A Toast to Kahlua
I wasn’t going to write about food again. I had previously boasted about how I was going to give the gift of health to my hubby for Valentine’s Day by eating heart healthy and then I had to eat my words when I failed to follow through.
February 27th is National Kahlua Day and while I am not much of a drinker, I do love what you can do with this liquor.
The name “Kahlua” is derived from the Arabic slang word “Kahwa” which means coffee. Kahlua was first invented by the Alvarez brothers from Mexico who took their coffee beans and joined forces with local businessman, Blanco, who was developing a liquor. Blanco invented his Mexican coffee-and-sugar cane spirit in 1930, and it was altered by chemist, Montalvo Lara and has been manufactured in Mexico ever since. Kahlua is high in caffeine and made with coffee, rum, corn syrup, vodka and sugar. The process is long and arduous, taking about seven years to make one bottle, but the result is a sweet coffee liquor with hints of caramel and vanilla. It can be used to make such concoctions as mudslides, milkshakes, Baileys Irish Crème, white Russians and even Kahlua Hot Chocolate to name a few.
One of my favorite recipes is my mother-in-law’s Almond Hershey Pie. She even developed her own recipe for Kahlua – but that’s a whole other story. My husband has fond memories of coming home on College break and helping her make this desert. And some Kahlua even got in the recipe!
Almond Hershey Pie
Ingredients:
½ cup milk
2 cups mini marshmallows
6 Almond Hershey Bars, broken
3 Tbsp. Kahlua
1 cup whipping cream
1 gram cracker pie crust. I use a chocolate pie crust
Directions:
Melt milk, mini marshmallows, and broken Almond Hershey Bars in microwave for 3 minutes on high.
Mix in the Kahlua and whipping cream
Pour into pie crust
Cool 2 hours
Can be frozen and then thawed a few minutes prior to serving. Top with a dollop of whip cream on top of serving.
Enjoy!
P.S. No, I am not going to make a pie. I just thought since February 27th is National Kahlua day it would be a shame not to share it. Please make this delicious pie on Wednesday. You won’t regret it. And be sure to let me know what you think – so I can live vicariously through you!