Chocolate Raspberry Truffletini

This decadent Chocolate Raspberry Truffletini is a smooth & creamy combination of Bailey's Irish cream, Godiva liqueur, raspberry vodka, & muddled fresh raspberries... 

St. Patrick's Day happens to be just one week away, folks! And guess what? I made you all a creamy, decadent cocktail just for the occasion. 

Now I know it isn't green (who really likes green beer anyways?), & it doesn't have any whiskey in it. But it does have Bailey's Irish Cream in it, so that totally makes it St. Patty's Day worthy, right? ;) (Everyone just nod your head in agreement, okay?)

This Chocolate Raspberry Truffletini is actually inspired by a cocktail that I had at a local Italian restaurant where I live. My husband & have seriously upped our date night game over the last month (go us!). 

Life had did that thing that it sometimes does, and we found ourselves only making date night a priority once or twice every couple of months. But over the past month and a half, we have had a date night almost every week. 

During one such date night last month, we decided to hop over to the bar at this Italian restaurant for a cocktail or two after dinner. I asked the bartender to whip me up a martini that tasted just like dessert, and this truffletini is more or less what he made for me- a smooth & creamy combination of Bailey's Irish cream, Godiva liqueur, raspberry vodka, & muddled fresh raspberries. 

I knew I was going to have to recreate that boozy deliciousness at home and share it with all of you...

Irish Cream & Mint Iced Mocha

Chocolate, mint, Irish cream, & coffee- you simply cannot go wrong with this Irish Cream & Mint Iced Mocha for St. Patrick’s Day (or any day!)...

This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

Back in my younger days, St. Patrick’s Day used to be an all day celebration for me. It was a day filled with dancing to Irish bands, drinking green beer, and just basically acting like a fool. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but at least a good 7 or so years have passed since I pulled my last all day’er for St. Paddy’s Day. 





These days I might dance a goofy jig with my 4 year old and wear a little green, but long gone are those all day parties to celebrate our favorite Irish holiday. And long gone is my affection for pitchers of green-tinted beer too… thank goodness. I would much rather be sipping on one of these Irish Cream & Mint Iced Mocha’s nowadays. :)

This spiked iced mocha starts with a very simple to make Andes Mint infused vodka. You are literally a little vodka, a handful of Andes Mint, a glass jar, & 24 hours from having the best chocolate-mint flavored vodka ever. Then you shake that Andes Mint-infused vodka with a little Irish cream & your favorite espresso and pour over ice. 





Chocolate, mint, Irish cream, & coffee- you simply cannot go wrong with that flavor combo for St. Patrick’s Day no matter how you find yourself celebrating it this year...

Bailey's Irish Kiss Brownie Thumbprints

These thick, chewy cookies start with a brownie mix and end with a fudgy Bailey's spiked center & are topped with a classic Hershey's Kiss...

As a food blogger, I am occasionally faced with the dilemma of being stumped on a name for a delicious recipe I have created to share with you all.

About 95% of the time, the absolutely perfect name for a recipe comes to me before I have even finished researching and writing the actual recipe.

This was not the case with these Bailey's Irish Kiss Brownie Thumbprints.  

I mean they are cookies, but they are made with a brownie mix.

At first, I thought maybe I could name them brookies, but after chatting with a few food blogger friends it seems that the consensus is that a "brookie" is a cookie/brownie hybrid with two distinct components.

I briefly entertained calling them crownies... for like two seconds.  But that didn't sound right at all.

Bailey's Nutella Mug Cake

Ready in less than 3 minutes, this Bailey's Nutella Mug Cake is a fudgy, yet fluffy chocolate cake for one that is drizzled with a simple Irish cream glaze...

For years, I have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day without giving it very little thought as to why. I mean, I am not Irish. (There may be a teeny fraction of a percent of Irish blood in me somewhere. ;) ) I am not Catholic. I have never even traveled to Ireland. But without fail it is a holiday that I gleefully and willingly take part in year after year. 

