Baileys Irish Cream Brownies for St. Patrick’s Day 

Brownies

Ingredients: 

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup, (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, (over a double boiler, or in the microwave) melt the butter and chocolate chips.

Tip: If using a microwave, be careful not to overheat the chocolate, and do NOT use a metal bowl.  Remove and stir it every 30 seconds.

• Mix well to combine.
• Add the sugar, eggs, Baileys, and vanilla.  Whisk all together.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together and add them to the mixture.
• Mix all to create a nice smooth brownie batter.

To Bake:

• Pour the brownie batter into the parchment-lined baking dish.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes.
• Let cool completely. 

Cooked and cooled tray of brownies.

Now make the Philadelphia cream cheese layer. The fun St. Patrick’s Day party!

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• green food coloring, as desired

Procedure:

• Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and well blended.
• There should be no traces of butter visible in the mixture.
• Add the powdered sugar in batches.  This will keep the sugar from getting all over as you mix.
• Add the Baileys and mix through.

Add a few drops of green food coloring.

• Now add the green food coloring.  Start off with only a few drops and mix it in.  Add more to achieve a darker green if desired.

Your magical green frosting is ready!

Tip: When adding the food coloring, start light. You can always add a little more but you can’t take it out once it’s in.

Spread an even layer of the Philadelphia Cream Cheese frosting.

Tip:  At this point,  carefully release the brownies from the pan in one piece.  I use a thin butter knife to loosen the edges and then carefully lift them out. Then place it back in. This will make the brownies much easier to remove after they’re all frosted.  You definitely don’t want to try to fiddle around with the brownies once they are layered with frosting and ganache.

• Spread a layer of cream cheese frosting over the cooled brownies.
• Refrigerate for about one hour.

Ganache:

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, optional. 

Procedure:

• Bring the cream to a slow simmer.
• Place the chocolate in a bowl large enough to freely stir the hot cream and chocolate.
• Once the cream has scalded, remove it from the heat.
• Slowly add the cream to the chocolate and whisk it thoroughly.

Making the ganache.

• At this point, you can add the butter if using and whisk it in.
• Remove the brownie tray from the refrigerator and pour the ganache on top.
• Smooth over with a spatula to create an even layer.

Evenly spread the ganache.

Tip: Dip the spatula in hot water, then completely DRY. (Water and chocolate do not mix.) Use the dry, hot spatula to smooth the top of the ganache for a professional finish. Make sure the spatula is dry, water and chocolate do not mix! 

Now put it all back in the refrigerator for at least an hour.  When ready to serve, simply lift out the entire brownie and place it on a cutting board.  Run a large chef knife under hot water to warm the blade. Wipe it dry and cut slices. After each cut, wash the blade off under hot water and wipe it clean and dry. The idea is not to get chocolate smudges on the “Magical Green St. Paddy’s Day Layer!”