The other day, while enjoying my morning coffee, I was contemplating what treats to whip up for St. Patrick's Day. I just so happened to be staring at our liquor cabinet while doing said contemplating (which may have something to do with why my Grandma told me to stay sober on my birthday trip to Paris, but that's another story for another day). The bottle of Bailey's, and the whiskey next to it, caught my eye and got me thinking, Bailey's + coffee makes for a pretty bomb way to start your day. Those Irish, though, they're pretty smart. They know whiskey + coffee + cream is an even better way to start your day. But I, well, I think I may have outsmarted the Irish. I mean, not to toot my own for or anything, but ummm, toot toot, because, are you ready for this?!? Whiskey + coffee + fudgey chocolatey donut holes all covered in an Irish cream glaze. Boom! *drops mic*.

You guys.....these are EVVVVVERRRRRRYYYYYTHHHIIIINNGGGG! Like if you were to look for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and you find a pot of these donut holes instead I think you might actually be happier. (Donut) holes over gold, duh!

And don't worry, just because St. Patrick's Day is on a work day this year, and just because your boss won't let you off work to do important things, like uh, drink, doesn't mean you can't still join in the celebrating. I mean, are donuts not the perfect vehicle for sneaking in a little whiskey and Irish cream? They look so delicious and innocent, no one would ever suspect them as being a hidden vessel for some good ol' Irish booze.

Another thing no one would expect from a baked donut is that these little fudgey bites of boozey delight are actually super moist. I usually cringe when someone says a donut is baked as I know I'm going to be eating something that resembles more petrified wood and less decadent treat, but I guarantee these are pretty much the farthest thing from a dry hunk of cardboard that you can get. Just promise me you won't over mix them and you won't over bake them, because if you do, well, you're on your own dealing with the chewy, dried-up results. If you don't, well, I can guarantee you won't be on your own eating them....

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BAKED IRISH COFFEE CHOCOLATE DONUT HOLES WITH IRISH CREAM GLAZE

yields 24

INGREDIENTS

DONUTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cups cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
3 tablespoons instant coffee
1/4 milk at room temperature
3 tablespoons whiskey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt or sour cream)
1 egg, at room temperature

GLAZE

2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Irish cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a donut hole pan or mini muffin pan (you can also use a mini donut pan) and set it aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the instant coffee and milk just until the coffee dissolves. Add in the whiskey, vanilla, yogurt, egg, cooled melted butter and the cooled melted chocolate and continue whisking until everything is well combined.
Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and, with swift and even strokes, use a spatula to combine the two just until they're incorporated. Whatever you do, do not over mix!
Next, spoon a heaping tablespoon of the batter into each muffin tin. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one donut comes out clean. Do not over bake them! Remove from the oven and allow the donut holes to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan to a baking rack and continue cooling.
Meanwhile, make the glaze by sifting the powdered sugar into a large bowl. Then, stir in the Irish cream. While you may be tempted to skip the sifting step, I assure you that you do not want to. Sifting is what will ensure a smooth and lump-free coating.
To glaze the donuts, simply dunk each one into the bowl of of frosting, hold it above the bowl for a few seconds to allow it to drip dry, then place it back on the cooling rack. Repeat this step until all of the donut holes are covered.
Allow the donuts to finish cooling and the glaze to harden, then store them in a single layer (you can place parchment paper or wax paper in between layers) in an airtight container. These are best eaten within 2 days.