Ice Cream Truffles with Borghetti Chocolate Sauce

August 21, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

We can’t make it through many summer posts without posting an ice cream recipe. Ice cream is the perfect cool, no-bake dessert. It is adaptable, and it tastes absolutely delicious. This week we have a twist on a recipe that we found in the 2022 July/August issue of Better Homes and Gardens. We paired this recipe with some creamy Borghetti Chocolate Sauce. What a treat!

This recipe looks and sounds complicated, but we were surprised how easy it was to actually make. Once formed and frozen, these little spheres of ice cream disappeared quite quickly at The Blind Pig household.

To make the Ice Cream Truffles, you will need melted butter, sugar, panko bread crumbs, non-sweetened cocoa and premium ice cream. (We used Blue Bell Cookies and Cream.) For the Chocolate Sauce you need non-sweetened cocoa, sugar, half and half, Caffe’ Borghetti Espresso Liqueur and butter.

First make the truffles crunchy coating. Stir together melted butter, sugar and cocoa. Toast panko in a small skillet over medium heat stirring until the crumbs turned a golden brown. Add the crumbs to the butter mixture and combine completely.

Using a small scoop or a melon baller scoop a 1-inch ball of premium ice cream. A tip from the original recipe is to use premium ice cream, because it is more dense and will not melt as quickly as softer ice creams. Form the ice cream ball with your hands and then drop in the crumb mixture. If the truffles are a little misshapen, there is no need to worry. You will have an opportunity to reshape later. You will need to work somewhat quickly in order to keep the ice cream from melting.

Place the truffles on a plate and place in the freezer for 1 hour. Keep the leftover panko crumbs. You will be using these.

After an hour, remove the truffles from the freezer. Shape the misshapen truffles and roll one more time in the panko mixture. Place the truffles back in the freezer for a minimum of an hour or until ready to serve.

While the truffles are in the freezer make the Borghetti Chocolate Sauce. (Scroll down for complete recipe.)

When ready to serve, remove truffles from the freezer and serve with slightly warm chocolate sauce for dipping. You will need to eat this recipe fast- not because the ice cream will melt, but because the truffles will disappear quickly.

If you are viewing this post via email, join us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Ice Cream Truffles with Borghetti Chocolate Sauce.

Try out the recipe this weekend. You will be glad you did.

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If You Like Pina Coladas…

August 9, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

How is your summer going? The Blind Pig Family has been packing in all of the fun in the sun that we can. We just returned from a fabulous trip to Puerto Rico where we spent time on the beach, hiked through the rain forest, ziplined down the side of a mountain, kayaked through the bio bay, privately toured the governor’s mansion and more. This post is a combo trip report and a spotlight on an often overlooked, but timeless cocktail – The Pina Colada.

For 3/5 of our family, it was the first trip to Puerto Rico. Craig and Piglet #1 had been to PR previously for business. After our trip, we will most likely never go back to Mexico for a vacation again. We were so pleased with the island, the amenities and the relative ease of getting there. (The flight was only about 4 – 4.5 hours direct, which is not bad for a tropical paradise.) The beaches were beautiful and pristine and unlike beaches we have been to in other parts of the US and Mexico. It nearly felt like we had a private beach the whole week.

Old San Juan was quaint and felt like we were walking down a street in Europe. It was a little muggy the day we strolled the streets. We had other items on our agenda, but if we go back we would like to spend more time walking the streets and taking it in. The Governor’s mansion was beautiful and rich with colonial Spanish architecture and history.

While in San Juan we visited Ron del Barrilito, which is the oldest rum distillery in San Juan. Although it is no longer owned by the original family, this distillery has a long family tradition and story. We highly recommend adding this to your itinerary if you visit. The employees were friendly and welcoming and the Pina Colada we ordered at the end of the tour was the best we’ve ever had!

Another highlight of the trip was hiking through the El Yunque Rainforest , which is the only tropical rainforest in the United States National Parks system. We drove an hour and a half into the mountains one morning to experience the mile long zipline at Toro Verde zipline park. If you are not afraid of heights, you must give this zipline a try. You barrel down the side of the mountain head first in a hammock-like sling. If you watch Jimmy Fallon, he gave The Monster at Toro Ver de a try. Everyone in our party loved it!

For more information on where to visit if you plan a trip to PR, we recommend visiting the Discover Puerto Rico website.

As promised, we are highlighting a delicious Pina Colada recipe that you can make at home. Pina Coladas were invented in the Puerto Rico, which is also known as the rum capital of the world. The original Pina Coladas were served on the rocks, so we stuck with tradition and are sharing that recipe with you.

If you are viewing this post via email. Visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for the Pina Colada.

