Bake a batch of soft Irish Cream Scones for this fun St. Patrick's Day dessert. They're filled with cream and topped with homemade Whiskey-Chocolate Sauce.
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When you love the flavor of Baileys as much as I do, you look for every possible way to enjoy and use Irish cream.
Pouring it over ice in a cold glass is a great start if you're new to Baileys. Next, try a splash in your coffee. And how about adding Baileys to a baked treat? Of course!
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To that end, here are soft and tender Baileys Irish Cream Scones. And while on their these own scones are wonderful simply spread with a little butter, they also make a really delicious dessert: Just add fresh whipped cream and a rich whiskey-chocolate sauce.
Easy, homemade Irish scones are full of little chocolate chips, for extra sweetness and chocolaty goodness.
The surprising history of Baileys Irish Cream
While working on this recipe I did a little digging into the origin of Irish cream—and what I learned is quite interesting and unexpected.
I had always assumed that Irish cream had been around for ages, a spirit that the Irish had been brewing for centuries. Then, I found this Irish Times article about the origin of the liqueur and learned the truth: Irish cream was created in 1973!
Irish advertisers David Gluckman and Hugh Reade Seymour-Davies had a client who wanted to come up with a new alcoholic beverage. In less than an hour, the ad execs came up with the idea for Irish cream. They ran to a local store to grab ingredients, including Jameson Irish Whiskey and heavy cream, and concocted the liqueur recipe right in their office.
The advertisers' journey of developing the brand and selling this new spirit to a very skeptical audience is fascinating—and very funny! The all-male focus group who first tried Baileys called it a "girl's drink", and one U.S. spirits executive declared, "This shit will never sell!"
But of course, that shit did sell. Girly or not, Baileys Irish Cream is one of Ireland's most successful exports: the company sells around 82 million bottles of Irish Cream each year.
One of those 82 million bottles was purchased by me, and I poured it into these unique scones.
Give this Irish Times article a read, it's a fantastic one.
Are scones an Irish treat?
In her book Irish Traditional Cooking, Darina Allen writes, "The baking tradition is one of the richest and most varied aspects of Ireland's culinary heritage." She shares that with the invention of baking soda and baking powder in the 1800s, soda breads and scones became mainstays of the Irish kitchen.
Old-fashioned scones are a simple blend of the leaveners plus flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and milk, and need just a squeeze or two to pull together, with no rising time. Allen says that she and her siblings often came home from school to their mother's freshly-baked scones, and enjoyed them spread with butter and jam.
Why you'll love this dessert
This lovely dessert begins with from-scratch Irish Cream Scones—and don't worry because they're very easy to make. The scones are tender and have the soft, sweet flavor of Baileys Irish cream. They make a delicious base for fresh whipped cream spooned inside.
A rich, chocolate sauce gets a little tipsy—thanks to the addition of Irish whiskey. A few red raspberries add a cheery splash of color to the dessert.
Baileys scones are wonderful for breakfast, or with a hot cup of tea or coffee. (Irish coffee... even better!) But be sure to make a batch just for this dessert, too.
The cream-filled scone and chocolate sauce are a fun way to celebrate the St. Patrick's Day holiday, and any time of the year when a bottle of Baileys comes into the house.
🔪 How to make Baileys Irish Cream Scones with Whiskey-Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients:
- Irish Cream: Baileys is the easiest to find, but other brands are fine, too
- All-Purpose Flour: My go-to brand is King Arthur Flour
- Sugar: Granulated for the scones and confectioner's sugar for the whipped cream
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: These help the scones rise and have a light texture
- Instant Coffee Granules: Just a little for the flavor
- Cold Butter: Use a good-quality, unsalted butter
- Mini Chocolate Chips: That's right: these are chocolate chip scones
- Half-and-Half: Used to moisten the scones dough
- Heavy Cream: To make the whipped cream
- Egg: Use one large egg in the scones dough
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla like Nielson-Massey's
- Salt: Just a pinch
- Raspberries: Optional, but they give the dessert a little pop of color
Step 1: Blend the wet ingredients
Mix the egg, vanilla, cream, and Baileys together.
Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk together the flour, sugar, and other dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 3: Cut in the butter
Cut the cold butter into cubes and blend it into the flour mixture.
