No Irish were harmed in the making of these brownies. So I took the 23andMe ancestry test, and it turns out I've got a little bit of the 'ol Erin Go Bragh running through my veins. I spent my entire life thinking I was purely English with a dash of non-consensual Viking, but according to biology, I'm just a touch more non-Anglo-Saxon than I thought.

With my newfound heritage, I feel like it's worth taking a moment to get in touch with my Irish roots this St. Patrick's Day by combining three things I love: coffee, booze, and chocolate.

Irish Coffee Brownies With Bailey's Frosting Recipe:

Ingredients:

• For the Brownies:
  • 8 cups strong black coffee
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• For the Frosting:
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup softened unsalted butter 
  • 2 T Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur (I start with 2 to be conservative then add in more to taste)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 baking pan. After filling a pot with the 8 cups of coffee, bring to a simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring constantly. Since you're not going anywhere for a while, I suggest putting on Netflix's Derry Girls or, if you're feeling really punchy, The Pogues. Once the coffee has been reduced, set aside and let it come to room temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together, and set aside. Next, stir sugar and melted butter together until smooth, beat in eggs, and then add in vanilla extract. Add coffee and cocoa powder to the sugar mixture and mix until smooth. Stir in flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until batter is smooth.
3. Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Brownies are done once a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
4. For the buttercream frosting, or as I like to call it, "Fast Track to Diabeetus City," it's quite simple. Mix the softened butter with the Bailey's and add in the sugar, beating on low to begin and to medium-high as the ingredients blend. Taste-test the mixture and add in Bailey's as you feel so inclined.
5. Once the brownies are nice and cool, you can spackle the icing to your heart's content.
6. Keep refrigerated until served. I recommend sharing since these are very rich and loaded with sugar.
7. Enjoy!