Nolan Irish Cream Pie

In 1970, Lady Bird Johnson served Irish Whiskey in the White House on Saint Patrick's Day and not a soul wanted tea. Those visiting our country from abroad are amazed that Americans--of whom many have absolutely no connections to the Emerald Isle--can take an Irish tradition and party 'til the cows come home on green beer and leprechaun fixin's. Everywhere they look people are dressed in green, drinking and eating green and singing some old Irish ditties. We can't pass up an opportunity to have a good time, begorrah!

My wee Irish wife, Michele, herself has offered to part with one of her family's secret heirlooms, the recipe for Nolan Irish Cream Pie. There is no baking involved and it's good down to the very last crumb. You'll need:

4-5 ea.                  brownies crumbled
1/2 cup                  Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 tsp                  vanilla
1 pkg.                   small package clear gelatin
2 pkg.                   eight ounch packages of cream cheese, softened
1/4                      cup sugar
1 cup                    heavy whipping cream
to taste                 shaved dark chocolate

Take your brownies and crumble them up and press them into the bottom and sides of a pie pan for your crust. Gently warm the Bailey's and the vanilla in a pan on the stove and then add the gelatin and stir to dissolve, letting it simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool down. Blend together the cream cheese and the sugar until creamy and smooth. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream until you have stiff peaks. Fold the Bailey's and the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream.

Spoon your filling over your brownie crust and let it set up in the fridge for three hours. When you are ready to serve it, top with some shaved dark chocolate and pour a wee bit o' Bailey's over the top. And as always, a creative cook is a good cook.....and may the leprechauns and shamrocks and the luck and the fun o' the Irish be with you this week.