Moonshined Bailey's Irish Cream

Growing up in more than one neighborhood meant I had the opportunity to eat a variety of family meals that were vastly different from the Midwestern food served at home. I've enjoyed Sedar dinner at the Mirandas, tamales at the Lunas, and Tandoori at the Raos. One of the most memorable foods that ever came from a neighbor's kitchen, and has essentially become a tradition within my own family, is Moonshined Bailey's Irish Cream.

I've been fascinated by homemade Bailey's since I first saw it served during the only Christmas I spent in the Chicago suburbs. The Matthews lived two houses down, and were a large, fun Irish-Catholic family. Mrs. Matthews was true White Sox-loving Chicago stock, and as a little girl, I admired Mrs. Matthews not just because she was tall, blonde, and beautiful, but also because her house had air conditioning in the summer, and I thought only rich people had AC! Just before Christmas that year, while the other neighbors swapped cookies like I'd seen in my other Illinois neighborhood, Mrs. Matthews showed up with a Mason jar of Bailey's. To my five year-old eyes, it looked like the creamiest chocolate milk I'd ever seen, and I was devastated when I learned that bottle was only for grown-ups.

Each year since we left Chicago, my mom has made at least one batch of Bailey's for Christmas parties or family gatherings, and each year I couldn't wait to finally receive a glass of the beverage the adults so looked forward to each year. I wasn't allowed my own glass until the eve of my 21st birthday, but it was everything I had hoped it would be: a little chocolately, very creamy, and full of down-home sophistication.

Here's what you need to make a couple pints of your own:

3 eggs
1 14 oz can Eagle brand milk
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1 16 oz carton Coffee Rich, thawed (sold frozen, and really hard to find in my experience. In years where I couldn't get my hands on any, I've subbed in another non-dairy creamer such as Mocha Mix with good results.)
1 cup blended whiskey or bourbon (I like Jim Beam)
3 tbsps Hershey's syrup

Dump all ingredients into a blender, and blend until creamy. You'll get about 2 1/2 pints, and you can keep it in your fridge up to 3 weeks. Shake well, and serve over ice.