last rays of summer and enjoying some free time. We’ve been a little lax on our posting recently.  We know.  Hopefully we will do much better in September than we did in August?

This week we wanted to share with you a great large batch recipe for weekends like this.  We did not create this recipe.  It was one that we ripped from the pages of a magazine years ago and unfortunately we are not sure which one.  We liked the recipe for Spiked Summer Lemonade because most of the ingredients are probably in your kitchen or refrigerator right now.  It is easy, tasty and fresh, and allows you time to concentrate on entertaining guests on your dock or patio instead of behind the bar serving everyone.

We made this recipe for a large gathering we had at our house a couple of weeks ago.  The guests were arriving early so Rhonda was able to only get a few quick photos before she had to go into full hostess mode.  The Spiked Lemonade was a hit, and many guests were surprised to find out that beer was one of the main ingredients.

Spiked Summer Lemonade is made from frozen berries, chilled light beer, lemonade concentrate, vodka and lemon and lime slices for garnish.  First stir together the lemonade concentrate and vodka and chill for a day.  The following day stir in fresh berries and beer.  Then you are ready to serve!  Yep, it’s that easy!

If you are viewing this post via email visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Spiked Summer Lemonade.

This is a great beverage for sipping on the dock or next to the pool with friends.  Tryout it out the next time you need a quick large batch recipe.  We know you will be pleased.

 

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

Show Dad S’more Love with This Delicious Dessert

The heat is on and summer is in full swing.  Surely you knew a post with ice cream was coming soon.  We love ice cream at The Blind Pig Blog.  Nothing says, “Hello, Summer!” like some yummy ice cream.  However, another thing that makes us think of summer is sitting around a roaring campfire roasting marshmallows and eating s’mores.  Yumm-O! What a better idea than to combine two of summer’s favorite treats into one yummy calorie-filled treat for Dad?  Yes, of course, we will say that we just HAVE to make this dessert for Dad! So in support of dads everywhere, we will sacrifice and share with you the recipe for S’mores Ice Cream Cake.

Like most ice cream cakes, this recipe is not difficult to follow, but you do need to plan a day or two in advance.  This is not something that can just be whipped up at the last minute.  To create this delectable dessert you will need graham crackers (of course), whole toasted almonds, sugar, unsalted butter, vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce,  Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur, marshmallow crème, and miniature marshmallows.

To start you will preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you finely grind the graham crackers, toasted almonds and sugar together in a food processor. Add melted butter and process until moist crumbs form. Next press the graham mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan.  Bake the crust for about 12 minutes.  Cool the crust completely.

After crust is completely cooled, remove ice cream from the freezer and soften.  Spoon a layer of ice cream into the bottom of the crust approximately one inch thick.

You can make your own fudge sauce for the cake or cheat (which is what we did this time).  If you are cheating, empty a jar of Smucker’s Fudge Sauce into a small microwaveable bowl.  Add one ounce of Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur to the sauce and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute.  Stir together Caffe’ Borghetti and sauce until smooth.  Spoon half of the fudge sauce over the layer of ice cream.  Place the cake into the freezer for two hours.  After two hours remove the ice cream and soften again. Spoon a layer of softened ice cream on top of the bottom layer of ice cream and fudge.  Add an additional layer of fudge on top of the second layer of ice cream.  Return the cake to the freezer for 12-24 hours. You may want to save some fudge to drizzle over the top of the cake before serving.

Remove cake from freezer.  Spread a thin layer of marshmallow crème over the top of the cake.  Sprinkle the cake with mini marshmallows.  At this point you have two choices in how you would like to proceed. The first choice is to place the cake on a cookie sheet, turn on the broiler in your oven and lightly toast the marshmallows.  However, placing an ice cream cake into a warm oven sounded a little contradictory to us, so we opted for another option.  Option 2 is to use a small kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows.  We lightly toasted the marshmallows with the kitchen torch and it worked perfectly.  We did not have to worry about melting our ice cream cake in the oven and we had yummy toasted marshmallows.  We understand that everyone is not as lucky as Rhonda to have a family who gifts unique kitchen gadgets for Christmas and birthdays, so we wanted you to be informed of the oven option.

The ice cream cake after the layer of marshmallow crème is added.

Rhonda’s handy dandy kitchen torch.

The top of the cake after lightly toasting marshmallows.

After toasting, drizzle remaining fudge over the top of the toasted marshmallows.  Cut into single servings and let your family enjoy the ultimate taste of summer.

If you are viewing this post via email, please visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for S’mores Ice Cream Cake.

