Bailey’s Irish Cream Truffles

Long ago on St. Patrick’s Day, I found myself  standing in the parking lot of a Fort Myers’ Bennigan’s restaurant that had been roped off to accommodate a band and large amounts of people. Two boys from I-don’t-remember-where in Europe asked me why we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day.

I looked at them dumbfounded – not because they didn’t know, but because I didn’t know. I told them my best guess was it was simply an excuse to imbibe copious amounts of alcohol in the middle of March.

To celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day, I made some Bailey’s Irish Cream truffles. Bailey’s Irish Cream reminds me of getting kicked out of a liquor store with my dad and my first not-from-a-keg drink in college.

On Christmas Eve this past year, Mom asked someone to run out and buy a bottle of Bailey’s so she could serve what she called a chocolate covered strawberry cocktail (Bailey’s mixed with strawberry daiquiri mix) that evening. Try going into a liquor store and asking for a bottle of Bailey’s and strawberry daiquiri mix sometime to see if you don’t get odd looks from the employees. “Um, you know those don’t go together right?”

Then, with your ID at home, try standing with your almost-60-years-old dad while he tries to buy a bottle of Bailey’s. If you are in Ohio, well into your thirties but without an ID to prove it, the  liquor store employees will kick you both out. Sorry about that one Dad.

As for that other not-from-a-keg drink, it was called an Attitude Adjustment and made with equal parts Bailey’s, rootbeer shcnapps, and amaretto. We can all use one of those sometimes, I’m sure, although instead of a drink, I’m going to use chocolates to adjust my attitude from here on out. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Bailey's Irish Cream Truffles

Author unknown

Ingredients

• 1 pound good-quality chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
• cocoa powder or confectioners' sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, bring the cream just to a boil.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate, and let stand for one minute.
4. Starting at the center of the bowl, begin to stir the chocolate and the cream.
5. Stir until smooth, microwaving in 20 second increments to melt the remaining chocolate if needed.
6. Once the chocolate is fully melted and smooth, stir in the Irish Cream.
7. Cover, refrigerate, and allow to stand overnight.
8. Remove the chocolate truffle mixture from the refrigerator and roll into balls. It may be helpful to allow the chocolate to soften slightly before rolling into balls
9. Roll or toss the truffles in cocoa powder or confectioners sugar to complete.

Notes

Keeps for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.