In this Bailey’s Irish Parfait recipe, I used leftover bread from my Lyons-Dooley Irish Soda Bread recipe. This recipe was gifted to me by a friend and I thought it tasted more like cake which was the inspiration for this dessert. You could also use leftover Traditional Irish Barmbrack Bread too. I was looking for a fun dessert for my St. Paddy’s Day Dinner and this was the result. I loved mixing the Bailey’s into the mascarpone. It made that filling lighter with just the right amount of Baileys. Some crunchy pistachios and a dusting of coco powder brought it all together.
A shout out to Chrissy and Keith for sharing their Lyon’s-Dooley Irish Soda Bread recipe (I don’t care what they say, this is cake!!! LOL) I have now eaten it as a snack, for breakfast and with this recipe, as dessert. So good!
If you are inspired by this Irish dish, be sure to check out my St. Paddy’s Day’s menu. I’ve got lot’s of Irish starters, main dishes, breads and desserts for you to try.
How to Make Bailey’s Irish Parfait
Let’s get started on this simple recipe. It is simple AFTER you make the Irish soda bread but in a pinch, feel free to buy a store bought loaf. Then, this dessert comes together in minutes.
Heat your broiler to high. Cut your two-day old loaf of Irish soda bread (better with raisins) into one-inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Note: I like the bread to be a couple of days old but you certainly can use fresh bread and it will get toasted in this step so you are fine. Pop that under the broiler for about two minutes, flipping the bread over once or twice to get golden brown. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the mascarpone cream by mixing the mascarpone cheese, two tablespoons of heavy cream, two tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar and the Baileys in a clean bowl. Use a hand mixer and mix until it is light and fluffy. Note, you could use cream cheese instead of the mascarpone but I find it is a little thicker so you may want to add a little more heavy cream. You want a thick, creamy cheese mixture to layer with the toasted bread cubes.
The mixture should be thick enough to “dollop” onto the bread cubes. Taste and if needed adjust the flavor by adding more sugar or Bailey’s Irish cream to your liking.
In two tall, pretty glasses, lay half the bread cubes in the bottom of the glasses. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of the marscapone mix. Top with the remaining bread cubes and top that with another couple of tablespoons of the mascarpone filling.
Sprinkle the nuts on top and sift the cocoa powder over the top. Serve with a tall soda fountain spoon and enjoy. If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below.
If you like this Irish dessert, and I know you will, be sure to try some of my other favorite Irish treats.
Bailey’s Irish Parfait
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
*Note: The cook time above does not include making the bread.
- 2 Slices of Lyons-Dooley Irish Soda Bread, 3/4 inch thick and cut into cubes
- 1/2 Cup Mascarpone cheese
- 2 Tbsp. Heavy cream or Milk
- 1/4 Cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 2 Tbsp. Confectioners sugar, divided
- Hershey’s Cocoa powder, to garnish
- 2 Tbsp. Shelled pistachios, to garnish
Instructions
- Make the Lyons-Dooley Irish Soda Bread a day or two in advance.
- Cut two slices of the bread and cut into cubes. Place on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool.
- Make the mascarpone cream by mixing the mascarpone cheese, two tablespoons of heavy cream, two tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar and the Baileys in a clean bowl. Use a hand mixer until it is light and fluffy.
- In two tall, pretty glasses, lay half the bread cubes in the bottom of the glasses. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of the marscapone mix. Top with the remaining bread cubes and top that with another couple of tablespoons of the mascarpone filling.
- Sprinkle the nuts on top and sift the cocoa powder over the top. Serve with a tall soda fountain spoon and enjoy.
