Full disclosure: until today, I didn’t actually know the ingredients in Bailey’s Irish Cream. I suppose it never occurred to me to investigate the contents of a liqueur that I consume rarely and pretty much only in baked goods, despite its deliciousness. But it’s St. Patrick’s Day week, and some Irish cream brownies seemed like a good idea. They were, indeed.

Bailey’s Irish Cream, as you may know, is a mixture of Irish whiskey, cream, and cocoa. Why anyone thought to put these three ingredients together, I don’t know. But they’re a genius, and should be celebrated well beyond St. Patrick’s Day. Sláinte, friends.

Note: you can likely buy the 50 ml “mini” bottles of Bailey’s at your local liquor store (known as a state store in Pennsylvania). If not, a 50 ml bottle translates to about 3 1/3 tablespoons.

Ingredients

For the brownies

• 1 cup butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 50 ml bottle Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour

For the icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 50 ml bottle Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1 – 2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking tin with foil and spray lightly with baking spray. Sprinkle the bottom with sugar; this is my tip for a slightly crunchy bottom crust that adds a nice texture to otherwise soft treats like brownies.

In a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in sugar and continue heating for another minute while stirring, until the mixture is just hot. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder, then whisk in eggs, Bailey’s, and vanilla extract. Stir in flour, then spread evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 28-30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.

To make icing, place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add the bottle of Bailey’s, stirring to combine. Add 1-2 tablespoons of milk to reach a thicker drizzling consistency. Drizzle over brownies; allow icing to set before cutting into squares. Makes 24.