Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a traditional Irish treat...Irish Coffee! On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish, so why not sip on a delicious dessert while enjoying a festive holiday?!
Irish Coffee originated in 1943 when chef Joe Sheridan of Foynes airport near Limerick whipped up a special drink for passengers experiencing a long flight delay. Passengers enjoyed the "Irish Coffee" he created, putting Irish Coffee on the map.
How to make traditional Irish Coffee
INGREDIENTS
- Irish Whiskey or Baileys Irish cream
- 1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1.5 cups whipped heavy cream
- 1 cup of coffee
- Chocolate shavings and gold sprinkles for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Make your coffee in a coffee pot. As it brews, pour warm water into Irish Coffee glasses to get them up to temperature so they don't shatter when pouring the coffee.
Once the coffee is ready, dump out the water from the Irish Coffee glasses and add your 1tsp of brown sugar. Then, pour in the coffee, letting the sugar dissolve.
Add Irish Whiskey or Bailey's and stir.
Place cream on top, letting it float on top of the coffee.
Garnish with chocolate shavings and gold sprinkles.
Setting up an Irish coffee bar
Creating a beautiful bar setup is all part of the experience for your guest! I started with a large gold tray to use as the base of the bar, with an antique copper pitcher for green flowers and gold servingwear to complement. To make sure the Irish Coffee glasses are the focal point, I used a gold cake stand to elevate the glasses for a layered look.
As a simple yet elegant background, I hung green tissue paper garland (don't they look like shamrocks?!) and scattered glitter shamrocks, gold coins and leprechaun hats in clusters for extra detail. Grouping different flower arrangements in varying heights can also create a stunning look.
Lucky Charm treats
One of the easiest treats you can make that are magically delicious with Irish Coffee are Lucky Charm treats! It only takes three ingredients to make these and they add a fun pop of color to your bar setup.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box of Lucky Charms
- 1 bag large marshmallows
- 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) of butter
DIRECTIONS
Grease a 8X8 baking dish with Pam or butter. Set aside.
In a large pot, melt butter and fold in marshmallows, stirring until completely melted.
Remove from heat and stir in Lucky Charms until they are coated in the marshmallow mixture.
Pour in baking dish, smoothing out with a wooden spoon until flat. Let cool until solidified. Slice in squares to serve.
