Make Your Own Bailey's Irish Cream For St Patrick's Day

I don't feel it very wise to emulate or find anything in common with Hollywood celebrities, especially if they are of the Charlie Sheen persuasion. Charlie, I am convinced, is either whacked out on his own special brand of crazy, medicated or not, or a media genius and indeed the warlock that he claims to be. He has been dominating headlines and entered every arena including cooking with his Charlie Sheen "Winning Recipes." Yes I am not making that up and he has now taken his show on the road where ticket sales broke all records.

I don't know if you could have much more winning than making your own liqueur. And I'm pretty sure Charlie is making a batch of this with this goddesses as we speak although I am not sure what else he might be popping in this magical potion. I probably committed some sort of culinary cultural crime by using scotch whisky but I was just sent a bottle of Monkey Shoulder scotch whisky literally this morning so in it went!

I first saw the idea for make your own Bailey's on Xiaolu's lovely site and I instantly loved the idea of making a home spun version of anything well known. Yes you'll find me trying to make delicious home versions of popular food and drink. While mixing this a strange little recipe (which really only requires a spoon as equipment) a thought popped in my head. It was borne of receiving an email from a happy reader who had made my 5 minute chocolate mug cake at work and now calls it one of his ways of coercing his colleagues into doing late afternoon tasks for him. Yes, given a trip to the shops, you  too could make this at work*!

OK a suggestion like this is perhaps how Charlie started so I shall conclude with a have a happy St Patrick's Day and if you should wish to make this either at work, with or without goddesses or just because you love the stuff please do. It's fabulous stuff and a doppelganger for the real thing!

So tell me Dear Reader, what do you think about Charlie?

*Disclaimer: please don't blame me if you get in trouble mixing up your own moonshine at work

Make Your Own Bailey's Irish Cream

• 1 teaspoon espresso coffee

• 2 teaspoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 3/4 cup milk

• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups Irish whiskey (I used Scotch whisky)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Step 1 - In a small bowl or cup, mix together instant coffee, cocoa powder, and 2 tablespoons of the  heavy cream until smooth. Using a conventional or hand-held immersion blender, combine the coffee cocoa mixture, remaining heavy cream, milk, sweetened condensed milk, honey, Irish whiskey, vanilla extract, and almond extract and blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds or whisk until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a container, seal tightly, and store in the refrigerator. For the best flavour, let chill at least overnight to allow the flavors to meld together. Shake well before using. This should keep for up to 2 months.