Irish cream fudge is the perfect sweet treat for St. Patrick's Day. Or heck, any day that you want some creamy homemade fudge!
It was about a year ago when I noticed I was no longer flipping through cookbooks just waiting for the next delicious thing to pop out at me. No, I was reading them. Front to back. Absorbing the words as though it were the hottest Nicholas Sparks novel to date.
This is what makes Happy Baker: A Girls Guide to Emotional Baking grab your attention. Not the pages filled with gorgeous goodies, but the stories that get you from recipe to recipe. Erin writes about her experiences from being young and in high school to dating and falling in (and out) of love a little later in life.
Technical Level: This book is built for anyone with a sense of humor or who has dealt with heartbreak. The recipes are simple and easy to execute with short ingredient lists that are probably going to be in your pantry. I have made several of the recipes and was smitten when I cracked open the spine to see short lists and easy to follow, no-fail instructions.
Graphic Design: The graphic design was the first thing that caught my attention about Happy Baker. I love the font style and the quality of the photographs within. The recipes are formatted so the ingredients are listed on one side of the page, with extra spaces in between steps. The instructions are clearly written on the other side of the page with the formatting matching the ingredient list.
Recipe Quality: The recipes in Happy Baker are designed to be quick ad easy for those in emotional duress or to impress someone new and they are right on the mark. Of the several recipes I have tried they have all been flavorful. I am not a sweets person, but I've really enjoyed the treats I've made from Happy Baker.
Personality: Could a book have more personality? Erin witty and amusing tales about broken hearts and friendships create a great mood for the whole book. Happy Baker is just like having a good friend when you've had a bad night with stories you can relate to and great pick-me-ups. It is a book I would default to if I ever needed to cheer a friend up and it would be a great gift (along with a good bottle of wine) to a single friend or any woman for that matter.
Why I'd Buy: Happy Baker was given to me for Christmas, but I would totally buy this book for myself (and will probably be buying it for some friends in the near future). It's such a fun read and with a price point of $17.95 it's worth every penny. The pictures are inspirational and the stories either make you laugh or smile. Not only is this a great book but it makes a great gift.
Irish Cream Fudge
From The Happy Baker: A Girl's Guide to Emotional Baking
Ingredients:
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 cups confections' sugar
- 1 cup Irish cream liqueur
- 1 ½ cups flaked filberts (hazelnuts), roasted at 325F (160C) for 5-7 minutes
Preparation:
Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Remove from heat, stir in confectioners' sugar and Irish cream until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in nuts. Put mixture in a greased 8-inch-square pan, spread evenly.
Refrigerate until firm. Cut into small pieces.
WARNING: Please do not eat and drive! This Irish cream fudge has a serious boozy punch.
Now go put some green on and make a batch of Irish cream fudge. 🙂
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
Awesome recipe and awesome book. I too was given it for Christmas and I loved it! ♥- Katrina
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
This fudge looks delicious!
kitchenarian says
I too read cookbooks like novels. I can't wait to read this book; thanks for the book review. Maybe I will whip up some of your fudge to munch on while reading! Thanks for the recipe.
Mary at n00bcakes says
Stellar review of the cookbook; I may end up buying a copy for myself and for some girlfriends! ^_^ And I agree with you on the cookbook commentary as well - I've found myself really *reading* the books now, not just skimming for good recipes. Great looking fudge; happy St. Patty's Day!
Vicki @ Wilde in the Kitchen says
I'll have to check this cookbook out next time I hit the bookstore, sounds fun! ALso this fudge, amazing. A full cup of irish cream? Wow.
Steph@stephsbitebybite says
Ok you little leprechaun, you get your buns over to ABQ and share this right now!! It's not fair that I can't be eating one of these right now!! 🙂 🙂 Please 🙂
Littlesarah says
ha! i'm glad that i'm not the only one that reads a cookbook like a novel 😉 love it!!
Angela@RecipesFromMyMom says
Although I love chocolate, I've never been a fudge fan. Maybe I just haven't been adding Irish cream! Love the book review. I stumbled for ya - https://su.pr/2uyGmm
Firefly says
Yummy fudge 🙂 I need it so much right now LOL
Lindsey at Burn Me Not says
This fudge looks yummy! I bet the Irish Cream flavor is exceptional with the hazelnuts!
Susie Bee on Maui (Eat Little, Eat Big) says
Great review. I'd be in trouble if I had that book around!
Tipsy fudge-love it.
Stephanie says
This recipe sounds awesome and would be a great way to use up the rest of my homemade Irish cream!
Liz says
Kita, what fabulous fudge! The addition of Irish cream must give an incredible flavor...and the book sounds like my kind of reading 🙂
BigFatBaker says
Great review. The fudge looks delicious as well!
I have passed on an award to you! Feel free to check it out, pass it on, or ignore if you have already received one.
Claudia says
Sweet review (no pun intended) - love recipes with stories. All recipes have them - so showcase the tales! And then wrap it all up with fudge and I am happy. If I have the fudge in your photos.
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
I'm not really a sweets person either, but we all have our moments of duress where a little treat and an entertaining story can lift our spirits. Great review and really sweet St. Patrick's Day treat!
briarrose says
Wonderful fudge flavor.
Kimba's Kitchen says
Fudge. Looks. Incredible!
I cannot stop drooling, I love a good sticky and rich fudge.
Alicia says
Yum! Absolutely love fudge. Wonderful photos!
Julie says
I just made this last night and I omitted the hazelnuts because I didn't have any and was too lazy to go buy some. Oh......mygod. It. Was. Incredible. My husband's face lit up in awe when he tasted it. Oh and it was also really easy too.
Barbara says
how many little blocks does this make...? like, how big of a square/rectange or how many servings would a block be? I just need to know because I'm making this for my class, and I want to make sure everyone cn have seconds.
Kita says
I'll be honest, I don't remember exactly how many pieces it made. But since it's fudge I always portion very small (maybe 1/2-1"), because it's so dense and rich.