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Cold Brew Coffee and Kerrygold Buttercream Whoopie Pies

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Dessert Cocktails with Kerry Gold Irish Cream // stirandstrain.comThis post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.

Growing up, any rich, chocolate cake that sandwiched a generous helping of frosting was a favorite of mine. Candy I could take or leave, but cake sandwiches… OH YES PLEASE. Now I get to make an adult version with Kerrygold Irish Cream laced buttercream and for extra pep: cold brew coffee cake. Whoopie Pies should not just be for kids, which is why I make my grown up versions ginormous; then you can catch a little bit of nostalgia with every bite.

Kerrygold Irish Cream & Cold Brew Whoopie Pies

Cakes (makes 5 cakes):
1/2 lb. butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa, dutch-processed
10 ounces all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold brew coffee
1/2 cup milk

Filling (this filling can be doubled if you want extra filling):
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 pound powdered sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons Kerrygold Irish Cream

To make:
Prepare the frosting by creaming together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Pour in the Kerrygold Irish Cream until incorporated. Filling can be kept refrigerated in a sealed container up to four days.

Next, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cakes by creaming the sugar and butter together until smooth. Add in the egg and mix until incorporated. Next add in baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Sift in cocoa powder and mix until combined. Mix in 1/2 of flour and the cold brew, and then mix in second half of flour and the milk. Stir until just combined. Scoop out a 1/4 cup of mixture onto a sheet pan covered in parchment. You can fit 5 scoops on each sheet pan. Bake 16-18 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cool on sheet pan and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an air tight container until ready to use.

To assemble, spread filling on flat side of one half of the cakes. Top with second half of cake. Eat. Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Frozen Blended Cocktails

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Dessert Cocktails with Kerry Gold Irish Cream // stirandstrain.com

This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.

Sweet vanilla ice cream and crunchy chocolate cookies combine into one decadent frozen blended cocktail.

Kerrygold Cookies and Cream Frozen Cocktails (makes 2 drinks)

2 oz Kerrygold Irish Cream
3 oz vanilla vodka
3/4 cup vanilla ice cream
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies

In a blender, pour in Kerrygold Irish Cream, vanilla vodka and vanilla ice cream. Blend until smooth. Add in ice. Blend until ice is incorporated and smooth. Divide half the mixture into two double rocks glasses. Scoop a heaped tablespoon of cookie crumbs into the glass and spread in an even layer. Top each glass with the rest of the liquid mixture. Garnish with remaining cookie crumbs.

Monday Booze News Last chance to vote us best drinks blog, mental health in the bar industry, and what is the grossest thing you can make beer from

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Monday Booze New - Last chance to nominate us for best drinks blog! // stirandstrain.com

Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50: Rum Edition

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Outfitting a bar under $50: The Daiquiri Edition // stirandstrain.comWelcome to the final installment of our “Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50 (including booze!)” series. These guides are meant to be used either as is, or as a starting point to at least get the essentials in order so you’re not stuck with guests and no cocktails. If you have some extra change we’re also including one way to upgrade it as a bonus at the end of the guides!

Today we’re looking at the rum cocktail, the classic, the Daiquiri. You might only be familiar with the frozen kinds you get at the bar by the beach, but let me tell you, a simple Daiquiri is deceptively good, and super easy to make. And no, you don’t need a blender. (Also, realizing there’s a LOT of limes in these cocktail this week, so if you’re not so into those, shoot me an email or leave a comment below that you’d like a different, easy to make cocktail, and I’ll get back to you!) Hope you’ve enjoyed this series!

Daiquiri Home Bar Under $50 ($47.04)

  1. Rum: there are some great under $20 light rums out there now. Pick one you’d like to drink cause you’re going to taste it in this drink.
  2. Jigger: can’t stress enough how important an accurate pour is.
  3. Sugar: go ahead and make a large batch of simple syrup (1:1) and keep it in the fridge for up to a month.
  4. Pairing knife: there’s lime juice in the recipe so you’ll need to cut up some fruit.
  5. Limes: like I said…limes.
  6. Cocktail glass: again Ikea comes to the rescue. However, hit up some Goodwill shops or Etsy for my creative finds.
  7. Cocktail shaker: no need for a separate strainer as these have the built-in kind (Also, use your refrigerator’s ice maker to fill this with ice. No need for fancy cubes here).
  8. Citrus reamer: you need a lot of lime juice here so get it all out with a reamer.

Upgrade to an El Presidente ($32.05)

**Prices on products are subject to change and we cannot guarantee that you’ll still be able to score all this under fifty bucks come holiday season. Or two years from now. Pricing not including shipping and local taxes.

Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50: Tequila Edition

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Outfitting a bar under $50: The Paloma Edition // stirandstrain.comWelcome to day three of our “Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50 (including booze!)” series. These guides are meant to be used either as is, or as a starting point to at least get the essentials in order so you’re not stuck with guests and no cocktails. If you have some extra change we’re also including one way to upgrade it as a bonus at the end of the guides!

