Substitute for Baileys in Recipe

[liuzhou]

I'm posting this here rather than in the drinks section because it isn't really about a drink as a drink but as an ingredient.

At some time over the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival which starts with Chinese New Year on Jan 28 and lasts until the Lantern Festival, 15 days later, I will be cooking for my dearest best friend J, whom I love to pieces, and her new boyfriend. I've met him a couple of times and they even invited me to share a Christmas Eve dinner with his family (as documented here).

I haven't entirely decided yet what to cook, although I know her favourites. She isn't getting those though. Instead I vaguely plan some surprises. I love that she is an adventurous eater so  I have to put on my best thinking hat. If and when I pull it off, no doubt I'll post somewhere here. If I fail, you will never hear from me again.

However, I am willing to make J one concession. A couple of years ago I served her vanilla ice cream simply topped with a generous slug of Baileys. OK. Two slugs.

For a Chinese girl from the countryside this was thunderously exotic and she enjoyed it so much it brought tears to my eyes. The look on her face was magical.

I haven't served it to her since, but want to in the holiday.

Problem is that J's boyfriend won't drink even a drop and drive, even though her home is only about three minutes away from mine. I don't mean that is a problem - quite the opposite and I respect him for it a lot. I've already lost one love to a drunk driver.

But it is a dessert provision problem.

Any non-alcoholic substitutes anyone can recommend? I thought of creamy cold coffee but it doesn't work the same to my mind. Or just serve him something completely different?

Thanks

[blue_dolphin]

Over the holidays, I made the homemade Irish cream recipe from Smitten Kitchen and found it quite nice.  I would think you could do something similar, substituting coffee and chocolate, maybe some caramel for the whiskey.

Not sure that helps you as sweetened condensed milk is key for the texture and may not be easy for you to find.

[Darienne]

My first response may be already covered and I just haven't quite understood what you are asking:  Baileys for her and a non-alcoholic sauce for him. 

 

What about making David Lebovitz's Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream?  No alcohol here but it is very tasty and we have friends who order it each time they come.  It might taste very good with Bailey's on it.  And perhaps a chocolate sauce...or even Magic Chocolate sauce for him?  ....if he has a 'fun' side...

[Anna N]

Affogato -- One of my all-time favourite desserts. The link  is to one that is gussied up just a bit.

[liuzhou]

8 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

Over the holidays, I made the homemade Irish cream recipe from Smitten Kitchen and found it quite nice.  I would think you could do something similar, substituting coffee and chocolate, maybe some caramel for the whiskey.

Not sure that helps you as sweetened condensed milk is key for the texture and may not be easy for you to find.

That is a possibility, thanks. Condensed milk is no problem to find.
 

 

8 hours ago, Darienne said:

 I just haven't quite understood what you are asking:  Baileys for her and a non-alcoholic sauce for him.

 

Yes.

[quiet1]

If it is the alcohol that is the problem could you do a homemade Irish cream but heat the whiskey first to evaporate most of the alcohol?

[liuzhou]

2 hours ago, quiet1 said:

heat the whiskey first to evaporate most of the alcohol

Sacrilege! That's fighting talk round here!

Not a bad idea, though. Thanks.

 

16 hours ago, Anna N said:

Affogato -- One of my all-time favourite desserts. The link  is to one that is gussied up just a bit.

 

I always think of affogato as more of a drink than a dessert, but maybe.

[Duvel]

Vanilla ice cream with pumpkinseed oil is very tasty and looks spectacular. Not quite Baileys, but hey ...

 

Come to think of it, toasted sesame oil would have the same direction. But then again sesame ice cream is probably not as "exotic" for him ...

[Duvel]

if you can make a decent espresso (or something "short" along the lines), that combined with a scoop of "nutty" ice cream does work very well too. It's like a half-molten ice coffee ...

Häagen Dasz Macadamia Nut Brittle and a double shot of espresso is my to gi dessert if I don't have any ingredients in the house and need to impress on short notice. Needles to say that a glugg of Whiskey does complement the taste (for J and you) ...

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, Duvel said:

if you can make a decent espresso (or something "short" along the lines), that combined with a scoop of "nutty" ice cream does work very well too. It's like a half-molten ice coffee ...

 

Isn't that just affogato with nuts?

 

[Duvel]

Not having heard heard of "affogato" and being too lazy to google it, how should I know ...

 

If so, plus one on that from my side !

[Darienne]

As for a straight out 'substitute' for Baileys and one which we much prefer, we buy Panama Jack, a cream liqueur made from fortified wines,  We live in Canada and our liquor is heavily...HEAVILY...taxed.  Thus, because the Panama Jack is made from wine and not liquor per se, it is taxed far less and costs far less.  Look for it in the wine section though...not in the liqueurs. 

Plus it has a tiny kick to it, unlike the Baileys which we find a tad too sweet.

 

I could add...and this is going back a few years...Baileys USA and Baileys Canada are made from somewhat different formulas, with the American version being sweeter than the Canadian.  This information from an LCBO person.