55. Black and Tan Dessert Tacos with Bailey's-Spiked Whipped Cream

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I have a soft spot in my heart for St. Patrick's Day!  Why?  I'm not sure, though there are a few possible reasons.  My ancestors were mostly Irish (I think), I grew up Catholic, and I like beer.  It's the perfect day!

I know I just posted a crazy Irish taco recipe yesterday (Bangers and Mash Tacos), but I thought I might squeeze in one more!  :)

I've always appreciated a good Black and Tan.  Black and Tan is usually made with Guinness and Bass, though I've read that you can use any heavy dark beer and light beer, as long as you pour it to get the layered effect.  See - check out my technique:

Nice, right?  :)

Well, I couldn't find any Bass.  Since it's almost St. Patrick's Day, Guinness is EVERYWHERE!  I checked three different stores for Bass, and I finally found Harp at Whole Foods.  That works.  A Guiness/Harp mix is usually called a Half and Half, but . . . whatever.  Black and Tan just sounds better!  You can certainly use any beers of your choice!

This recipe was fun to put together.  I used an old vanilla pudding recipe (two times, for two fillings), but I changed up the proportions and ingredients to both incorporate the beers and make the mixtures thicker.

There's not much to say about these.  They're ridiculously decadent!

Here's the recipe:

Black and Tan Dessert Tacos with Bailey's-Spiked Whipped Cream

Makes about 8 tacos, serving 4 to 8

Ingredients:

For the Guinness chocolate cream filling:

3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Guinness
Two 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the Harp butterscotch cream filling:

2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Harp

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

For the Bailey's-spiked whipped cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 to 2 tbsp. Bailey's Irish cream

For the taco shells:

8 small flour tortillas
Canola oil for frying

Green decorative sugar

Instructions:

1.  Make the Guinness chocolate cream filling:  Place the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir with a whisk to combine.   Add the Guinness, milk, and chocolate.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently at the beginning and constantly as it approaches a boil.

 Cook for two minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Place the beaten egg in a small dish.  Using a measuring cup, transfer a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of the hot mixture to the dish, whisking constantly to blend with the egg.  When the mixture is well combined, add it to the saucepan, mix well, and return to the heat.  Return to a boil (it shouldn't take long) and cook for another two minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla.  Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool slightly.

2.  Make the Harp butterscotch cream filling: Place the brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan and stir with a whisk to combine.   Add the Harp and milk.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently at the beginning and constantly as it approaches a boil.  Cook for two minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Place the beaten egg in a small dish.  Using a measuring cup, transfer a small amount (about 1/2 cup) of the hot mixture to the dish, whisking constantly to blend with the egg.  When the mixture is well combined, add it to the saucepan, mix well, and return to the heat.  Return to a boil and cook for another two minutes.  Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla.  Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool slightly.

When both fillings have cooled a bit, cover them, pressing a sheet of plastic wrap into the top of each.  Chill for several hours.

3.  Make the shells:  Heat several inches of canola oil (enough to submerge the tortillas) in a large saucepan over medium high heat until the temperature reaches 375 degrees.  (I like to use a laser thermometer to check the temperature.)  Using a taco shaper/press, lower the flour tortillas, one at a time, into the oil.

If you don't have one, you might consider trying this one:

I got mine as a gift, but I'm pretty sure this is the same one.  I've been really happy with it so far!

Cook each tortilla until it is golden brown, about 30 to 90 seconds.  Immediately transfer to a large tray or baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle with the green sugar.  Repeat this process with all twelve shells.  As they start to cool, transfer them to a plate.  Cool completely.

As you can see, the green sugar doesn't stick very well.  It's OK.  You can just sprinkle a little extra on top of the whipped cream.  The filling is pretty sweet, so NBD.

4.  Make the whipped cream:  Place the cream in a medium bowl and add Bailey's to taste.  Whip with a whisk or electric hand mixer until soft peaks form.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the tacos.

5.  Assemble the tacos:  For each taco, place a shell on a plate.  Spoon on some of the Harp cream filling.  Add some of Guinness cream filling.  Top with a spoonful of the whipped cream.  Finish with a sprinkle or two of the green sugar.  Enjoy!

Wow.  These were delicious!  They were sweet, rich, and full of Black and Tan flavor!  I could only eat one!  Steve had a second one, but I couldn't do it.  I had a few more bites of the pudding mixtures (because they were so awesome), but I couldn't manage another taco.  Ha ha.

I made sweet taco shells in this same way for my Horchata Tacos, but the tortillas were a different brand.  This time, they puffed up quite a bit.  It worked out all right, though - the texture was almost like a cream pie crust!

If I had it to do over again, I'd probably tint some sugar (or superfine sugar) with green food coloring myself and toss the shells in them right after they came out of the oil.  The decorative sugar that I bought was too coarse.  It wouldn't stick to the hot shells very well, though it looked nice sprinkled on top!  That's what I get for being lazy, I guess . . . :)

Well, these are a little messy, but they're kind of fun!  If you have a way to shape the taco shells, I would recommend them.  There are a few steps to complete, but they can all be done ahead of time.  Once the components are made, assembly is pretty quick!  This would be a fun dessert for guests!

Well, what do you think?  What are your favorite St. Patrick's Day foods?  Please feel free to comment below!

Thanks for reading! :)