So, have you been watching the Olympics the past few weeks?? I have not. Yea, maybe I caught some speed skating on the TVs at the gym one night last week, but I’ve totally lost interest this year for some reason. The most likely culprit is the fact that we don’t have cable anymore, but I haven’t really sought out the updates online or even the figure skating highlights. But I really did enjoy the tweets and pictures from reporters in Sochi leading up the opening ceremony and the rough conditions – those were funny! And if not for yellow water and strangely configured restrooms, the Russians are also good for a few other things: half of my ancestry, good vodka, and one of my favorite cocktails – the White Russian (I even dressed up as one for Halloween!). So even though the Olympic games aren’t really catching my attention this year, the combination of cream, vodka, and Kahlua always will.

White Russians are made of vodka and Kahlua with a splash of half-and-half, and although it’s kind of weird to order milk products from a bar, I’ve definitely done it my fair share of times. It’s basically boozy coffee ice cream in a drink, and makes a great treat if you need something yummy in between your vodka sodas. I’ve experimented with boozy pudding before when I made brownie pudding shot glasses, but I wanted this White Russian dessert to be a little more spoonable and soft rather than gelatinous. Turns out the trick is mixing in whipped cream and storing the parfaits in the freezer rather than the fridge before serving. The result is a boozy concoction that’s part mousse, part semifreddo, part pudding. Instead of 2 cups of milk, the vanilla instant pudding was made with Kahlua and vodka for some of the liquid so there’s definitely an alcoholic kick there but enough sweetness to put it in the dessert category – especially with whipped cream on top!

At first glance this post might make you think I was Olympics-obsessed, but really I am just a big fan of the color gold and will take any opportunity to bust out my washi tape, sparkly pom pom toothpicks, and gold paint pens. The fact that the US is tied for first in total medal count right now is pretty spectacular, and I’m hoping this gold-themed post might just inspire a few more wins for team USA. Or at least inspire a few of you to break out some Kahlua, a bit of vodka, and a whole lotta yummy to celebrate the last few days of the Olympics. And if you’re kind of over the Olympics like me, swap out the Kahlua for some Bailey’s, ditch the Olympic rings for a shamrock, and serve these at your St. Patty’s Day party instead!