Homemade Irish Cream

Wow!  All you need is a blender and 5 minutes to make this Irish Cream liqueur at a fraction of the cost.

We go through a lot of Bailey's Irish Cream in our house.  We have an after dinner drink we call 'Liquid Cake".  My husband named it after we had it in a local restaurant.  He was so delighted he said it was 'liquid cake'.  It is really like having dessert and coffee all together!  It is such a hit among guests it has become a standard offering.  It couldn't be simpler!

Liquid 'Cake'

1 part espresso

I part Irish cream

Done!

We have a Nespresso machine that we love. We get the strongest espresso flavor.  In seconds we have espressos, longos, cappuccinos.  Yum.  But- when it's time for dessert we make 'Liquid Cake'!  You can substitute a teaspoon of instant espresso if you don't want to brew espresso.

However, the reason I was driven to the internet to find an Irish Cream recipe was because I was going to make my Apple Irish Cream Cake!  Between the sauce and the cake I was going to need close to 3 cups.  Well-that is almost a whole bottle.  My cake was becoming a $30 cake... hmmm. Stay tuned- cake recipe to follow!

So I went to the store and bought 27 oz of Irish whiskey, sweetened condensed milk and cream.  The cost of about 3 ½ cups of Irish Cream is about $16.   That is less than half price!

I adjusted the recipe to reduce the amount of sweetened condensed milk because I find it rich enough.  I find the whiskey taste is a bit more prominent than in the famous Bailey's brand - but hey- that's ok with me!

If I were serving someone a straight liqueur I would normally use the commercial brand.  But this homemade is perfect for mixing in espresso, or making a cake or a B52 cocktail.

B52 Cocktail

1oz each Kahlua, Grand Marnier, Irish Cream layered in a shot glass. Pour the Kahlua liqueur in a shot glass and carefully pour the Grand Marnier over the back of a spoon so it doesn't mix but sits in its own layer. Repeat the layering with the Irish Cream.

Cocktails on Ice

Straight Irish cream poured over an ice cube.

or

Mix the B52 liqueurs above together and pour over ice.

B52 CoffeE

Add ½ ounce each of Kahlua, Grand Marnier and Irish Cream to a cup of strong coffee. Top with whipped cream.  Drizzle some of your favourite liqueur over the top of the cream.

Irish Coffee

Same as above but replace the liqueurs with 1 ½ oz of Irish Whiskey.

Buy cream with a long expiration date and this will keep in the fridge for a few weeks if sealed tightly.

Or you can make Irish Coffee Mousse.

Cheers!