Step 4: Mix the wet and dry stuff
Mix the liquid into the dry mixture along with the chocolate chips to make a shaggy dough.
Step 5: Bring the dough together
Give the dough a few, quick squeezes on a floured surface until it just comes together. Chill the dough for a little bit, then shape it into a square.
Step 6: Bake the scones
Gently cut the square into 9 pieces. Brush the tops with cream and bake them until the scones are lightly browned.
Step 7: Make the whiskey-chocolate sauce
Warm half and half in a small saucepan, then add in the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir the Irish whiskey into this ganache.
Step 8: Whip the cream
Beat heavy cream and sugar in a chilled bowl on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Step 9: Assemble the dessert!
Split a scone in half and place it on a plate. Spoon whipped cream on the bottom half and cap it with the scone top. Drizzle the whiskey-chocolate sauce over the scone and add a raspberry or two. Sláinte!
FAQs
The individual parts of this dessert can be made in advance: Bake the scones and store them up to two days ahead of time. The whiskey-chocolate sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks, then warmed up to loosen it. Make the whipped cream one or two days in advance and store it in the fridge.
Assemble the dessert right before you want to serve it.
Place the cooled scones in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for 1-2 days. They go stale very quickly, so don't bake them too far ahead of time.
Even though it's made with milk and cream, Baileys does not need refrigeration, because the alcohol in the liqueur acts as a preservative. According to Baileys' website, opened or unopened bottles should be stored between 32°F-77°F and out of the sun. It will last for up to two years.
Tips:
- If the chocolate sauce begins to set and won't pour easily, microwave it for 10 seconds or so and stir to loosen it up.
The recipe for the Baileys Irish Cream Scones with Whiskey Chocolate Sauce is below. Here are a few more recipes to try!
💬 How do you like these Irish cream scones? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Baileys Irish Cream Scones with Whiskey-Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
For the scones:
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons half and half (plus extra to brush the tops)
- ⅔ cup Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
For the Whiskey-Chocolate sauce:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
- 3 tablespoons Irish whiskey, like Jameson's
For the whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- Fresh raspberries (optional)
Instructions
Make the scone dough:
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the bowl and whisk attachment from your mixer into the freezer to chill.
- Lightly beat the egg in a small bowl. Whisk in the vanilla, 3 tablespoons of half and half, and Baileys Irish cream. Hold this aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee.
- Slice the cold butter into small pieces and toss them in the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to blend the butter into the flour, until the mixture looks coarse and the butter pieces are pea-sized.
- Add the egg-Baileys mixture to the flour mixture along with the mini chocolate chips and stir everything together. The mixture will look rough and clumpy.
- Turn the dough mixture out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently squeeze and fold the dough, just until it comes together. It will still look a bit lumpy and rough, but that's OK—don't overwork it.
- Shape the dough into a 6x6-inch square with a level top, about 1½ inches thick. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Bake the scones:
- Unwrap the dough and place it on the lined baking sheet. Gently cut the square into 9 equal portions using a sharp knife—cut through gently so you don't compress the dough.
- Separate the dough squares. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the tops with the extra half and half.
- Bake the scones for about 18 minutes: they'll be puffed and browned. If they're browning too fast, lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top to shield them.
- Remove the scones to a cooling rack. Once cool, cover them with plastic wrap to keep them soft until you are ready to assemble the dessert.
Make the chocolate sauce:
- In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of the heavy cream over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream just begins to simmer.
- Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add in the chocolate. Stir until it is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the whiskey.
Make the whipped cream:
- Assemble the chilled bowl and whisk onto your mixer. Pour 1 cup of heavy cream and the confectioner's sugar into the bowl. Whisk the cream on high for about 2-4 minutes scraping the bowl once or twice, until the cream has stiff peaks.
Assemble the dessert:
- Split the scones in half, and place the bottom halves on a plate. Spoon some whipped cream over the scone bottoms. Add a couple of raspberries to each one.
- Place the top halves of the scones on the whipped cream, and drizzle the tops with whiskey-chocolate sauce. Add another raspberry or two to the tops and serve immediately.
- Leftover scones can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Leftover whipped cream can be stored covered in the fridge for 2 days. Leftover chocolate sauce can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Tips:
- If the chocolate sauce begins to set and won't pour easily, microwave it for 10 seconds or so and stir to loosen it up.
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