It’s Tequila Thursday around here and today’s guide will get you set up with a Paloma cocktail plus a few extra tools and ingredients (Like a pinch tin of salt! Where my salt lovers at??). The grapefruit garnish is optional but I love a big slice of grapefruit in my drink to be honest.

Paloma Home Bar Under $50 ($49.74)

  1. Grapefruit: as I mentioned in the note above, this is optional, but it does make a pretty garnish.
  2. Jigger: nothing fancy but it gets the job done. The job being an accurate pour!
  3. Limes: fresh juice is essential here so make sure you have some fruit on hand all the time.
  4. Tequila: You can get a 100% blue agave blanco tequila for under $20 so go ahead and get the 750 ml.
  5. Pairing knife: you can’t cut fruit with your fingers so a basic pairing knife is a must.
  6. Ice cube tray: 1.25″ ice cubes are the perfect size for your highball glass so get a tray that makes enough for you and guests.
  7. Bar spoon: for gentle stirring of drinks.
  8. Salt: throw a pinch into your drink and rim your glass if you like it like that.
  9. Grapefruit soda: an essential part of the Paloma and these cans are great to stack in your bar.
  10. Highball glasses: Ikea has 5 glasses for under $5. Go ahead and stock up.

Upgrade to a Spicy Margarita ($42.98)

**Prices on products are subject to change and we cannot guarantee that you’ll still be able to score all this under fifty bucks come holiday season. Or two years from now. Pricing not including shipping and local taxes.

Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50: Gin Edition

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Outfitting a bar under $50: The Gin and Tonic Edition // stirandstrain.comWelcome to the second installment of our “Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50 (including booze!)” series. These guides are meant to be used either as is, or as a starting point to at least get the essentials in order so you’re not stuck with guests and no cocktails. If you have some extra change we’re also including one way to upgrade it as a bonus at the end of the guides!

Today is for all you gin lovers out there. The Gin and Tonic is another easy to whip up, refreshing cocktail to have on hand for yourself and guests. You’ll just need a few essential bar tools and only three ingredients to make your drink. This cocktail is also easily adaptable to other ingredients on hand, so you can change it up when the feeling strikes.

Gin & Tonic Home Bar Under $50 ($49.60)

  1. Ice cube tray: 1.25″ ice cubes are the perfect size for your highball glass and you’ll need a whole tray for guests and your next round.
  2. Limes: because you’ll need a squeeze of lime. I like to keep at least 3 on hand because I find odd numbered things pleasing to look at.
  3. Pairing knife: a sharp knife will precisely cut your limes and double opening that stubborn wrapper on your gin bottle.
  4. Bar spoon: for gentle stirring of drinks.
  5. Gin: you can splurge for a full 750 ml bottle of Beefeater because it’s good and cheap.
  6. Jigger: 1 ounce and 2 ounces is all you’ll need here for precise measurements.
  7. Tonic water: I’m a fan of Q-Tonic and tonic in cans I find easier to store in my home bar.
  8. Highballs: get yourself to Ikea and get yourself some perfectly acceptable highball glasses in cases of 6 under $5. Sweet deal.

Upgrade to a Negroni ($30.98)

**Prices on products are subject to change and we cannot guarantee that you’ll still be able to score all this under fifty bucks come holiday season. Or two years from now. Pricing not including shipping and local taxes.

Outfitting a Home Bar Under $50: Whiskey Edition

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Outfitting a bar under $50: The Old Fashioned Edition // stirandstrain.comOver the next week we’ll be giving some guides on how to outfit your home bar under $50 (and that’s including booze!) depending on what your house cocktail is. These guides are meant to be used either as is, or as a starting point to at least get the essentials in order so you’re not stuck with guests and no cocktails. If you have some extra change we’re also including one way to upgrade it as a bonus at the end of the guides!

Today’s home bar surrounds the classic Old Fashioned cocktail. You don’t need much in the way of tools or liquor to get this set up quick, so it’s an easy way to start!

Old Fashioned Home Bar Under $50 ($49.07)

  1. Large ice cube tray: a basic large ice cube tray makes enough cubes for you and a guest plus another round.
  2. Sugar cubes: save your granulated sugar for syrups and the kitchen. Place a few of these out in a glass to have them at the ready.
  3. Bar spoon: for stirring cocktails!
  4. Bourbon: you don’t have to invest in large bottles to start your home bar. Get a 375ml to try and you’ll still get 6+ drinks out of it!
  5. Angostura bitters: you need bitters for an Old Fashioned so get an all purpose aromatic.
  6. Jigger: sure you could eyeball it but this way you know exactly how much booze to make the perfect cocktail.
  7. Muddler: a basic muddler will crush those sugar cubes as good as a really fancy one.
  8. All purpose glass tumbler: these are my GO TO glasses right now for cocktails to water to wine. And they’re cheap so you won’t worry when a guest (or, *ahem* you) break one.

Upgrade to a Manhattan ($24.39)

 

**Prices on products are subject to change and we cannot guarantee that you’ll still be able to score all this under fifty bucks come holiday season. Or two years from now. Pricing not including shipping and local taxes.

