Irish Cookies and Cream Parfaits

📷 by Nerds with Knives

Silky smooth Irish cream custard, with notes of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, and good Irish whisky, layered with freshly whipped cream and crumbled Oreos. You won't want to wait for St Patrick's Day to make this treat!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Custard:

• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/3 cups milk or half and half
• 1/3 cup The Lone Hawthorn Craft Beer Batch Irish Whiskey plus 2 tablespoons divided
• 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the Parfaits:

• 1 cup heavy cream very cold
• 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
• 12 Oreo cookies crushed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the cornstarch, salt, half and half and 1/3 cup whisky in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir everything together until the cornstarch dissolves, about 1 minute. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup and egg yolks.
2. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard turns thick and creamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter, vanilla, espresso powder, nutmeg and the remaining 2 tablespoons whisky. The custard will become smooth and glossy. Transfer it to a bowl through a fine sieve to remove any lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming, let it come to room temperature and then chill it for several hours.
3. Once the custard is fully chilled, add the cream to the chilled* bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Beat on low speed until cream turns foamy, then add the confectioners’ sugar and whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 2 to 5 minutes.
4. To assemble the Parfaits, stir the chilled custard to loosen it, then spoon or pipe a layer of custard about a third of the way up a clear jar or pretty wine or cocktail glass. Add a layer of crushed cookies and a layer of cream. Repeat with another layer of custard, cookies, and cream, finishing with a few crumbled cookies. Serve the parfaits immediately, or refrigerate for up to an hour (cookies will begin to soften after about an hour).