Make Your Own Irish Cream Immediately
There are two types of people in this world: people who will be put off by the question, “Have you ever drunk Bailey’s out of a shoe?” and people who watchedThe Mighty Boosh in their 20s. If you’re unfamiliar with pre- Great British Bake Off Noel Fielding, all you need to know is that Bailey’s Irish Cream plays an important role in the Scaly Manfish Boosh episode, and I probably drank more of this as a result. …
But to say that I like Bailey’s just because an absurd British TV show would be unfair is a pretty delicious liquor. It’s good over ice cream. Good in coffee. This is good in itself, on ice. It’s sweet, creamy and beige, and you can make it yourself with just a few buffet ingredients (and whiskey).
Aside from the simplicity and overall deliciousness, one of the benefits of making your own Irish cream (or whatever) is personalization. You can make your liqueur super drunk, super chocolatey, or add almond, vanilla, or coffee hints to it. Heck, you can even swap Irish whiskey for bourbon (and make Kentucky Cream) or vodka (and make Russian Cream). You get the idea. I only had half a glass of Irish whiskey, so I supplemented mine with bourbon to get a liquor that was very characteristic of my heritage and it was very good.
However, at its core, making homemade Irish cream only requires four things: a cup of whiskey, a cup of heavy cream, a can of condensed milk, and some kind of chocolate. You can add a tablespoon or two of chocolate syrup (which will make your drink even sweeter), or you can add unsweetened cocoa powder for a more mature, slightly bitter chocolate note.
If you choose to use the latter, note that you can’t just whisk a few teaspoons of cocoa powder in liquid – it will float on top and never go into solution, no matter how much you stir. You should make a paste by adding cream to the cocoa in small portions, stirring thoroughly to make a paste, before adding another aliquot. Continue adding the cream slowly and rubbing it into the paste until the paste lightens to the color of a milk chocolate frosting and begins to behave like a liquid. Then – and only then – you can add the rest of the ingredients.
The cocoa phase is the hardest part of the whole process, and to be honest it isn’t. If you have all the ingredients, you are literally steps away from your own (roughly 750 ml) bottle of delicious Irish cream. To make it you will need:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 glass of Irish whiskey (or bourbon, or rye, or dark rum, or vodka)
- 1 can of 14 oz condensed milk
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large pinch of salt
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract and / or 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.
Place the cocoa powder in a medium bowl or large pyrex measuring cup. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cream, stir and rub with a silicone spatula to form a paste. Add another 1/2 teaspoon and repeat. Continue doing this 1/2 teaspoon at a time until the paste is lighter and runny. Add the rest of the cream, whisking until the cocoa is completely combined. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Transfer to a large glass bottle and refrigerate before serving. Homemade Irish cream has a shelf life of at least two weeks. (Some say it lasts more than a month, but scientists have never been able to hold it that long.)