Monday Booze News Almost labor-free Labor Day Edition! With Rum! And goldfish crackers!

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Drinking with chickens at the LA County Fair // stirandstrain.com

Orange Marmalade Whiskey Sour

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Orange Marmalade Whiskey Sour // stirandstrain.comThe Whiskey Sour cocktail is an easy drinking, very delicious cocktail; it is a cocktail that is also very riffable. For awhile my favorite was the Yuzu Whiskey Sour recipe, but since I used a hard to find ingredient, Sqirl’s yuzu marmalade, making it whenever I wanted proved to be a challenge. So I raided the fridge in search of a more “everyday” ingredient: orange marmalade.

Orange Marmalade Whiskey Sour // stirandstrain.comLately I’ve been trying to get more quick recipes up on the site to balance out the more “complicated” or multi-step drinks. Both have their place, but these cocktails are ready to be whipped up in a flash. And bonus, this recipe qualifies as a brunch cocktail too!

If you’re making this at brunch and already have the eggs out, add in an egg white for that silky mouthfeel. Did you know that adding an egg white into a Whiskey Sour recipes actually makes it a “Boston Sour”? See? Very adaptable to what you’re wanting to drink on a given day.

Orange Marmalade Whiskey Sour // stirandstrain.comWhy add in the marmalade? Orange marmalade gives the drink a bitter punch and a more floral aroma. It also adds another flavor of sweetness to just the straight sugar. My preference here is to not double strain, as I like a peel or two in the final drink, but you can double strain if you don’t want them floating around. If you’re really into peels you can always add in an extra 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Keep in mind it will alter the final sweetness of the drink.

Ok, let’s jam on it!

Orange Marmalade Whiskey Sour // stirandstrain.comOrange Marmalade Whiskey Sour

2 ounces whiskey
1 ounce freshly squeeze lemon juice
3/4 ounce simple syrup (1:1 ratio)
1 heaping bar spoon orange marmalade, Bonne Maman used here
1/2 ounce egg white, optional

If using the egg white, add all ingredients into a shaker and dry shake 20 seconds. Add ice and shake again 20 seconds. Strain into a small rocks glass or coupe.

If not using the egg white, add ice into a shaker, pour in all ingredients, and shake 20 seconds. Strain into a small rocks glass or coupe.

Other options:

  • Strain over a large ice cube
  • Garnish with 1/2 teaspoon orange marmalade
  • Make it vegan: use Aquafaba, or Instafoam to replace egg whites in the cocktail

The Negroni Nero

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The Negroni Nero Cocktail // stirandstrain.comIs there a store you go into that, once there–even with a list in hand, you always come out with WAY more than you intended (and I’m not counting Target, because, really, that’s everyone on the planet.)? My downfall is World Market. I love to shop there for props. I will go in with a very specific list, and leave with several bags of stuff. And when I say “stuff” I mean candy from their food section. I’m sorry, but if you put me in a room with a pack of Hobnobs and some tortilla flavored Ritter Sport I am just not passing the marshmallow test (shout out to all you Early Childhood Development Majors).

It was no surprise then when I stopped into World Market a few weeks back, with my very rambunctious preschooler, so pretty much one-handed, that I still managed to leave with a several large bags of stuff. There were the prop glasses I needed, and some random textiles, and a giant chocolate orange because she had never had one so of course I was going to buy it and give her a piece, but also a 6 pack of Chinotto.

The Negroni Nero Cocktail // stirandstrain.comChinotto is a generic term for a soft drink produced by several companies in Italy, but mostly known here in the states from San Pellegrino. I first happened upon it when I was creative director at a company that imported it but refused to try it because I was told it was “bitter” and didn’t like the dark brown color. This was in the early 2000’s before it was cool to drink bitter things by the way. Also, I was young and still developing a palate.

The Negroni Nero Cocktail // stirandstrain.comBut now, hey, it’s cool to drink all the bitter things! So I picked up a 6 pack of this sparkling fruit drink, thinking I’d make something with it. Fast forward a few weeks and after having a week long happy hour habit of dinner time Negroni cocktails…I ran out of Campari. Usually when this happens (and it’s more frequent than you’d think) I turn towards a White Negroni, but this time I thought I’d replace the Campari with Chinotto. It’s less bitter, more sweet, but I find that the bubbles cut the sweetness back a bit.

If you find a regular Negroni too bitter, this might be more to your liking. And if you’ve figured out how to stick to your shopping list, please leave me some tips.

The Negroni Nero Cocktail // stirandstrain.comThe Negroni Nero
1 ounce London dry gin, like Beefeater
1 ounce sweet vermouth
2-3 ounces Chinotto (one bottle is good for two cocktails)

orange zest for garnish

In a rocks glass, add ice and pour in gin and sweet vermouth. Stir 10 seconds. Then pour in Chinotto. Stir gently again to combine. Garnish with an orange peel, oils expressed over the drink. Then, if you’re trying to be cute, cut some flowers out of the peel and pop them in your drink too (I used these cutters).

Glasses: Tom Dixon

The Negroni Nero Cocktail // stirandstrain.com