This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.
How’s your summer going? I keep hearing from other people that their summer is pretty much over… as of August 12th (!!!) because their kids are starting school. When did that start happening? I’m all for changing up the school system a bit but come on. August!!?? It’s so hot! Everyone should be eating popsicles!
And speaking of popsicles, I hope all you adults reading this with or without kids are getting in your quota of popsicles this summer. Based on a single comment from an Instagram reader earlier this year I made it my goal throughout summer to offer up a handful of “adult” popsicle ideas (no, not sexy popsicles, boozy popsicles). Today I’ve based this popsicle on what was my favorite ice cream flavor as a kid: mint chocolate.
Mint and chocolate are such a perfect pairing in my mind that every time my husband tells me he ABHORS the two flavors together I want to throw a shoe at him. The nerve! It’s SO good! And I hope you all agree with me!
As some of you might know, I’ve teamed up with Kerrygold Irish Cream this summer to create some FUN recipes to enjoy in these warm months (Southern Hemisphere readers, bookmark these for your summer!). And today, Kerrygold Irish Cream is kicking in some creamy, chocolate flavors with a touch of Irish Whiskey with these minty fresh popsicles. To make them extra rich, we’re using two types of coconut milk, and a touch of chocolate liqueur for additional chocolate flavor! These aren’t dairy free (because Kerrygold has cream in it) but I find that using the coconut milk creates a much richer popsicle with a better mouth feel. Sometimes just milk creates an “icy” popsicle and I wasn’t looking for that here. Optionally, I’ve also added as a topping some white chocolate that I’ve colored green… reminiscent of that classic ice cream color. Also, I like any excuse to create some magic shell.
If your summer popsicle quota is starting to lag, consider making this sweet treat! At least the adults can enjoy what’s left of the summer.
Kerrygold Mint Chocolate Popsicles
2.5 ounces Kerrygold Irish Cream
1 ounce chocolate liqueur
3/4 teaspoon mint extract
1 ounce rich syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
6 ounces light coconut milk
4.5 ounces full fat coconut milk
In a large mixing glass with a spout, combine the Kerrygold Irish Cream, chocolate liqueur, mint extract, rich syrup, and both coconut milks. Whisk to combine and strain into popsicle molds. Freeze for 24 to 48 hours. When ready to serve, let sit about 3-5 minutes, and then un-mold.
Green Chocolate Magic Shell
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 to 3 tablespoons refined coconut oil
1 pinch sea salt
In a microwave safe bowl, combine white chocolate chips, coconut oil, and salt. Microwave on high 30 seconds, stir, and then repeat microwaving at 20 second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth. Let cool to room temp and use. Can be stored in the refrigerator up to one month. Gently rewarm cold magic shell in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between.
I know, I know… “classic Daiquiri” is not usually in popsicle form, but since I’ve committed to bringing all of you more boozy popsicles this summer, you’ll just have to give this to me. And since today is National Daiquiri Day I thought, why not? The “classic” flavors found in a Daiquiri: rum, lime, and sugar are so delicious in frozen form (and trust me, I know a thing or two about frozen Daiquiris. See 
I really enjoy the floral sourness of limes, and here I wanted these to be extra… well, lime-y, so I zested a whole lime and added that into the mix in addition to adding a lime wedge to each popsicle. It gives the popsicle an extra punch of flavor, which is important when you’re dealing with frozen drinks/treats. Flavors tend to dull a bit when they are very cold, so you need to compensate for that.
Now, I will say that proportion wise, this isn’t really a classic Daiquiri, as you can only add a small amount of rum to each popsicle in order to get a good freeze. Otherwise you’re looking at a slushy on a stick, which is really just a mess on your clothes. The base of these is more of a limeade with a touch of rum, but since all of the flavors are still in the realm of Daiquiri… I get get to call them Daiquiri popsicles.
And now you get to make some!
Although dubbed a fad by many, the excitement waning for most diners, the techniques still hold a fascination with me. This probably has to do with my love of chemistry as a young person that has carried through decades later. Recently, for a 
So, that brings us to today’s recipe, made in partnership with our friends over at Kerrygold Irish Cream. When thinking about some fun summertime recipes to make, the idea of milkshakes came up, but here in Los Angeles, I’m more likely to run across a boba shop than a milkshake shop, so I thought, why not combine the two? However, we’re using some artistic license here and instead of the tapioca pearls found in your boba tea, we’ll be using flavorful strawberry spheres instead. Because, while some might like their stone fruit during the summer, it’s all about the berries for me.
I bring up the molecular gastronomy because you can, in fact, make these spheres, and I will list a few of my go-to resources below. However, because it’s summer and we don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen making spherification baths all day, I’m also listing where you can buy these strawberry spheres. So now you can follow your own adventure.