In my younger years, St. Patrick's Day was a blur of green beer, dancing to bands with Irish sounding names, and seeking out the nearest local "Irish" pub. In more recent times, it has become the perfect excuse to enjoy some of my favorite Irish-inspired foods. 

It wasn't until this past week that I actually asked myself why. Why do we- Americans who may be 100% Irish or 100% not Irish- celebrate St. Patrick's Day each and every year? The former history teacher in me got the better of me, and I did a little researching...

Irish Coffee French Toast Casserole {Spiked! Recipe Challenge}

St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow, and I know quite a few of you may be celebrating all things green tonight.  So I am giving you all an Irish Cream spiked french toast casserole that you can put together before you head out the door for the evening.  You just have to wake up tomorrow morning, preheat the oven, and then pop it in the oven.  No matter how much tonight hurts tomorrow morning, you all could manage that much, right? ;)

What you will need:

4 eggs, beaten

1 14 oz can of coconut milk

1 cup of strongly brewed coffee

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 shot of Irish whiskey (I used Jameson. This is optional, but it isn't truly Irish coffee unless there is a little whiskey in it, right? ;))

About 8 slices of day old French or Italian bread (would also be great with Irish soda bread if you happen to have some of that lying around ;) )

Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat your 4 eggs.  Whisk in the coconut milk until well incorporated.

Add in the rest of the ingredients- the coffee through the whiskey- and continue whisking.  

Slice your day old bread into 8 thick slices.  Arrange the bread slices in a double layer in your prepared baking pan.

Now pour your egg/coconut milk/coffee mixture over top of the layered bread slices.  Using the back of a wooden spoon, press the down the bread slices into the liquid to make sure each layer is absorbing it.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning just preheat your oven to 350 degrees, take your french toast casserole out of the fridge, and bake for 40-45 minutes.   It should be somewhat set in the middle and the edges should be crispy and golden when done.

I served my Irish Coffee French Toast casserole with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar. Fresh whipped cream would also be wonderful with this.

Tuesday marks the start of submissions for the second ever Spiked! Recipe Challenge.  I have to admit- I am pretty excited about the recipe ingredient for this month- Irish Cream!  Even if you happened to miss the Spiked! Challenge sign-ups, you can still get in on the fun.  Just be sure that the Spiked! button is in your actual post & you come back here to link up your Irish Cream spiked recipe posts on Tuesday and Wednesday. :)  You can grab the HTML for the button here.

Are you all ready for Tuesday's Spiked! Recipe Challenge submissions?  I can't wait to see everyone's recipes! :)

Irish Coffee French Toast Casserole

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: Overnight

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes

6043830

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 14 oz can of coconut milk
• 1 cup of strongly brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 shot of Irish whiskey (I used Jameson)
• About 8 slices of day old French or Italian bread

Instructions

Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat your 4 eggs. Whisk in the coconut milk until well incorporated.

Add in the rest of the ingredients- the coffee through the whiskey- and continue whisking.

Slice your day old bread into 8 thick slices. Arrange the bread slices in a double layer in your prepared baking pan.

Now pour your egg/coconut milk/coffee mixture over top of the layered bread slices. Using the back of a wooden spoon, press the down the bread slices into the liquid to make sure each layer is absorbing it.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning just preheat your oven to 350 degrees, take your french toast casserole out of the fridge, and bake for 40-45 minutes. It should be somewhat set in the middle and the edges should be crispy and golden when done.

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Announcing the Spiked! Irish Cream Recipe Challenge Winner!!

You all made this SO hard for Julie & I!  Again.  Not that we are complaining, but there was some serious email deliberations happening between her and I over the weekend. ;) 

This month's Spiked! ingredient was Irish Cream.  So many of you came up with some very creative (not to mention tasty looking!) recipes.  

So, without further adieu here are the Spiked! Irish Cream Recipe Challenge runner-ups (in no particular order)...

