Last evening Mr. C wanted a warm drink before dinner. Having enjoyed B-52 coffee drinks in the past, but not having had one in months, he decided that sipping one of these delicious concoctions was long overdue. So off he went to the espresso machine.

As soon as the words B-52 were out of his mouth, (and yes I know the letter B is not a word, and 5 and 2 are numbers) I realized that I had yet to post our B-52 recipes on this site.

So after he made his drink, I took the above picture. As you can see from the ingredients displayed, Mr. C made his drink last evening with canned whipped cream. Not the best option, but I didn’t happen to have any heavy cream in the refrigerator. (Believe it or not, heavy cream is not a staple in our home.) But even using canned cream, his drink was absolutely wonderful. I know, because he was good enough to let me have a sip. It was sweet, but not too sweet. Best described as perfect!

So next time you want a fabulous hot coffee drink, or an absolutely delicious after dinner digestif, give these recipes a try. But be warned, they contain a lot of alcohol. So a word to the wise.

B-52 WITH HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM (The best!)

• ½ c. heavy whipping cream
• 1½ tsp. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. Cointreau
• 1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1 oz. Kahlúa or other coffee flavored liqueur
• 1 oz. Cointreau or other orange flavor liqueur
• 6 oz. fresh coffee (An Americano is best!)
• chocolate sprinkles or shavings, opt.

Whip cream to stiff peaks. When stiff, add powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon Cointreau. Set aside.

Pour the Irish cream, Kahlúa, and Cointreau into a coffee mug. (Glass if you have one.) Top with fresh coffee, and garnish with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Note: you will have extra whipped cream, unless of course you like a little coffee and liqueur with your whipped cream. Most people will refrigerate the rest of the whipped cream and dollop some on their coffee the next morning. Fabulous!

B-52 WITH CANNED WHIPPED CREAM (Actually, pretty darned acceptable!)  

• 1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1 oz. Kahlúa or other coffee flavored liqueur
• 1 oz. Cointreau or other orange flavor liqueur
• 6 oz. fresh coffee (An Americano is best!)
• whipped cream
• chocolate sprinkles, garnish, opt.

Pour the Irish cream, Kahlúa, and the additional 1 ounce of Cointreau into a coffee mug. (Glass if you have one.) Top with fresh coffee, and garnish with canned whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

B-52 COCKTAIL SHOT (Oh, baby!)

• 1/3 of a shot glass Kahlúa or other coffee flavored liqueur
• 1/3 of a shot glass Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/3 of a shot glass Cointreau or other orange flavor liqueur

Ok, this drink is all about layering as opposed to mixing. Preparing this drink is a matter of delicacy. So treat the construction of a perfect B52 shot like your grandma’s favorite vase! Recipe secret lies in the density of the liquids. Grab a chilled shot glass or glass of choice.  Start with Kahlúa, then layer with Irish Cream, and finish with Cointreau.

Tip: Pour the booze on the back of a spoon for perfect layering.