Where did you go this summer? Do you prefer vacations or trips? We would love to hear about your adventures.

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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Key Lime Rum Pie Ice Cream

July 3, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Happy Fourth of July weekend! We are squeezing as much into our long weekend as we can. Fireworks, baseball, pool time, family, good food, ice cream and beverages are on our list. Fourth of July always makes us think of homemade ice cream. This year is no different, so we share with you our latest cool treat – Key Lime Rum Pie Ice Cream.

We came across this recipe in the July 2021 issue of Southern Living Magazine. It is based on our basic no churn ice cream recipe that we used in our other ice cream favorites, such as, Kerrygold Ice Cream, Mojito Ice Cream, and Raspberry No-Churn Ice Cream. We changed the ingredient list slightly and the results are delicious.

To make Key Lime Rum Pie Ice Cream you will need graham crackers, melted butter, granulated sugar, fat free sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice, dark rum, salt and heavy whipping cream.

First crush the graham crackers, and then stir in melted butter and sugar. Set aside.

Next you will make the ice cream base by combining the condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice, rum, and salt in a large bowl. In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Then fold together the condensed milk mixture with the whipped cream. Set aside 1-2 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture. Then fold in the remaining graham cracker mixture into the whipped cream mixture.

Place in a loaf pan and sprinkle with reserved graham crackers. Place in a freezer for 6 hours.

Key Lime Rum Pie Ice Cream is a enticing departure from usual ice cream options. The lime, rum and graham flavors are a delicious, refreshing combination in this ice cream – a yummy summertime treat. If chocolate and Oreos are you thing, substitute crushed Oreos for the graham crackers – delish!

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Key Lime Rum Pie Ice Cream.

Try Key Lime Rum Pie Ice Cream this Fourth of July and let us know what you think!

Looking for some other fun patriotic recipes to celebrate under the fireworks? Check out these past posts from The Blind Pig Blog.

Strawberry Raspberry Pie

Red, White and Blue Smash

Strawberry Basil Margarita

Prosecco Summer Dessert

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Mac Daddy Dessert: Peanut Butter Whiskey Oreo Cheesecake

June 19, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

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?

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Springtime Musings

April 3, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Spring is here and we are enjoying the change in seasons. You may have noticed that we’ve been a little quiet on the blogging front for a few weeks. We’ve been out and about and doing springtime things. We’ve enjoyed some outdoor patios at some of our favorite places, planting flowers and spreading mulch in our own spaces. So much to do and so much sunshine to enjoy!

Springtime usually means more hot air balloons. This one was feet above our house and clipped the neighbor’s tree.

If you have read our blog for long, you know that we are all about sitting back and enjoying a good patio with a cocktail or two for a little day drinking.

Hanging out in the sunshine with a Fernet Branca Collins. Life is grand.

Here is a flashback and a flash forward. In our June 2019 post we shared with you our fun trip to Nashville, TN where we were introduced to Hattie’s Hot Chicken. For those of you who reside in the Dallas area, we have great news! You too, can enjoy Hattie’s Hot Chicken. We visited the new location in Deep Ellum one Saturday afternoon. The chicken was just as delicious. The Dallas location is much bigger with more seating room than the original in Nashville. We had plenty of room to sit and enjoy our chicken and the warm afternoon.

Hattie’s Hot Chicken in Nashville, TN

Hattie’s newest location in Dallas, TX.

Here is a refresh on some of our favorite springtime imbibes. We will be back next week with some new recipes and ideas.

Cucumber Gin Spritz

Tickle Me Pink🐷🐷

Cucumber Gin Spritz

Sparkling Lemonade🐷🐷

Strawberry Mint Spritz 🐷

French 75

Double Thyme🐷🐷🐷

Spiked Summer Lemonade🐷🐷

Saturday in the Park🐷🐷

Savannah Special🐷🐷

Saturday In the Park

Disclaimer: All 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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Catch a Leprechaun with these Chocolate Chip Mint Brookies

March 16, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

How to catch a Leprechaun: Make these delicious Chocolate Chip Mint Brookies. Place on a plate. Sit back and watch the leprechauns unable to resist these yummy St. Patrick’s Day treats.

Our recipe this week is a mash up of two great recipes with a little bit of our own twist to bring you these delightful fun brookies. What is a brookie? A brookie is just like it sounds – half brownie and half cookie.

To make these treats we used a brownie recipe that we found with another set of brookie directions. You need to make sure that the brownie dough is thick enough that you can place it on the cookie sheet with the cookie dough without running amuck. This recipe worked well, and we added a little bit of Branca Menta to the brownie recipe to give the brownies a slight minty flavor. The cookie recipe that we used is a favorite cookie recipe in The Blind Pig Blog household. Then we added a bit of green food coloring to get in the Irish spirit for March 17. The result was a match made under a shamrock!