Caramel Irish Cream Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce from Crazy for Cookies and more

Irish Cream Flavored Popcorn from Cooking on the Front Burner

Irish Cream Chocolate Pound Cake Trifle with Irish Cream Caramel Sauce from Call Me PMc

And the winner of the Spiked! Irish Cream Recipe Challenge is... 

The Bailey's Kiss Cocktail Cake from Cooking with Curls!!!

Congratulations Lisa!!  What an amazing and decadent use of Irish Cream!  Julie and I will be in touch with you shortly to get you hooked up with your featured ad spots with each of us for the month of April. :)

Julie and I would love to thank each and every one of you who entered this month's Spiked! Recipe Challenge.  We had 16 total Irish Cream laced entries for our second ever challenge.  I created a special Pinterest board for all of the Spiked! recipes, so please feel free to CLICK ON OVER and check them all out (and pin away while you are at it ;) ).  

Julie and I will be back again in May with an all new Spiked! Recipe Challenge!  We will announce that month's libation of choice on the first of the month.  (Perhaps a little Cinco de Mayo action, folks? ;) )

If you would like to see more information on the Spiked! Recipe Challenge, please click HERE to view the Spiked! page on my blog. 

And if you are a blogger, make sure you don't miss out on entering my March sponsors' ~One Lucky Blogger Giveaway~.  There is $70 in gift cards, 12 ad spots, & a custom photo watermark up for grabs to one very lucky blogger! :)

Irish Coffee French Toast Casserole

This delicious, make-ahead Irish Coffee French Toast Casserole is spiked with Irish cream, coffee, and whiskey...

I originally posted this recipe for Irish Coffee French Toast Casserole about two years ago for St. Patrick's Day.  The recipe itself has been always been amazing, but my photos of this recipe from two years ago were seriously lacking...

Green Mint Chip Mudslide

Confession time.... I don't like downing Irish Car Bombs.  I can never chug them fast enough, & most of you all probably know what happens if they are not chugged properly.  It's isn't pretty.

I pretty much gag on all whiskey and scotch.

But Irish Cream?

You could could say that Bailey's & I get along well.  And one of my favorite drinks to make with Bailey's is a creamy mudslide...

35 Recipes to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day All Day Long

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day all day long with these 35 tasty authentic Irish & Irish inspired recipes...

St. Patrick's Day is a little over a week away, but who is counting? ;) Okay, I am. I am counting. Not that I am Irish or anything. (I went over all of that in my post earlier this week.) But I do love any holiday that gives me an excuse to enjoy good food- especially if it happens to be good ethnic food. 

Growing up in an area with a pretty substantial Italian population, I didn't fall in love with Irish food until I moved to Columbus, Ohio in my early 20's (years ago). 

Have any of you all heard of Dublin, Ohio? It is a quaint suburb right outside of Columbus, and I lived there for more than half of my time as an Ohio resident. Dublin is home to a handful of local Irish pubs & the widely popular annual Dublin Irish Festival. 

It was during my time living in and near Dublin that I acquired my love for corned beef & cabbage, shepherd's pie, Bailey's Irish Cream, and celebrating all things green & Irish on St. Patrick's Day. 

Just like Buckeyes football, it was hard not to get sucked right into all the fun, food, fanfare, & excitement while living in a city that celebrated all things Irish pretty much every day but especially so on March 17th of each year. ;)

Whether you celebrate St. Patrick's Day out of pride for your ancestry or you happen to just be in it for the food, you are going to love today's recipe collection I have for you all. 

I rounded up 35 of the tastiest authentic Irish & Irish inspired recipes so that you can celebrate St. Patrick's Day all day long on March 17th. From sunrise to sundown, there is a little something for every meal of the day and everything else in between... 

Luck 'O The Irish $200 PayPal Cash Giveaway

Are you all ready for another lucky giveaway? I have joined up with six of my food blogger buddies to bring you all a chance to become $200 richer! :) Is the Luck O' The Irish with you this month? Find out when you get entered to win below... 

And we also decided to help you all plan your holiday party or get-together this coming St. Patrick's Day  with some delicious Irish inspired recipes we cooked up in our kitchens...