We hope you and your dad or dads love this dessert.  If you want to make this dessert and just think of your dad while you are eating it, that’s okay too! Either way, Happy Father’s Day to all of the great dads out there.  We love you!

 

Treat Yourself with Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert

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!

 

 

Flower Power: Hibiscus Spritz

We feel like we are living in the tropics with the strong Texas heat and steamy humidity.  As they say, “When you can’t beat them, join them.”  The equatorial weather has inspired us to try using a tropical hibiscus in a few cocktails.   The results surpassed our expectations, and they will for you too when you try out our Hibiscus Spritz.

We have been curious about making cocktails with this safe-to-drink tropical flower for a few years.  However, we had never quite figured out how to get enough hibiscus blooms to get the job done.  Rhonda always has a hibiscus plant or two on the patio, but plucking and gathering blooms all summer long didn’t seem like an efficient way to make the hibiscus syrup.  After some research we realized you could purchase hibiscus blooms on the internet (The Spice House). We lucked out and found some at our local Sprout’s.   Finding the blooms, which can also be called flor de Jamaica, is the most difficult part of this cocktail.

After you get the dried hibiscus blooms, you will need to make some hibiscus syrup.  We used 4 cups of water, 1 cup of dried hibiscus blooms, 1 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of lime juice.  Bring the water to a boil.  Reduce the heat and add the blooms, sugar and lime juice. Simmer for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Strain liquid into a container that can be covered and stored in the refrigerator.  This will make about 4 cups of hibiscus syrup.

Place vodka, hibiscus syrup and lime juice into a shaker filled with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice.  Top off with ginger ale. We always like to use diet so Craig can watch his waistline.  Garnish with a lime wheel or use a hibiscus flower if you have one available.  (See we told you that finding the hibiscus blooms was the hardest part!)

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a full printable recipe for the Hibiscus Spritz.

This cocktail has a light, fruity flavor and a gorgeous, rich, red color.  It is definitely going to be one of our easy go-to cocktails the next time we have guests on the patio. 🙂  Who knew the power of this potent flower could make such an impact?

 

 

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

No Fuss Drinks for Hot Summer Days

Last week The Blind Pig Gang (plus a couple extras) spent a few days on the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks.  It was a much needed change of scenery and get away for all of us.  This week in Texas it is predicted that we will hit over 100 degrees on the thermometer.  When it is hot outside, no one wants to spend lots of time prepping a drink.  You want something cool trickling down your throat and fast!  To help you with your thirst on hot days, we have compiled a list of some of our favorite no fuss drinks.

No Fuss Drink #1:  Borghetti Coke Float

This yummy drink has 3 basic ingredients. Caffe’ Borghetti, Coke and Vanilla Ice Cream.  Mix them all together in your glass, sit back and enjoy summer like a kid.

No Fuss Drink #2: Cucumber Gin Spritz

Cucumber Gin Spritz

Cool as a cucumber did not become a popular saying for nothing.  The cooling and refreshing flavor of cucumbers with a little spritz makes this beverage a very refreshing cocktail.

No Fuss Drink #3: Mint Highball

We shared this drink with you a few weeks ago.  It’s made our list again with its two basic ingredients and minty flavor. What can be more refreshing than mint?

No Fuss Drink #4: Paloma

This  Mexican cocktail, which is Rhonda’s go-to summer drink, had to make the list.  Hey friends, Kroger now has Squirt soda, so you can make a Paloma even easier!

No Fuss Drink #5: Raspberry Mojito

Cubans knew what they were doing when they invented mojitos for hot, humid weather.  Our fun twist on a traditional mojito has the light flavor of berries to help you cool your toes.

No Fuss Drink #6: Salty Dog

The Salty Dog is an easy candidate for this list.  It has two basic ingredients with a cucumber for garnish. Mix some vodka with a little grapefruit soda, plop in a slice of cucumber and head for the pool.

No Fuss Drink #7: Tequila Watermelon Fizz

This easy refreshing drink is made with tequila, seltzer water and watermelon.  It’s light, refreshing and doesn’t weigh you down in the summer heat.

 

Try one or try one each day of the week! So which drink are you going to cool off with first?  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.  Drink responsibly.

Red, White and Blue Smash

Happy Fourth of July everyone!!  This year it feels a little bit different than in year’s past, but it is still important to mark the birthday of our nation and celebrate the freedoms we all hold dear.  To help you with the festivities, we are sharing the Red, White and Blue Smash.  It is a delicious concoction of vodka, grapefruit and basil.  If you are lighting your own fireworks or watching them virtually, this beverage will add to your 4th of July celebration!