The double flavors of the minty brownie with the chocolate chip cookie is a minty chocolaty goodness in your mouth that is sure to please any leprechaun around!

If you are viewing this post via email, visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for the Chocolate Chip Mint Brookies.

For other great St. Patrick’s Day recipes, check out some of our past posts.

Fernet Branca Collins

Mint Brownie Ice Cream Dessert

Oreo Menta Shake

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We’re Bananas Over this Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

February 20, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Bananas are one of our favorite fruits. They pair nicely with so many meals and flavors. They are easily accessible any time of the year in the grocery store. Whether you are making bread or banana pudding, let’s face it – bananas are extremely easy to bake with. Therefore, this week we are sharing a recipe that has been in our files for more than a decade. (Wow!) We don’t know why it has taken us so long to try this recipe out? Now that we did, we are sure to add this easy, delicious dessert to our usual rotation.

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake is not our original recipe, so we cannot take all of the credit. This recipe is closely based on a recipe that we found in the November 2011, edition of Southern Living Magazine.

To start, toast pecans in a single layer for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. The recipe recommends to you make the upside-down cake in a cast iron skillet or a deep round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep). We did not have a deep cake pan, so we made ours in a deep pie pan. We chose not to use our skillet, because we thought a smaller, lighter pie pan would be easier to work with. However, next time we think we will choose to make it in a skillet. We will explain more below.

Melt butter in the bottom of your pan of choice and then add brown sugar and rum. Sprinkle the nuts on top and then add slices of bananas in layered concentric circles around the pan.

Mix together the ingredients for the cake portion of the upside-down cake and pour over the bananas and nuts.

The original recipe said to bake the pan for 40-45 minutes. Typically, because we know our oven, we choose somewhere in between the recommended baking span. However, at 43 minutes our cake was not baked in the middle. So we added 5 more minutes. After 5 it still was not done, so we added 5 more minutes. Perhaps our cake did not bake well in the pie pan and would have cooked more evenly in our skillet? That is why next time we will try out the skillet. We will give you a future update!

The recipe also recommends that you bake the cake on a foil lined jelly roll pan inside the oven. We followed the guidance and were glad. The cake did run over the edge of the pan a little. Thankfully we did not have a gooey, carmely mess in the bottom of our oven.

After cooling the cake for ten minutes, flip over onto a cake plate and you are ready to serve! Delish!!

If you are viewing this post via email, please visit us at www.theblindpig.blog for a complete recipe for Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake.

We highly recommend this easy and extremely delicious dessert. It appears rich and impressive and would make a wonderful addition to any social engagement. Add a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for even more delight for your tastebuds.

Looking for other banana inspired recipes on the blog? Here are some of our favs.

Bananas Foster Coffee Cake

Zaya Rum Bananas Foster

Chocolate Banana Bread

Banana Bourbon Cobbler

Zaya Banana Bread

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Drinks to Warm Your Heart

February 6, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Brrr! Texas experienced our annual frigid ice storm this week. Fortunately we were informed to prepare for it and avoided many of the bad situations and circumstances we encountered during last year’s snowmageddon debacle. While we were on our couch snuggled under our comfy throws watching the opening of the winter olympics , we reflected on the warm cocktail posts that we have shared with you through the years. Here are a few of our favorite warm cocktails that we want to remind you to try.

Fernet Hot Chocolate

This easy recipe is as simple as adding a little fernet to your favorite hot chocolate recipe. Grab that bottle of Fernet out of the cabinet, pour some in your hot chocolate, light the fireplace and relax with a good book.

Gold Medal Coffee

This yummy recipe was shared with you years ago during the 2018 Olympics. It’s that time again and what can be a better way to watch those lugers go down the side of the mountain than with a warm cup of Gold Medal Coffee in your hands?

Spanish Coffee

We just recently shared this recipe with you, but it is quickly climbing to the top of one of our favorite warm cocktails.

Fernet Hot Toddy

This is one of Rhonda’s favs especially when she is fighting off a slight cold. The lemon and cinnamon add to the warmth that you enjoy while you are sipping on this tea-based beverage.

Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

Enjoy this hot chocolate with a little rye whiskey and some pumpkin spice flavoring. It’s savory and delicious.

Menta Hot Chocolate

A cousin to Fernet Hot Chocolate this yummy recipe includes Branca Menta instead of Fernet which gives the hot chocolate a yummy minty flavor. Think of it as a girl scout cookie in a mug. 🙂

We hope that you are staying warm and enjoying the olympics. Next week we will be posting a Valentine cocktail that will have you tickled pink!

