Recipe Swap: Chocolate Avocado Chipotle Tequila Popsicles

After taking a month off from the Recipe Swap, we are back in full force to kick off the first weekend of summer with our individual remakes of a Chocolate Mint Pie.

My first inclination was to make an inside out pie in the form of a crunchy mint truffle using the homemade creme de menthe left over from my shamrock shake adventure. Days before this post was due I received an invitation to a Top Chef Drink party ... being held at my house!

Visions of glasses smudged from smoldering rosemary, concoctions bubbling with pop rock inventions and deconstructed cocktails swirled in my head. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn't have a lot of time to create the winning drink AND prepare for the party.

I toyed with chocolate and mint in a drink but I couldn't get past the girly martini stigma surrounding those flavors. A frozen cocktail felt a bit better, but it needed a savory edge, something almost spicy. And it needed a filler. The obvious choice was a Greek yogurt until I remembered a chocolate avocado shake I once made. Avocados are green and so is mint, seemed like a fair swap.

Recipe Swap: Pumpkin Maple Zabaglione over French Toast

Zabaglione - sounds fancy, doesn't it? Simply put, it's a delightfully light egg and alcohol custard. Deceivingly easy to make, the required constant whipping creates tiny bubbles that give this custard its light and airy 'foam' texture.

There are many versions of Zabaglione but traditionally it's a dessert made with Marsala and often served with fruit or spooned over a cake.

Because this is a Recipe Swap, how could I stick with a dessert version? Savory ideas from cheese to spicy pepper meandered through my mind, yet the idea of a sweet custard would not stop interfering.

A Pumpkin Liquor sent by great friends as a Strange Ingredient gave me the inspiration and base for this recipe. Imagine a Pumpkin Zabaglione with a hint of maple dripping down the side of buttery golden brown french toast. Plus Dave loves french toast and I've been forcing him to eat a lot of healthy dishes this past week, so it will be the perfect surprise breakfast.

Boozy Pudding Shots

First there was the plain old shot of alcohol. Then came Jello shots. And now enters the pudding shot. Thick, creamy pudding mixed with alcohol for a tasty adult party favor.

While intrigued when we first heard about these, I struggled with a full understanding of the flavor. Then we tried a chocolate pudding shot and WOW- it was a creamy, chocolatey, boozy sensation that called for more tastes!

Two parties presented the perfect opportunities to try my hand at these punched-up pudding shots; a fundraiser and a going away party for a coworker. Sure the pudding shots may sound a bit out of place for a fundraiser, but it loosened the crowd for the live auction and turned into a super fun conversation starter.

The Irish Chocolate Pudding Shots tout Baileys and Kahlua while the Tiramisu Pudding Shots make use of Amaretto. For the Gluten Free party goer, the Limoncello pudding shots packs a serious lemon POW without the flour base

Jello shots are so old-school. When your next party calls for a shot of fun, step it up with boozy pudding shots for a Fat and Happy party boost. My good friend and fellow foodie Marianne helped create these - Thanks M.A.!