I’ve been making myself very, very sick.
You see, this year I decided that for Christmas, I’d revisit our old recipe for homemade Irish cream. It’s an absolute doddle to make, tastes much better than the bought stuff, and should keep in the fridge for a month or so (although it never lasts that long here). When the boys were young, I used to sneak tiny bottles of it into the school pool and my darling friend Cate and I would surreptitiously sip at them while our sons were doing their laps.
Sadly, over the past decade, I’ve lost my ability to consume cream and other rich dairy products, but I’m taking one for the team – after all, you can’t make a gift without quality checking it first. I make this with whatever whisky I’ve been given – in years past that was my annual bottle of Chivas Regal from PeteV, but this year it’s a bottle of Johnny Walker Red from my neighbour June.
Don’t be put off by the tins of condensed and evaporated milk (neither of which I use for any other purpose) – the finished booze is smooth, silky and ridiculously moreish, even for the dairy challenged. The specified quantities made all you can see in the photo below – note that the JW bottle was full last night, but Big Boy found it after I went to bed…
- 700ml bottle of whisky
- 250g good quality milk chocolate (I used Callebaut 823 callets)
- 2 x 395g cans of sweetened condensed milk
- 2 x 375g cans evaporated milk
- 600ml pure cream (35% fat, no thickeners added)
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 1 tablespoon boiling water
1. In a small pyrex or ceramic bowl, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts on high until melted, stirring between each round. Stir until smooth. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Make sure to use the best quality chocolate you can find, as the taste comes through in the finished drink.
2. Pour a small quantity of the whisky into a large bowl, then gradually whisk in some of the melted chocolate, then a little each of the evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream. Continue adding the whisky, milks and cream, whisking constantly, until all the ingredients except the coffee and water have been added.
3. Stir the coffee granules in the boiling water until dissolved, then whisk into the Irish cream.
4. Pour the Irish cream into sterilised bottles, seal tightly and store in the fridge. The original recipe suggests maturing the mix for a month in the fridge before drinking, but it’s never lasted that long here, and we think it tastes pretty good straight away!
Oops, sorry, comments were turned off!
Thanks for letting me know Celi, I’ve fixed it now!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What a fabulous gift! We got camping with a few other families in the early new year and I think this could be perfect to take and share!
Clare, it will work well providing you have some way to keep it cold?
Oh this is perfect! Big Man loves Baileys but it’s so expensive in England – I shall have to secretly make him some (and clearly do some quality control testing too)!
I’d love to know what you think, T! Everyone here loves it!
Will let you know soon :)
Well Celia, as you say you do have to taste test so my hat is off to you madam. What a very nice idea for gifts as long as you keep Big Boy out of your stash.
Diane, it’s ok. If he drinks it all, I’ll just make some more. :) It IS a nice gift, would be especially so where you are, as it will be easier to keep it cool when giving it away! (Hard in our 40C summers!)
Wow, Celia, you’ve just hurtled me back in time. My mother is a dreadful cook and never attempted much in the kitchen but she used to make this when I was young. It was allegedly made for gifts, but she didn’t mind a nip or two either.
Hahaha…it’s such an old recipe, Amanda! I seem to have a surplus of Cointreau at the moment, I wonder if I can sub that for the Whisky?
Oh this is dangerous stuff, Celia… I made some last year and the bottle didn’t last too long at all. Do you know that I waited 30 years to make it!!!??
Ooh did you blog it, love? I just had a look and couldn’t find it on your site?
Hi love, no… I mentioned it here http://www.bizzylizzysgoodthings.com/home/in-my-kitchen-january-2014 but am going to pop a snippet up this week sometime with links back to your recipe here, as well as Manuela’s… this is dangerous stuff! xoxox
I made, and drank this a lifetime ago… it is more than a little moreish!
ED, it was the done thing in the 90s, wasn’t it! Along with fondue parties.. :D
Oh I want this, Celia! I’ve never made anything like this but I’m going to now!
Maureen, it’s dead easy to make and even easier to drink! :)
Can’t wait to try it Sounds great!
