Homemade Baileys Buttercream Frosting Is the Ultimate Boozy Baking Hack for the Holidays

When it comes to frosting, I have thoughts. For instance, the only kind of frosting worth anyone’s time is buttercream frosting (whipped frosting is an abomination and I stand by that statement). But during the holidays, why simply stop at buttercream frosting? ‘Tis the season of excess and I for one believe that frosting — it is holiday cookie season, after all — deserves to get in on the action. Enter my homemade Baileys buttercream frosting.

Before we move on to the reason you’re really here, I will tell you that this frosting recipe is a mainstay in my holiday cooking rotation. I religiously use it atop my homemade gingerbread cookies (and if you’re curious, I follow this Williams-Sonoma recipe and almost double the cinnamon, ginger and cloves that it calls for to really give it that gingerbread punch).

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Baileys Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• Baileys Irish Cream

Directions:

1. Beat the butter until it is fluffy and pale yellow in color. A lot of recipes will call for unsalted butter, but I love the flavor play using salted butter in my buttercream.
2. Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar until thoroughly combined.
3. Slowly add in the Baileys until you have your desired, velvety frosting texture. I always eyeball this step, so I couldn’t tell you how much I actually use. But if I had to put a number on it, I probably dribble in 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup when all is said and done.

And this, dear reader, is what 90-something gingerbread cookies look like with this delicious, boozy frosting. The best part? Since the frosting isn’t cooked or baked in any way, the alcohol in the Baileys doesn’t get cooked out of the recipe. Enjoy responsibly, as they say.

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