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A dairy-free take on DIY Irish Cream, paired with festive holiday treats

December 22, 2020

It was lovely to spend some time in the kitchen with our very own Natalia Vignola and Cory Bialecki while they showed us how to create the smoothest, creamiest, most delicious Irish cream we’ve ever tasted! As with many of our customers, we try to minimize our dairy intake, and that’s what’s so great about this amazing mixology recipe – it’s made with a base of cashew and almond milk! But before we talk about the other ingredients and the directions, we need to get into a little more depth in qualifying those first two ingredients so that you can make your Irish cream the very best it can be.

We know that we’re constantly on about raw, fresh, and organic ingredients… But for this recipe, it really matters

IMPORTANT: The truth is, there’s no real substitute for homemade nut-milks. Everything from the consistency to the taste is so vastly improved when we make it ourselves, translating into a finished product that is better all around, and by no insignificant margin! Making your own nut-milk is so easy and tastes so much better than what you can buy in stores that it only makes sense.

It all comes down to the quality of the nuts you’re using, and you will want to ensure that you are using only raw, fresh, new crop nuts for a recipe like this. The reason being is that the oils in nuts change as they age. Drier nuts simply won’t blend as well. What’s more, is that with age, these nuts lose their sweetness and increase in bitterness as time goes on. Now, the process of converting these nuts to milk or cream really brings that bitterness forward in the finish of the end result, so please take this to heart. We don’t want to see all of your hard work go to waste!

Bottom-line, for the purposes of this recipe, both cashews and almonds must be raw, fresh, new crop nuts.

Okay, now that we’ve been abundantly clear on those points, begin by soaking cashews for about 45 minutes until they become soft. While they are soaking you can turn your attention to making your almond milk. It’s necessary to have some kind of mesh nut-milk bag for this stage of the operation, and if you placed a wholesale order with us last year, you likely already have one of ours! Cheesecloth can also do in a pinch, but is a bit more tricky to work with. 

 The rest of the ingredients are pretty straightforward, but remember that you are always going to enjoy the best combined taste and overall nutritional value when you choose organic. So choose a top-shelf Irish whisky, a leading fair-trade coffee, and your favourite locally-produced maple syrup to set yourself up for success!

Infused with Irish whisky, vanilla, coffee, cocoa powder, and maple syrup, we guarantee that the end result will be the smoothest creamiest, Irish Cream you’ve ever tasted! Spike a fresh cup of coffee or pour it over some ice and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cashews, soaked
1 cup almond milk (Don’t have almond milk? Make your own! Recipe details below.)
1 cup water
1 cup Irish whisky
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 fl oz coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cocoa powder, dutch processed

DIRECTIONS
Begin by blending the soaked cashews with the water on high until totally smooth and creamy to create a cashew cream. It’s up to you how thick you want it your cashew cream to be.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend it all together. You’re done! It’s that easy!

Add it to a cup of coffee, pour it over ice, or enjoy it straight.

Almond Milk Recipe

You can use store-bought almond milk for this recipe, but if you want to take it up a notch or don’t have any on hand, you can make your own! Making almond milk is surprisingly easy and the results are well worth it. The flavour and texture are much richer and more complex than what you can get in a carton – especially when using our new crop almonds!

Get the Almond Milk recipe here. 

Perfect Pairing Recipes

If you’re looking for some festive holiday recipes to pair with your Irish Cream here are a few of our favourites! Be sure to give them a try:

Double Ginger Cookies

Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove – is there a more perfect spice combination for the holidays?! These Double Ginger Cookies are everything you could ask for in a ginger cookie… soft and chewy with a perfect blend of spices. Better yet, they are gluten-free so you can share the love with anyone who is on a grain or gluten-free diet!

Dark Chocolate Coconut Truffles

Truffles are the perfect festive addition to any holiday table and make a decadent pairing with Irish Cream. Never made your own truffles before? No problem! This recipe is sure to impress, and is surprisingly easy too! In this recipe a coconut and cream cheese center is coated in dark chocolate to create a delicate yet rich truffle. 

Almond Butter Cookies

These Almond Butter Cookies are a modern twist on an old classic. Made with almond butter and almond flour they offer a lovely, complex flavour and a lovely texture.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls

For a satisfying treat that isn’t overly sweet, these chocolate hazelnut bliss balls are the answer! Made with hazelnuts, walnuts and dates, you can whip up a batch in under 20 minutes with a food processor. Simple and elegant. Bon appetit!

Happy Holidays and best wishes from the team at Rancho Vignola!

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