Like most beverages on this site, we have stripped this drink down to the essentials.  It is an easy, tasty and fresh drink to make no matter how your 4th Festivities take shape.  To make the Red, White and Blue Smash, you will need premium vodka, grapefruit juice, (ruby red makes a redder drink), fresh basil, grapefruit soda, and fresh blue berries for garnish.

Place two basil leaves and vodka into a shaker.  Muddle for about 15 seconds.  Add grapefruit juice and ice.  Shake for another 15 seconds.  Pour mixture over ice into a rocks glass.  Take another basil leaf and clap it between your hands.  This helps to release the oils and aromas in the basil.  Add the basil leaf to the rocks glass.  Top off with grapefruit soda ( we used Q Drinks grapefruit soda).  Garnish with fresh blueberries and another basil leaf.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for the Red, White and Blue Smash.

How are you celebrating your 4th of July Holiday this year?  We wish you a safe and fun-filled weekend.  May your sparklers sparkle brightly and your firecrackers not be duds!

 

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

Save Room for Pie Part III: Butterfinger Bourbon Pie

If you’ve been around our blog long enough, you will know that it is no secret that The Blind Pig Household loves pie!!  Usually Rhonda makes Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie for Craig for Father’s Day and other special occasions, but this year we broke from tradition and tried another kind of pie: Butterfinger Bourbon Pie.

Butterfinger Bourbon Pie is made with Craig’s favorite candy bars — Butterfingers, chocolate cookie crumb crust, and a frozen whipped filling.  It has all of the characteristics of a winning dessert for our favorite dad!  It is a creamy, rich, sweet that is great for any summertime entertaining.

To make this delicious dessert you will need chocolate cookie crumbs from chocolate wafer cookies. (We have used these chocolate cookie wafers in other recipes on the blog, such as Yum Rum Balls, Cappuccino Dessert and Spirited Chocolate  Orange Bars. Remember to look for them near the sundae toppings in your grocery store.)  You will also need butter, egg white, cream cheese, granulated sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, Butterfinger candy bars, and your favorite whiskey or bourbon.

First make the pie crust.  You will need to pulse your wafer cookies in a food processor until the wafers are fine crumbs.  Next pulse in your melted butter and egg whites.  Then form into the bottom of a pie pan and bake for about fourteen minutes at 325 degrees.  After baking, remove from oven and cool.

While crust is cooling, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese, and sugar until smooth.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat cream and corn syrup with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Add bourbon to the whipped cream and beat until well blended. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Crush the Butterfinger candy bars.  We usually place our candy bars in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from freezer and pound candy bars while still in the wrapper with a mallet or rolling pin.  Open the wrapper and pour easily into a bowl.

Place half of the Butterfinger crumbs in the cream cheese/whipped cream mixture.  Save the remainder of the crumbs for the pie topping.

Spread the filling into the cooled crust.  Top with the remaining crushed Butterfinger crumbs.

Freeze for 3-4 hours or until firm.

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a printable version of the full recipe for Butterfinger Bourbon Pie.

This delicious dessert is as heavenly as it looks.  Cut pieces small, because it is quite rich and filling. (You can always go back for more!)

If you have a family full of Butterfinger-lovers this dessert will be a crowd pleaser!  Try it this weekend and let us know what you think.

 

Celebrate Father’s Day with a Fernet Branca Collins

Looking for a cocktail to help dad feel special on his important day?  The Fernet Branca Collins is a perfect cocktail to mix up for dad.

This new twist on the traditional Tom Collins replaces the gin with Fernet Branca.   The herbal flavors of Fernet Branca paired with the citrus sweetness of lemon makes for a delicious summertime cocktail sipper for the patio or golf cart.

We’ve shared posts with you previously with Fernet Branca, such as,  the La Branca, Fernet and Coke, and the Fernet Hot Toddy (one of Rhonda’s favs).  You may remember that Fernet Branca is low in alcohol and high in flavor. Since Fernet Branca is one of Craig’s favorite amaros, we thought it was a perfect time to share the Fernet Branca Collins with you.

To make the Fernet Branca Collins you will need Fernet Branca, fresh squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and club soda.

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

Like most of our recipes, this is easy, tasty and fresh!  Mix one up today for dad (or mom) and let us know what you think.

Cheers to our Blind Pig Dad, Craig,  who we couldn’t imagine our world without! The piglets and I love you very much!

To all of the dads that come in many shapes and forms.  You are appreciated and you are loved!  Have an awesome Father’s Day!

 

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