Irish Coffee Brownies

 Inspired by a classic Irish cocktail, these fudgy and decadent Irish Coffee Brownies are a must-bake for St. Patrick's Day (or any day of the year!)...

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Can we just chat about my love for Irish whiskey for a quick second? Because prior to about a year ago, I was absolutely not a whiskey drinker at all. I didn't like the smell of it or the taste of it, and I definitely wasn't sitting around on a Saturday night sipping it on the rocks. 

But it just turns out that I had been experiencing the wrong whiskey for pretty much my entire life. Who knew?

You see, my only experience with whiskey for most of my adult life was either the Canadian variety (ahem... Crown) or Kentucky whiskeys and bourbons. Other than a few sips of Jameson here and there, I had never really tasted Irish whiskeys before. 

Then last year I discovered what has now become my go-to whiskey- Tullamore Dew.

I have to give credit where credit is due. My boyfriend introduced me to the right kind of Irish whiskeys. Being a mixologist, he was able to pinpoint just what it was that I hadn't liked about the whiskeys I had tried before and was able to finally help me find one that I not only actually like, but that I absolutely enjoy as well.

Marvelous Mondays Link Party #41

Good evening and welcome to Marvelous Mondays! Julie, Paula, and I are so happy to have you join us each week. We really enjoy your recipes and projects and we enjoy giving you the opportunity to share your creations with the blogging world. We'd love for you to spread the word about the party and invite your blogging friends to join the fun! We thank all of you for linking up each week and we welcome any new bloggers who linked up! Let's keep this party growing!

Did you all know that I published my 500th post this past week??  :) Incredible, huh?  I wanted to celebrate with you all, so I am holding a giveaway where you can win a prize pack of some of My Favorite Things & a Starbucks gift card!  Have you entered yet?  Well, what are you waiting for? ;)  Click on over to My 500th Post/A Few of My Favorite Things Giveaway now! 

I also want to encourage all my fellow food bloggers to get involved with Food Bloggers Against Hunger.  Tomorrow food bloggers across the nation will be posting budget friendly recipes to help raise awareness about the growing hunger problem in our country.  I hope to see you all back here tomorrow to read my post and check out my recipe. :)

We had a pretty good amount of viewed links again last week! Thanks to each and every one of you for linking up and sticking around to visit some other bloggers' posts. Julie, Paula, and I can't tell you just how thrilled we are. Let's keep it up this week and continue to spread the bloggy love.


Now, let's move on to the party.
Your Hosts Julie from This Gal Cooks ~ Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama ~ Paula from Call Me PMc

And this week we have one fabulous Co-Host! Lisa from Cooking With Curls!
You all may remember Lisa from March's Spiked! Irish Cream Recipe Challenge. ;) She was the winner with her Bailey's Kiss Cocktail Cake!

Last week's most viewed link:

Chocolate Truffle Cake from Sarah's Kitchen

A few of our favorites:

Oreo Easter Pops from Pint Sized Baker

Peanut Butter & Jelly Pie from Crafty Home Improvement (Mis)Adventures

Chicken Cordon Blue Ranch Wraps from The Best Blog Recipes

And last week's co-host, Julie from White Lights on Wednesday's favorite:

Roasted Asparagus Caprese Melts from Half Baked Harvest

 Party Rules

• Please follow your hosts and co-hosts via Google Friend Connect, Twitter, Blog Lovin, Facebook or RSS Feed. Please leave a comment stating how you followed so your host can follow you back. Your host and co-host links can be found at the top of the party post.
• Please visit at least 2 other links. I suggest leaving a comment to let them know that you stopped by.
• Grab a button. It’s not mandatory but it helps get the word out about the party.
• Link up your recipes, crafts or DIY projects. Please link something that you made. No giveaways or shops, please.
• Please note that by linking up your posts and projects you are giving This Gal Cooks, Frugal Foodie Mama, and Call Me PMC permission to use your photos in the featured posts and possibly on our social media outlets. All photos will be linked back to your sites and your posts.