I have a confession to make: the brownies you see on this screen do not actually contain Bailey’s Irish Cream. They contain a cheap knock-off because I wasn’t about to shell out $20 for a bottle of the real stuff. I know this makes me sound cheap, but let’s get serious: I’d rather spend that money on good food, good wine, or good beer. Besides, the brownies won’t know the difference…and neither will you once you take a bite!
I struggled figuring out what to call this dish, but thanks to some Twitter help I figured out that Bailey’s + Coffee = Irish Coffee. And Irish Coffee Buttercream was born! The recipe is so easy and 100% worth it; just know that, well, I kind of made too much and have been armed with a spoon to polish off the rest since. Don’t judge till you try it 😉
As for the Bailey’s brownies, I simply used my go-to brownie recipe and subbed in 2 Tbsp of Bailey’s in lieu of the water it calls for. Voila! Bailey’s brownies. In reality though the brownies are just a delivery mechanism for the frosting. As it should be.
IRISH COFFEE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
- 2 lbs of powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 Tbsp Bailey’s (or cheap knockoff)
- 2 Tbsp instant coffee powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
Combine the Bailey’s with the instant coffee. Set aside to dissolve, stirring occasionally, until all the powder is dissolved into the liqueur. In a bowl cream the softened butter. Add half of the powdered sugar and combine. Add the Bailey’s/instant coffee mix and the vanilla. Mix well. The mixture might be runny, so add the remaining powdered sugar as required to get it to the consistency you prefer. If it’s too dry, add a little more Bailey’s.
Spread on cooled brownies. Devour.
As far as I know I don’t have much Irish in me…but after eating an undisclosed number of these brownies I have to agree that everyone has a little Irish in them on St. Patrick’s Day. Or a lot of Irish. Oops.
Yum! These look so dense and chewy. I love love love Baileys!
YUM! I’m a sucker for Bailey’s…the real deal though :). My favourite weekend treat is a splash of Bailey’s in my coffee…and now, I have something to eat to go with it!
These brownies look delectable! Thanks for sharing- hope you had a nice St. Patrick’s Day!
That buttercream looks so creamy and flavorful.
That icing looks awesome! I’ve got to get me some Bailey’s and whip up some brownies so I can make it!
Yum! I want to eat the buttercream off the top, LOL.
YUM!!!!!!!Love Bailey’s–Love Chocolate!!! I want some NOW!!
Those look incredible 😀
Loooveee that frosting! These just look silly delicious!!
Mary
Delightful Bitefuls
These look sooo good! I’m not a huge Bailey’s fan though, does the taste really come through?
I wish I could track down a cheap version of Bailey’s! I would put that in everything I baked. Your brownies look absolutely scrumptious.
I have to confess. Your recipes and I have a Love/Hate relationship. I love all of them. When I come down from my blissful sugar high, I hate all of the extra walking I have to do to keep all of this from landing on my hips. UGH!!! Oh, who am I kidding? My love is stronger than my hate…keep em coming.
I usually only have Bailey’s in my hot chocolate…but this is a much better use for it! 🙂
omg, these look fantastic. Need. To. Make.
Bailey’s in brownies sounds amazing. I’ll take some, please!
Okay…let’s set up a meeting point. You bring the brownies, I bring the French toast buckwheat bake. 😉 mmmk?
That buttercream wouldn’t last a second in my kitchen!
OHHH my..yum!
I wish I had some Bailey’s so I could make these. They sound (+look) incredible!!
You have officially created the only recipe to have ever sounded good to me associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Everything else = meh. THESE….well, THESE = get in my mouth right now!
Wow these look so good! I love Bailey’s but luckily I found a smaller bottle that cost be around $8 not $20=) I don’t care if St. Patty’s Day has past I’ll be making these soon!
Why don’t you have some brownies with your frosting there 😉
cheap baileys > real baileys. Seriously!! I am convinced the “real” stuff is watered down because it is name brand. One good cup of Irish Coffee made with the knockoff brand, and I am buzzin. True story 🙂
Mmmm, WANT. I love how thick the layer of frosting is.
I LOVE using Bailey’s in baking. The buttercream totally changes your life, yes? Although when I made mine, it didn’t have the instant coffee in it. Which I’m sure makes for a richer taste… oh my…
Our blogs could be twins today! I did a brownie with salted caramel buttercream because I was altogether too cheap to purchase the liquor needed for what I wanted to be Irish Car Bomb brownies!!
If you’ve got a few minutes, could we possibly chat photography for a bit sometime soon? I have a few “gigs” coming up and could use some pointers! I can pay you in cookies/cupcakes/brownies/bread 🙂
of course! just email me at heathersdish [at] gmail [dot] com whenever and i’d be happy to help 🙂
Hahaha if these were in my kitchen, I would also have a lot of Irish in me. I mean… a LOT.
Wow!! These look heavenly!!