Bailey's Cookies and Cream Parfaits (with Irish Cream Custard)
The star of these parfaits is the silky smooth Irish cream custard, flavored with notes of chocolate, vanilla, coffee and good Irish whisky. Layered with freshly whipped cream and crumbled Oreos, you won't want to wait for St Patrick's Day to make this treat.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Chilling time3 hourshrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Irish
Keyword: alcohol, Whisky
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Bailey’s Custard:
1/4cupcornstarch
1/4teaspoonkosher salt
1 1/3cupsmilk or half and half
1/3cupIrish whisky plus 2 tablespoonsdivided
14ouncesweetened condensed milk
2tablespoonschocolate syrupeg Hershey’s
3large egg yolks
2tablespoonsunsalted butter, softened
2teaspoonsvanilla extract or paste
1teaspooninstant espresso powder
1/8teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg
For the Parfaits:
1cupheavy creamvery cold
1 1/2tablespoonsconfectioners’ sugar
12Oreo cookiescrushed
Instructions
Place the cornstarch, salt, half and half and 1/3 cup whisky in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir everything together until the cornstarch dissolves, about 1 minute. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup and egg yolks.
Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard turns thick and creamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, vanilla, espresso powder, nutmeg and the remaining 2 tablespoons whisky. The custard will become smooth and glossy. Transfer it to a bowl through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, let it come to room temperature and then chill it for several hours.
Once the custard is fully chilled, add the cream to the chilled* bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Beat on low speed until cream turns foamy, then add the confectioners’ sugar and whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 2 to 5 minutes.
To assemble the Parfaits, stir the chilled custard to loosen it, then spoon or pipe a layer of custard about a third of the way up a clear jar or pretty wine or cocktail glass. Add a layer of crushed cookies and a layer of cream. Repeat with another layer of custard, cookies, and cream, finishing with a few crumbled cookies. Serve the parfaits immediately, or refrigerate for up to an hour (cookies will begin to soften after about an hour).
Notes
Place the bowl and whisk attachment for the stand mixer (or a bowl and beaters for a hand mixer) into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so it will be nice and cold when you're ready to whip the cream.