I’ve listed my resources for the reverse spherification process below the recipe if you’d like to try your hand at that!
Resources:
But why celebrate Bastille Day if you’re not in France, or not French? Because we just have a love of French food and culture. And we still have our 4th of July decorations up from last week (kidding). There’s also a lot of interesting history there as well. Personally, I am huge history buff and my favorite types of books delve into the intricacies of a country’s politics and culture. Bastille Day actual celebrates the storming of the Bastille, a prison, and the beginnings of the French Revolution and democracy in the country.
Interested to know a bit more? While there are numerous books one could read, recently I just finished the book 
But let’s get back to entertaining. First, go ahead and pour yourself a glass of wine. We’re pouring a Beaujolais and Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay from Louis Jadot. Both of the wines work well with desserts and are great party wines if you’re considering a spread of french foods like cheeses, seafoods, and light meats. The Beaujolais is 100% Gamay with juicy flavors of strawberry and black cherry with a little spicy black pepper. While the Chardonnay, made with 100% Chardonnay grapes, is more floral with apple and citrus aromas and slightly mineral notes. They are also both reasonably priced if you are looking for a few bottles or more to serve at your fête.
Now, the macaron tower. My biggest pet peeve about all the macaron towers out there is that the entire thing is not edible. Most are stuck on to a styrofoam tower, held in place with buttercream or a toothpick. While it can be impressive in height, I’d rather have a dessert tower that can be fully enjoyed by my guests. So, I decided to make this more of a “petit†tower, and have as my structure for the macarons to sit on be tiered vanilla cake. I mean, I wouldn’t be disappointed to be served a piece of cake with macarons covering it. This does mean baking a few small cakes (like, 3), but if you have the basic pantry staples around and a few small cake tins or even ramekins, this comes together quite quickly. And the macarons, while you most definitely can make those two, I just happen to have a favorite macaron shop here in Los Angeles I got mine from (and that is just far enough away I don’t visit them everyday… that would be dangerous for me).
If you’d like to make this taller, you can bake a larger base and build up from there. Height is totally up to you, but for me, I found three cake layers sufficient for a small party.
This post was made in partnership with Truvia®. Recipes and ideas are my own.
At the time of the party I went out and bought one of those giant drink dispensers. Standing around making tiki drinks to order was not how I wanted to spend my entire evening. I filled it with this drink thinking to myself, this is way too much; no one is going to consume this much of a blue drink. Well, to my surprise they did, and there were a number of people bummed when it was all gone. Why? Because it’s just a great, easy drinking cocktail: rum, blue curaçao, citrus, pineapple, and coconut cream. And this winning combo easily translates into a flavorful popsicle.
To sweeten up these popsicles, we’re using 
Also, if you’re looking to make these non-alcoholic, just sub the white rum with a bit more pineapple juice and coconut cream. Or add in a few more pineapple chunks! These jewel-toned popsicles are so beautiful everyone’s going to be asking for one!
Now, the look of these popsicles will change depending on what kind of popsicle mold you have. I have a lay-flat kind 
Ok, let’s make some popsicles! Tiny paper umbrellas optional!
Blue Hawaii Popsicles
At first I was a little skeptical, who drank milk made of rice (this was before it was cool to drink MYLK)?! But once I tried a sip, I was hooked. Now, Horchata, which can be found beyond Mexico into South America and Spain, as well as similar variations in other cultures, is not necessarily made of rice. Ground nuts and seeds are also common. Here in Los Angeles we mostly are served Horchata made of rice and sweetened with vanilla and cinnamon.
While sitting outside recently enjoying a glass and finally welcoming some warmer temps here, I thought to myself: this would taste excellent as a cocktail too. So, today, in collaboration with Kerrygold Irish Cream, I’ve created an almond based version, heavy on the cinnamon and vanilla, with some spicy notes from gold rum, and a creamy finish with hints of chocolate from the Kerrygold Irish Cream.
I’ve unearthed this forgotten column that I started years ago since there has been a genuine interest in cocktail gardens as of late. Over on Instagram there have been a few conversations now about growing herbs, flowers, and plants for use in cocktails. This could mean just a garnish, or ingredients for an infusion or a tincture.
Old Fashioneds are usually known for their whiskey base, but as you’ve seen on here they are also great with 
Now if you’re thinking, I don’t have a farm, or even a backyard, how am I going to create a cocktail garden? Well, you just need a window, or a grow light! A lot of the items we talk about in the video you can grow in containers, so if that was holding you back from starting your own tiny cocktail garden, consider this the nod to start.
Kristin will have a post soon that I will link to here with more informational links, but if you’re looking for a great resource to start with about growing and using plants in your kitchen or bar, start with 
