Irish Cream Brownies

 

Sure, in this photo these just look like any old brownies. Not that there’s anything wrong with any old brownies, but perhaps there should have been some kind of prop in the photo to give you a clue. Maybe there was some kind of frosting I could have made to gussy them up a bit, make them more showy. Can I tell you, though, that they don’t need it? Much like us plain-looking girls, the best features may be on the inside.

That’s because I spiked these with a good, delicious dose of Irish cream liqueur. Bailey’s original to be exact, but other brands are certainly welcome. These are good brownies in the first place, a combination of this recipe and another one from The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein. They are tender and lightly cakey, not quite fudgey, but I didn’t want them to be so super chocolaty that it would overwhelm the Irish cream flavor.

And you can really taste the Irish cream! I don’t think they quite qualify as “boozy” but there’s good flavor beyond the chocolate. I’ll warn you, however, that as much as the flavor of the liqueur comes out in the brownies, there’s even more oompf in the unbaked batter. Sample with caution and discretion. You may not have enough batter left to bake brownies to share.

So far, this is the only tribute to the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day in recipe form that I’ve put together this year. Even if it’s the only one I get to, however, I’ll be pretty darn happy. And then there’s the rest of that bottle of Irish cream to enjoy, too!

Irish Cream Brownies

Based on recipes in The Ultimate Brownie Book by Bruce Weinstein

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cocoa

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Irish cream liqueur (such as Bailey’s)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or grease it with butter.

2. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until well-combined and free of lumps. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer (or another large bowl if you are using a hand mixer), combine the butter and sugar. Beat together using the paddle attachment on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating until completely incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla and Irish cream liqueur. Continue beating until very smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.

5. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating in at low speed until just moistened. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

6. Bake at 350 F about 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with just moist crumbs attached and no wet batter. Cool on a wire rack at least until cool enough to cut and handle. Store in an airtight container for a few days.

Another recipe like this one: Cocoa Chocolate Chip Brownies

One year ago: Mocha Granola