This recipe was inspired by an eggless Bavarian concept I found in my well-worn copy of Joy of Cooking. It’s good any time of year, but of course, St. Patrick’s Day is an excellent excuse to buy some Baileys and drink the rest in celebration. To create the chocolate cookie crumbs, it will take about 30 Oreos with the middles scraped out. I find there is less waste if you use Oreo Thins, FYI.

Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Crust

• 1 ½ cups (150 grams) chocolate cookie crumbs
• 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Irish Cream Coffee Filling

• 3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur, such as Baileys
• 1 envelope (2¼ teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
• 1½ cups (360 grams) milk
• 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 grams) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Irish Cream Whipped Cream

• 1 cup (240 grams) heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
• Chocolate shavings, for decoration (optional)

Instructions

Make the Crust

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and butter, making sure to coat as much of the crumbs as possible. Press evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely.

Make the Filling

3. In a small bowl, add the Irish cream and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Allow to bloom for about 5 minutes.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, coffee granules and salt and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer to make sure the sugar dissolves and then add the bloomed gelatin. Stir to melt the gelatin completely and then remove from the heat.

5. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean mixing bowl. Either refrigerate, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens or speed up the process by stirring over an ice bath. The mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but not fully set.

6. In a separate bowl while the mixture is cooling, whip the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the coffee mixture in thirds until smooth and combined. Pour into the prepared pie crust and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

Make the Whipped Cream

7. In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and Irish cream until firm peaks. Pipe or layer the mixture onto the pie. Decorate with chocolate shavings, if desired. Serve immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.