There's no luck needed to make these decadent brownies for St. Paddy's Day

Celebrate the luck ‘o the Irish this weekend with some inspired dishes from the Emerald Isle. Whether the day’s menu consists of corned beef and cabbage or the more traditional bacon and cabbage, plus sides like boxty, colcannon or champ, you’ll need something sweet to end the meal. Brownies spiked with Irish Cream and then topped with an Irish Cream frosting are the perfect Irish dessert.

So, if you need something decadent after washing down all of that food with green beer, here are some grown-up brownies that are sure to do the trick.

Here are a few tips for ensuring moist brownies every time:

1. Don’t overmix the batter. Mix just until all ingredients are incorporated.
2. Be careful when adding eggs to the hot chocolate mixture. You don’t want to end up with chocolate scrambled eggs. Either let the mixture cool slightly first or temper it by whisking some of the hot chocolate into the eggs and then whisking that mixture back into the rest of the chocolate.
3. Don’t overbake the brownies. Bake then just until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Resist the urge to frost the brownies until they are totally cool. Otherwise, the frosting will be a runny mess.

Although Bailey’s is the most common brand of Irish Cream, there are others. Find a selection at Aspen Liquor in Broken Arrow.

Irish Cream Brownies

Brownies

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon Irish Cream liqueur

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

For the brownies:

1. In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large saucepan, melt chocolate and sugar together over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in both sugars. Let cool slightly before adding eggs.
3. Whisk in the eggs. Add liqueur and vanilla.
4. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
5. Bake until just set, about 20-25 minutes.
6. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the frosting:

1. In a mixer bowl, beat all frosting ingredients together until smooth, adding more liquid if needed until frosting is spreading consistency.
2. Spread evenly over brownies.
3. Cut as desired.

Makes 20-24 brownies