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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Bottoms Up to Infused Water

January 16, 2022 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

This week we continue to cleanse and rejuvenate by sharing some great ideas to encourage you to drink more water.

Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%. — https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water

We always feel better when we drink more water, but we face the issue that many non-water drinkers face. We need more flavor! There was a time when Craig worked for a water company that sold flavored water and we drank a lot of it. When he changed companies our habits changed too. But in 2022 we are going to drink more! Our solution is to add some flavor to God’s perfect liquid. Here’s how we do it.

Choose any fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs that you like to combine for a flavorful water. We have tried single ingredients and ingredient combos. Slice or dice up your ingredients and place in a container with ice. Containers that can be used are water bottle, pitcher, mason jar or a carafe. ( We like to be fancy and treat ourselves, so we used the carafe.) Fill the container with filtered water and let it sit for 2-4 hours to give the flavors time to mix.

Here are some helpful hints for successfully infusing water.

Use cold water rather than hot water. Hot water breaks down the fresh fruits and herbs quicker.
When using citrus ingredients, the rind makes the water tastes bitter after 10-12 hours.
Most waters can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Make the night before and fill up your water bottle before heading to work in the morning.

There are lots of great flavor combinations or you can be adventurous and try your own! We made Blueberry/Orange/Rosemary.

Lemon/ Strawberry
Lemon/Strawberry/Mint
Cucumber/Mint
Blueberry/Orange/ Ginger
Watermelon/Basil
Cherry/Lime
Cranberry/Mint (This combination is great for the holidays.)
Pomegranate/Basil
Strawberry/Basil
Jalapeno/Cucumber/Lime
Cinnamon

We have found that using infused water for entertaining is a perfect idea to keep the mood festive while still providing guests with a water option. Serve the water in a fancy cocktail glass to highlight the occasion.

Want more water ideas? There are lots of ideas and combinations posted throughout the internet. What flavor combination are you going to use first?

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Our Top Picks for 2021

December 31, 2021 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

One of our favorite practices at the end of a year is to take time to look back and reflect. We are always focus on what is coming next, and we often forget to take a look at what we have accomplished.

Here are just a few personal examples of 2021 in the rearview mirror. Our youngest piglet started his freshman year in college at Ole Miss. Piglet #2 transferred to Texas Tech and is much happier with his new path. Piglet #1 continued to adult in NYC and find her way in this big world. Rhonda changed jobs and continued to work toward life and career goals. Craig never stopped working hard and surpassing goals and challenges that were set before him.

Here at The Blind Pig Blog we have kept plugging away with new ideas and posts throughout the months. We would love for you to travel back with us as we take a look at a few of our favorite posts.

1. Raspberry Red Velvet Cake Balls

We were not sure how these were going to turn out when we first came up with this idea. The Raspberry Red Velvet Cake Balls surpassed our expectations and are definitely one of our all-time favorite happy accidents,

2. Carpano Botanic Spritz

The Carpano Botanic Spritz is one of Rhonda’s favorite cocktails. She had been sipping on these for a couple of years, before we realized that we had not shared our secret with you.

3. Raspberry No-Churn Ice Cream

Born from our favorite no-churn ice cream base, this yummy ice cream hits the spot. Add a little Chambord and it’s a crowd pleaser.

4. Blind Pig Mojitos

The tequila based mojitos recipe is one that we use often for entertaining and had been remiss in sharing with you. This is one of our favorite large batch cocktail recipes for gatherings.

5. Strawberry Mint Spritz

This yummy and easy spritz is the perfect cocktail for kicking back and relaxing in summer mode. The sweetness of strawberries and the zip of mint are a perfect combination.

6. Cinnaspresso

Perfect for multiple occasions, sip this creamy concoction for brunch or by the fire. It is sure to be a pleaser.

7. Game Day Beer Queso

Our creamy queso dip is ideal for watching your favorite sports on TV. Maybe this will make it on your superbowl spread?

8. Borghetti Mudslide

Another great ice cream treat for adults, who says kids should have all of the fun?

9. S’mores Ice Cream Cake

Who doesn’t love a good smore? Add ice cream and cake to it and you have a definite winner.

10. Espresso Martini

The 2021 Cocktail of the Year, espresso martinis are everywhere. While some espresso martinis can be a little too rich, we are partial to our recipe.

Who knows what 2022 will have in store for all of us? We are so grateful for our readers and subscribers. We look forward to sharing more cocktails and ideas with you in the year to come.

Happy New Year. If celebrating tonight, please drink responsibly.