This post was made in partnership with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Recipe and ideas are my own.
When I speak with friends and readers about what they’re drinking this summer, I’ve gotten a lot of answers along the lines of simple, at home recipes, or maybe some light and refreshing Sangria when they’re out for brunch or happy hour. I don’t hear very often of dessert cocktails as there sometimes can be a stigma surrounding them. So of course I had to set out to create one that all of you can enjoy this summer.
Sweet cocktails can many times feel too heavy, like you’ve just drank a bowl of ice cream, and honestly, no one should have to endure that. What I like about this drink is that while it leans towards a dessert it most definitely is not heavy. It walks the line between being light while also having a nice richness to it. That unexpected smoky flavor also gives it depth. Sound good so far?
I’m back again with Kerrygold Irish Cream, who provide some richness with cream and a touch of chocolate to the drink. I thought that those chocolate notes would pair really well with some dried Oaxacan chiles I had in my pantry which have a sweet, smoky aroma to them. If you can’t find any Oaxacan chiles, try guajillo peppers instead. I also wanted to punch up the chocolate factor here and added in some chocolate liqueur (and if you’ve been following along with my summer recipes then here’s another recipe with chocolate liqueur for you to try!). Lastly, to round it out I added in some lime juice for balance.
The resulting drink has a smooth and rich mouthfeel with smoky undertones, creaminess from the kerrygold, and a slightly bittersweet profile. Zingy lime flavor and spice from the rum with chocolate and spice aromas. In short, not what you think of when you hear dessert cocktail. So let’s mix some up!
Kerrygold Chocolate Chile Cocktail
1-1/2 ounces aged rum
3/4 ounce Kerrygold Irish Cream
1/2 ounce Oaxacan chiles syrup (recipe follows)
1/4 ounce chocolate liqueur
1/2 ounce lime juice
In a shaker filled 2/3 with ice, combine aged rum, Kerrygold Irish Cream, Oaxacan chiles syrup, chocolate liqueur, and lime juice. Shake about 20 seconds and strain into a coupe glass.
Oaxacan Chiles Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 large or 2-3 small dried Oaxacan chiles
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar and water. Stir to dissolve all the sugar and then add the whole dried chiles. Bring to a boil, and then lower to a simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 1-2 hours, covered. Strain into an airtight container and store refrigerated up to one month.
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.
Kerrygold Mint Chocolate Popsicles
This post was made in partnership with 
We’re making Grasshopper Brownies today with Kerrygold Irish Cream. Based on the components of the classic dessert cocktail, The Grasshopper, these decadent brownies are minty, chocolatey, boozy, and so that no one goes into a sugar coma, small batched. A Grasshopper cocktail includes crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream, all of which in some form are found in these brownies. So hopefully it goes without saying, but 21+ please!
These brownies might look like a labor of love, THREE layers! But rest assured, they come together pretty easily. Let’s look at each layer for a minute. First, the base of this dessert is the brownie, which, in my opinion, is the essential layer to all of this. Because I wanted this to be a small batch recipe and only yield about 8, 2″ pieces, I looked to my favorite brownie recipe from 
Next you have two different chocolate layers: the green mint layer with crème de menthe, and the chocolate top layer. These require a little more patience and a little stove-top stirring. The green layer can be achieved by one of two ways. Your first option is to add green crème de menthe. Second, you can use peppermint extract (or clear crème de menthe) with green food coloring. If crème de menthe in any color is hard to come by where you are, then peppermint extract can be found through online retailers. And for the final layer, you can optionally add in some crème de cacao to the ganache although I found it chocolate enough for my tastes. Both these layers will set up firm, but not hard.
Now, will this be the most amazing dessert to bring to your St. Patrick’s Day party? Yes, probably. Will people ooh and ahh about what you made? Definitely. Will you be able to leave with a few spare brownies? I doubt it. But you can make more next week too. Let’s get baking!
Kerrygold Irish Cream Grasshopper Brownies
This post was made in partnership with 
You’ve probably had a spicy Marg, or a skinny one, or a Cadillac, or a frozen, fruity, whatever one. But have you ever had a chocolate one? Before you raise your eyebrows at me, take a moment and I’ll explain.
First, we’re using mezcal for the base today. Mezcal has a lot of similar flavors that I associate with good quality chocolate: vanilla, tobacco, earthy, nutty, burnt caramel, etc… And while they have these similar aspects, the sweetness you get from chocolate cuts back on the smokiness from the mezcal so they also work together in that respect. But what about the acid needed in a Margarita? How does that work here? And well, I’ll assure you that lime juice still works. The brightness of the lime juice helps keep this from becoming an overly heavy cocktail. To give this an extra chocolate kick and a creamier mouthfeel, I’m adding Kerrygold Irish Cream to the mix. I love how balanced and unexpected the flavor of this is. The mezcal is definitely the powerhouse here but it’s tamed by the richness of the Kerrygold Irish Cream and the sweetness of the chocolate liqueur.
I note below that the chocolate liqueur should be used to taste. If your bottle is very sweet, as a few brands are, then I’d cut it back to 3/4 ounce. Also, salt is totally optional here. I’m one who likes a little salt to balance out the sweet so I kept my salt rim; you do you though.
Chocolate Mezcal Margarita
Kerrygold Irish Cream does have cream in it, super rich cream from grass-fed cows, and real chocolate. We’ll be boosting the chocolate with a touch of chocolate syrup, just like the original; your favorite chocolate syrup will do just fine here! I happen to own a soda siphon because… I write about cocktails for a living, but bottled seltzer will work just the same. The magic happens once you add the seltzer to the base of Irish cream and chocolate. Like magic, a creamy head forms on the drink making it look almost like a thick, creamy milkshake. But what I love about this drink is that it is not heavy AT ALL. It is light and frothy and you actually want to drink it down quick because the bubbles do not last all that long.
This adult version of the Chocolate Egg Cream clocks in with a proof around 7.5 so it’s definitely a low ABV drink (around 3.75%). So if you’re looking for something that’s a little sweet, a little ABV, and a lot tasty, I think you should give this classic twist a try!
This post was made in partnership with Master of Mixes. Recipes and ideas are my own.
Yes, I love the spooks and the change of season, but free candy always topped the list of reasons why October 31st was THE BEST. Now, as an adult, I can hop in my car, or rather, have Instacart deliver, all the candy my heart desires. At any time of year. But I’ve learned restraint and I don’t usually buy any until the week before Halloween when stores start having candy sales. And then again the day before Halloween because I’ve eaten it all the past week.
Lastly, Almond Joy bars in my opinion are far superior to a Mounds bar. Because… almonds!! When I think coconut cocktails, I think Piña Coladas, and Master of Mixes has a perfectly balanced 
So grab some extra candy this year, a couple of Master of Mixes bottles, and let’s plan a sweet Halloween party!
This post was made in partnership with 
This post was made in partnership with 