Enjoy! In moderation (as the tv commercials would advise) or not! Hahaha
A timely Christmas treat. Mother’s milk I say. Your antics at the pool remind me of my own naughty behaviour. A friend and I ( both part of the ‘bad mother’s club’) used to have a Gin & Tonic in a can while waiting for the kids to finish piano lessons. The UDL cans look like lemondade.
Must make this- just for night time medicinal purposes of course.
Francesca, it’s fantastic over ice. And night time is a good idea – I made my batch in the middle of the day and with all the taste testing at that time…let’s just say we all had toasted sandwiches for dinner that evening. :)
LOL
That looks very rich Celia. Maybe just a small glass:)
Oh yes, as many small glasses as you like… :)
Looks delicious! I make an Irish cream too. The main difference is my recipe uses chocolate syrup instead of chocolate (I use my homemade chocolate syrup) and half and half instead of cream. I will have to try this version. I just got a bottle of the cinnamon vanilla Bailey’s and am already trying to figure out how to get that flavor in my next batch of homemade Irish cream! It made an excellent cinnamon ice cream.
Chocolate syrup is a great idea, it would make the mixing in much easier! Cinnamon vanilla Baileys! I’ve never heard of that!
That sounds seriously good Celia and a recipe that I might like to try. I do love Baileys but have never made my own. Could have done with a little tipple myself watching my kids do their swimming laps :)
Moya, the laps seemed endless, didn’t they! We needed fortifying! :D
Hi Celia, I first encountered a recipe for Irish Cream about 30 years ago. I’m sure you’re having a ball making this for all your lucky recipients.
Chris, I’ve just tried a Cointreau and dark chocolate version, I think it’s going to be very very good! :)
I’m so thrilled to have received a bottle of this, Celia. I’ve hidden it at the back of the fridge where I’m hoping it won’t be discovered by the wolf pack. Really looking forward to enjoying it this evening after what promises to be a very hot day. This will be very cooling after all the heat and I will sip it on my verandah and think of you. Thank you for taking ‘one for the team’ xx
Charlie, I hope you love it! Let me know if you need more! :)
If you’ve taken one for the team then I can confidently make this for a couple of people on my list– cream and I do not agree at all these days. Celia that’s typically generous of you to share that recipe at this time of the year.
Rose, I hope your friends love it as much as mine have! :)
This certainly does sound incredibly rich, smooth, delicious-and dangerous! What a special drink and if really wouldn’t last too long at all :)
I may or may not have sneaked a drink or two of wine into the movies inside my sports bottle… but I’m not telling! Xox
Becca, you’d be appalled, I’m drinking some…then having a Zantac.. :D
Strange that I don’t like whiskey or coffee but I love Baileys on ice. Must be all that cream and chocolate in there! Looks fab – wouldn’t last long in this household either :)
Nancy, it’s great fun to make! :)
A very dangerous (but useful) recipe to share – thanks for all that research Celia.
Sally, I’m writing up the variation soon – it’s a ripper! :)
So funny that you sipped whilst watching swimming. Brilliant
Surreptitiously Claire! We must have looked odd, taking these tiny glass bottles out of our bags and having the occasional swig..hahaha. But honestly, watching laps is bloody BORING. :)
Home made Irish cream, how lovely. Now if you can produce a recipe for Advocat, well it wouldn’t exactly be seventh heaven, but close. Am intrigued by your hints of a variation.
Decadence, thy name is Irish cream. Fabulous.
Katherine was just saying she wanted to make this the other day! Yours looks fantastic.
[…] like to make some to give away as gifts (or even to swig on yourself), you can find the recipe here on Celia’s blog. We enjoyed our little medicinal bottle on a recent very hot night. We sat outside on the […]
[…] Make Christmas gifts for your friends and family. There are some lovely ideas out there. Homemade skin care is a real treat, some lovingly prepared Christmas treats, or a bottle of homemade liqueur. Fig Jam and Lime Cordial has a great recipe for homemade Irish Cream. […]