Birthdays, boozy brownies and old friends

I have the privilege to live near and still be friends with a girl who is probably my oldest friend.  We were neighbors growing up and her family moved very far away in highschool.  In our early twenties, we both moved to the same big city, which is where we're both still living.

Circa 1986?

My oh my, how time changes some things!  I get the feeling from looking at this picture that I should thank my friend more often for hanging out with me back then.  She was so cute and I was so... pink...

Ahem, anyway, she had her 31st birthday last weekend and to celebrate we all met at the local watering hole.  I had some homemade Irish Cream left over from ice fishing, and after some internet searching decided to use it to make some boozy brownies (boozy, birthday brownies, that is).

Boozy, birthday brownies are better in boxes!

Irish Cream Brownies

• 2 packages of brownie mix
• 1 cup Irish Cream
• 2/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs

Icing:

• 1 stick butter or margerine
• 5 tablespoons Irish Cream
• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Directions:

1.Preheat the over to 350 degrees and grease a 11x15x2 inch pan.

2.Put the brownie mix in a large bowel and beat or whisk in the irish cream, oil and eggs until it forms a (relatively) smooth batter.

3. Pour into the pan and spread it around evenly.  Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean and the edges of the brownies should start to pull away from the side of the pan.  Cool brownies completely before icing.

To make the icing:

1. Beat butter with an electric mix for a minute or so.  Alternate adding the irish cream and powdered sugar a bit at a time.  Don't forget about the cocoa!  After all the ingredients are incorporated, beat for a few additional minutes to get a light, fluffy icing.

To complete your boozy brownies:

1. Ice the brownies. Sprinkle with colored sprinkles if so desired.  Put in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to set.

Tips:

-These don't taste very boozy, it's just fun to say 'boozy brownies'

-I had a hell of a time cutting them into nice squares, which is why I recommend refrigerating them after icing them.  I think that should firm them up enough to make cutting them easier.  Anyway, they tasted really good so the cutting part isn't that important...

Cheers to old friends!