Irish Coffee Not Just For Drinking Anymore
“Cream - rich as an Irish brogue. Coffee - strong as a friendly hand. Sugar - sweet as the tongue of a rogue. Whiskey - smooth as the wit of the land.”
When chef Joe Sheridan first blended cream, hot coffee and whiskey to warm the cold and weary passengers arriving from the United States on the Flying Boats at Foynes, Co. Limerick, he struck on a recipe that would forever change the drinking habits of the world.
The year was 1943. The drink, which Sheridan thought should be both warm and welcoming, was Irish in character, yet sophisticated enough to appeal to international travelers.
After many experiments over a number of years, including the addition of sugar, Sheridan finally came up with what would become the quintessential Irish drink: Irish coffee.
When Shannon International Airport opened in 1947, it became its official welcoming beverage.
In the early 1950s, San Francisco journalist Stan Delaplane enjoyed an Irish coffee at Shannon and then introduced it to America, at the Buena Vista Cafe on Fisherman’s Wharf.
Within a short time, Irish coffee was THE drink in San Francisco. Irish whiskey sales in the United States boomed, even outpacing sales in Ireland itself.
As St. Patrick’s day approaches, Irish coffee has come to be as anticipated as the annual parade. It was only a matter of time before it became an essential ingredient in some of the season’s most creative dessert recipes as well. Here are a few:
Irish Coffee
1 jigger Irish whiskey
3 sugar cubes
Strong hot coffee
Whipped cream
Heat 1 steamed whiskey goblet. Pour in 1 jigger Irish whiskey and add 3 cubes sugar. Fill with hot strong coffee to within 1 inch of the brim. Stir to dissolve sugar. Top off with whipped cream, slightly aerated so it floats. Do not stir; the true flavor is obtained by drinking hot coffee and Irish whiskey through the cream.
Yield: Makes 1 serving.
Irish Coffee Mousse
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup Irish coffee (recipe above without cream), room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped almonds
3 egg whites (see note)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Champagne wafers, optional
Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat Irish coffee and 3/4 cup sugar in saucepan until mixture simmers and sugar dissolves. Add gelatin to hot mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Cool.
Pour mixture into 2 ice cube trays with cube sections removed (or metal cake tins). Freeze 45 minutes or until mixture becomes solid around edges. Transfer to cold bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
Beat cream until soft mounds form. Fold cream into Irish coffee mixture. Stir in nutmeg and almonds.
Beat egg whites with salt until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into coffee mixture. Freeze in plastic container until firm, 2 to 3 hours. Spoon into parfait glasses and serve with rolled Champagne wafers.
Yield: 10 servings.
Note: Caution. Because of the possible threat of salmonella, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, from raw eggs, government officials recommend that the very young, the elderly, pregnant women and people with serious illnesses or weakened immune systems not eat raw or lightly cooked eggs. Keep this in mind and consume raw or lightly cooked eggs at your own risk.
Irish Coffee and Walnut Cake
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 eggs
1-1/3 cups Irish coffee (recipe above without cream), room temperature
1/3 cup oil
Flour for dusting
Irish Coffee Icing
Combine dry cake mix with walnuts in large bowl. Add eggs, Irish coffee and oil and beat at low speed until moistened, then beat at medium speed about 2 minutes.
Grease large bundt or angel food cake pan and dust with flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees, according to instructions on cake mix package, 38 to 43 minutes. Cake is done when wooden skewer comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on rack 25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely. Frost with Irish Coffee Icing.
Yield: 12 servings.
Irish Coffee Icing
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Irish coffee (recipe above without cream), heated
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
8 to 10 walnut halves or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Place powdered sugar in small bowl. Beat in Irish coffee and Irish cream liqueur until icing is of coating consistency. Spread over top of cake, letting icing drizzle down sides. Decorate with walnut halves (for angel food pan) or chopped walnuts (for bundt pan).
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