Jameson Irish Whiskey Cake
One of the best-known and most traditional of all Irish desserts is whiskey cake. Most are made at Christmas or are baked for weddings and christenings and are laden with candied fruits. This version is more like a spicy raisin cake and can be enjoyed on all occasions. The recipe for it first appeared in a recipe booklet produced by Jameson Irish whiskey many decades ago.
Serves 12
Jameson Irish Whiskey Cake
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Dash of ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted Irish butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup Jameson Irish whiskey
Jameson Irish Whiskey Icing
- 4 tablespoons unsalted Irish butter, at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup Jameson Irish whiskey
Walnut halves for garnish (optional)
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter two 8-inch cake pans, and line them with wax paper.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the raisins and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid begins to thicken. Drain, reserving ¾ cup of the liquid. Set aside to cool.
Beat butter until soft. Gradually beat in sugar, until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until blended.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Fold into the butter mixture, alternately with the reserved liquid. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and whiskey.
Place in the cake pans and bake for 30 – 35 minutes.
Beat icing ingredients until fluffy. Spread between layers and on the top and sides of the cooled cake. Garnish with walnut halves, if desired.
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce
Bread pudding, a classic dessert in any culture, profits here from the addition of sweetened flaked coconut, chopped pecans, and dark and white chocolate chips. You can substitute grated semisweet and white chocolate for the chips, if you like.
Serves 6 to 8
Bread Pudding
- 8 ounces (about 11 cups) day-old French bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup sweetened flaked coconut
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce
- ½ (1 stick) unsalted Irish butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
- ¼ cup Irish Whiskey
To make the pudding:
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish.
Place the bread in the prepared pan and sprinkle with the coconut, pecans, and all of the chocolate chips. Toss well for even distribution.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread and let it sit for 20 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid.
Put the dish into a large baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the pudding is set and the top is lightly browned. Remove the baking dish from the water and let the dish cool slightly.
To make the sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar, cream, and whiskey. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Serve the pudding warm with the sauce spooned over each portion.
Honey-Glazed Bacon with Apple-Whiskey Sauce
The distinctive flavor of Irish whiskey in sauces, for basting, and for marinating combines beautifully with a variety of meats, such as this loin of bacon which is boiled first, then baked with honey and mustard and served with an apple cream sauce. It’s a great party dish because it can be prepared ahead of time and served cold with the warm sauce.
Serves 4 to 6 as a main course; serve with Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes.
Honey-Glazed Bacon
- 1 loin of bacon, 3 to 4 pounds
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
Apple-Whiskey Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (preferably Irish butter)
- 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid
- 2 tablespoons Jameson Irish whiskey
- 3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Goes well with Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potatoes!
In a large pot of cold water, bring the bacon, celery, carrot, bay leaves and peppercorns to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, skimming the water occasionally to remove any foam that rises, for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the meat is fork-tender (approximately 30 minutes per pound).
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Transfer the bacon to a roasting pan, straining and reserving the liquid. Remove the rind and score the fat. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and honey. Spread it over the bacon. Add 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid to the roasting pan and bake, basting occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add more liquid to the pan if necessary during cooking. Transfer to a serving plate.
To make the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apple slices and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden. Add 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid, the Jameson whiskey, and cream, and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the tarragon, and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, slice the meat and serve with the sauce and potatoes.
Jameson Cream Cheesecake with Blackcurrant Coulis
Serves 16
- 25 grams of leaf (aka 8 sheets) gelatin; 4 leaves equal ¼ ounce packet of U.S. gelatin
- ½ cup superfine sugar
- 1 ½ cups of cream cheese
- 2 ¼ cups of cream
- 2/3 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey
- 8 ¾ ounces of digestive biscuits (crushed)
- 12 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of blackcurrant coulis
Makes 1 cup
- 2 cups of blackcurrants, stemmed
- 4 – 6 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup water
For the Jameson Cream Cheesecake
Melt the butter, then add in the crushed digestive biscuits. Line a greased cheesecake tin with the biscuit mixture and put it into the refrigerator until set. Whip the cream. In a pot, dissolve the gelatin with Jameson Irish Whiskey and some water, and leave to cool.
Gently whip the cream cheese and icing sugar together, add in the gelatin and the whiskey mixture, and fold in the whipped cream. Put the whiskey cream cheesecake mixture on top of the biscuit base and place in the refrigerator to set overnight.
For the blackcurrant coulis:
Heat up the blackcurrants and water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until berries begin to break apart, about 10 minutes.
Strain the fruit through a fine sieve into a bowl, firmly pressing on the solids with the back of the spoon. Add 4 – 6 tablespoons of sugar to the coulis while still hot, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Transfer coulis to a glass or ceramic jar and set aside to cool (it will thicken as it cools). Coulis will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
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