After the rocky economy and related bumps along the way in 2009, everyone is looking for a smoother New Year. Indulge your guests this evening with a toast with Homemade Irish Cream, a creamy indulgence that makes any worries melt away. At least, shall we say, for the moment.
I confess, for a celebratory toast I’m always partial to something sweet. But as I started reading labels of my favorite commercial liquors I realized how much of that sweetness came from high fructose corn syrup and other additives. With that motivation, I started experimenting with various homespun versions on our B&B guests at Inn Serendipity (didn’t need to twist any arms there), and this Irish Cream (kind of like a Baileys) quickly became the house favorite.
By controlling the ingredients that go in the drink, you can opt for better quality items like organic cream (I use Organic Valley), fair trade cocoa (our B&B orders cocoa from Equal Exchange by the case), and sugar (we buy bulk from Wholesome Sweeteners). Skimp a little on the whiskey if you need to. A cheap variety would work just as well as it will be masked by the other flavors.
Here’s the recipe (from our Inn Serendipity B&B cookbook, Edible Earth), with a toast to a smooth 2010!
Ingredients:
1 c. dry milk powder
1/3 c. hot water
1/3 c. sugar
3 T. butter (melted)
1 c. half & half cream
1 2/3 c. whiskey
1 t. instant coffee
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
1 T. cocoa powder
2 T. sugar
Directions:
* Mix the dry milk powder, hot water, sugar and melted butter in a blender (this is the equivalent of one standard can of sweetened condensed milk; feel free to use in other recipes).
* Add all other ingredients and blend for about 30 seconds.
* Keep refrigerated. Will last about two weeks refrigerated.
Yield: About 4 cups.
Photo credit: Lisa Kivirist
More at Eat Drink Better
Lisa Kivirist
Lisa Kivirist embodies the growing “ecopreneuring” movement: innovative entrepreneurs who successfully blend business with making the world a better place. Lisa is co-author, with her husband, John Ivanko, of Rural Renaissance: Renewing the Quest for the Good Life, capturing the American dream of farm living for contemporary times. Her latest release, ECOpreneuring: Putting Purpose and the Planet Before Profits is a compact, dynamic tool kit for a fresh approach to entrepreneurial thinking, blending passion for protecting and preserving the planet with small business pragmatics. As a W.K. Kellogg Food & Society Policy Fellow and Director of the Rural Women's Project, Lisa champions a voice for women farmers and rural ecopreneurs through media, speaking and advocacy work. Lisa runs the award-winning Inn Serendipity Bed and Breakfast in southwest Wisconsin, completely powered by renewable energy and considered amongst the “Top Ten Eco-Destinations in North America.” Her culinary focus on local and seasonal cuisine – with most ingredients traveling less than 100 feet from her organic gardens to B&B plates – earned recognition in publications from Vegetarian Times to Country Woman and inspired her cookbook, Edible Earth: Savoring the Good Life with Vegetarian Recipes from Inn Serendipity. In addition to feature writing for publications such as Hobby Farm Home, Mother Earth News and Wisconsin Trails, Lisa is the lead writer for Renewing the Countryside, a non-profit organization showcasing rural entrepreneurial and agricultural success stories. Lisa also penned Kiss Off Corporate America: A Young Professional’s Guide to Independence. Lisa shares her farm with her husband, their young son, a 10kw wind turbine and a colony of honeybees.
2 Responses to Ring In The New Year With Homemade Irish Cream (Recipe Included)
Connect and Explore!
Proud Sponsor!
){kind=link}
Nice, will try this out. Let me ask you a question on this recipe, does it economically beat the cost of buying a bottle of baileys? … frank h
As a lover of Irish Cream, I am so excited to make this homemade (healthier) version. Thank You Lisa.