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Irish coffee
Hot coffee with whiskey and brown sugar under a collar of cream
Irish coffee was first served in the 1940s at Foynes on the Shannon estuary, to cold passengers stepping off the flying boats from America, and it is now poured in hotel bars across Ireland after a long dinner. Hot black coffee is sweetened with brown sugar and laced with Irish whiskey, then topped with a layer of lightly whipped cream that you drink the coffee through. This drink contains alcohol; for an alcohol-free version, leave out the whiskey and add a few drops of vanilla. Chef's tip: whip the cream only until it just thickens, so it floats in a soft layer rather than sinking or sitting in stiff blobs.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
- ¾ cup hot strong black coffee
- 2 tsp soft brown sugar
- 2 ½ tbsp Irish whiskeyor leave out for alcohol-free
- 3 ½ tbsp double creamchilled
- 1 pinch grated nutmegopt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Fill a heatproof stemmed glass with hot water for a minute to warm it, then tip the water out.
1 minStep 2: Pour in the ¾ cup hot strong black coffee and stir in the 2 tsp soft brown sugar until dissolved; the sugar is what helps the cream float.
1 minStep 3: Add the 2 ½ tbsp Irish whiskey and stir.
1 minStep 4: Shake the 3 ½ tbsp double cream in a jar or whisk it for about 30 seconds until it is just thick enough to coat a spoon. A common mistake is over-whipping, which gives a stiff, separate blob.
1 minStep 5: Pour the cream slowly over the back of a warm spoon onto the coffee so it forms a layer 1–2 cm thick. Dust with 1 pinch grated nutmeg and don't stir.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 250 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does irish coffee take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of soft brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
- What can I use instead of double cream?
- Whipping cream, same amount (less rich; whips softer).
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