Irish Cream Brownies

When liquours are included in baked goods, the flavor doesn’t always make it through to the finished product. This definitely isn’t the case for these boozy Irish Cream Brownies. There is quite a bit of Irish Cream mixed right into the brownie batter, infusing it with flavor. There is also some in the glaze that finishes these off, adding yet another little kick to these grown up brownies.

The brownies themselves have a nice chocolate flavor to them, as well. They are moist and tender, with a texture that falls somewhere between cakey and chewy on the brownie spectrum. There is only a small amount of leavening in the recipe to keep the brownies on the dense side and make sure that they taste more like brownies than cake (which they definitely do!). This recipe was inspired by one I saw that used some artificial Irish Cream flavoring. The real thing is a much better option, taste-wise. It also made more sense for me to use the real thing because, as much as I like Irish Cream, it is so rich that it takes a very long time to finish off a bottle and so I don’t mind using a very generous portion in baking from time to time.

These brownies keep well when they are stored in an airtight container. The glaze is a little on the softer side, so while it does set up, it may soften when the brownies are stored. Cut these into small pieces and serve them with coffee. Coffee will really enhance both the chocolate and the Irish Cream flavors.

Boozy Irish Cream Brownies
1/3 cup butter, room temperature (Irish butter if you have it)
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Irish Cream liqueur (such as Bailey’s)

Irish Cream Glaze
2-3 tbsp Irish Cream liqueur (such as Bailey’s)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch square pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, melt butter. Whisk sugar and cocoa powder into butter until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, then whisk in egg and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Pour in butter mixture and Irish cream and whisk well to combine, mixing only until no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 22-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs (not chocolate batter). Cool in pan on a wire rack before glazing.

For the glaze, whisk together all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over cooled brownies, then use a spatula to spread gently into an even layer. Allow glaze to set for at least 2 hours at room temperature before storing the brownies.