The grown-up version of chocolate pie -- just in time for St. Patrick's Day

Over the years I've made my fair share of St. Patrick's Day fare. I don't shy away from a dinner of traditional slow-cooked corned beef and cabbage with big hunks of potato, skins just barely clinging on. I've tried my hand at Irish soda bread, a simple, highly adaptable loaf leavened with baking soda rather than yeast. Then there's colcannon — a heap of creamy mashed potatoes typically with leafy green kale folded in. And for the kiddos, I've sent them to school in the color green along with packing big sugar cookies with green frosting and green sparkle sprinkles in their lunches to make extra sure they don't get pinched.

This year, I decided it's about time I made a St. Patrick's Day dessert featuring Irish cream. This boozy, decadent pie is made more with the adults in mind. It all begins with a chocolate graham cracker crust. Then comes the ridiculously good no-bake filling of whipped cream, melted dark chocolate, cream cheese and Irish cream liqueur. Finally, I top it with lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings. To make chocolate shavings at home, I just use my vegetable peeler on the edge of a dark chocolate bar and shave it right over the pie. While there may or may not be a pot of gold in our near futures, this chocolate Irish cream pie will quite possibly give us all a little good luck.

Chocolate Irish cream pie

Makes 1 9-inch pie

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

For the filling:

3 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate

1 cup heavy whipping cream

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup Irish cream

3/4 cup powdered sugar

For topping:

lightly sweetened whipped cream

dark chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To a mixing bowl, add the graham crackers, melted butter, sugar and salt. Stir together until well combined. Firmly press the graham-cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure to cover the bottom and sides evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 9 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler (a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering water) until smooth. Remove the chocolate from the heat while you complete the next steps.

Add the cold whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the cream holds a stiff peak. Add the softened cream cheese to the whipped cream and beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth. With the mixer still going, gradually pour in the melted chocolate followed by the Irish cream. Finally, beat in the powdered sugar until everything is combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.

Spread the filling evenly into the cooled chocolate crust. Refrigerate to set, at least two hours. Before serving, top the pie with lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Maya Wilson lives in Kenai and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.

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