Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes - total time 1.5 hours

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve!  I know parties started yesterday, maybe even Friday, and everyone is drinking their green beer (well, the true Irish are drinking Guinness... or observing it as a holy day and not drinking).  Whether you really are Irish, or just a wee bit Irish this time of year, here is a cupcake everyone will enjoy!

Originally inspired from Brown Eyed Baker and then slightly tweaked since 2012, people start talking about these cupcakes in January!  Of course, these sweet little cakes are inspired by the drink with Guinness, Baileys, and Jameson (although any whiskey will do), which brings me back to my first St. Patrick's Day of legal drinking age.  Losing my ID on our way to Court Street, buying some Guinness at the BP, and heading back to our apartment to chug car bombs using full 15 ounce cans.  Those were the days...  ;)

Side note: I keep typing carb bomb... my subconscious is trying to be honest with you.  But that's why they are mini cupcakes!

Side side note:  Not all of the alcohol is cooked out of these cupcakes.  There is still a bit of Baileys in each bite.  But you would feel the effects of a sugar high before feeling the least bit tipsy.  Even still, keep these guys an adults only treat.

Okay, back to the cakes.  If you have ever had Guinness cake before, it really boosts the flavor of the chocolate.  And the creme fraiche keeps the cakes nice and moist.  I use ganache in a lot of my cupcake recipes... this recipe might have been the beginning of that habit.  I think it seals the cakes in and keeps them from getting the least bit stale.  And the frosting... I could probably just pipe the frosting right into my mouth and be happy as a clam (a clam that is wired on sugar)!  Altogether, the perfect little cupcake people wait all year for... it's here!

Guinness Caramel Pretzel Cookies - total time 2 hours

Are you the kind of person that goes out of your way to try something new, something different?  It seems like that has been the trend for a lot of things, but especially beer.  Microbreweries popping up everywhere.  Growler stations, mix and match six packs, and bars with 50+ beers on tap making it hard to just go with a Bud Light.  Some of the concoctions seem a little crazy, like one of my husband's go to summer beers Hell or High Watermelon; a wheat beer fermented with watermelon.

Any way, one of my co-workers loves to try new beers (I mean, I do too... but not as much as he does) and his birthday was coming up... so I tried to think of something to bake that would incorporate this interest.  I figured beer and pretzels is a traditional bar combination.  And while we had some different beer in the fridge... none quite as flavorful as Guinness.  Add some chocolate and caramel and we really have cookie that everyone will love!

Warning: because the Guinness has to be reduced, this recipe takes a while!

2 cups Guinness
1.5 cups brown sugar, divided
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
.25 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla
2.5 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 cup caramel
1.5 cups pretzels, crushed

1.  In a double broil, add Guinness and half cup of brown sugar.  Allow Guinness to reduce to about .5 cup over low heat for about 30 minutes.  The Guinness won't really get syrupy like other reductions... so measurement is key.  Allow to cool in fridge for 15 minutes.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whip butter in mixer, then add all remaining sugar and whip until well combined.  Add eggs and mix.
3.  Add vanilla, Guinness reduction, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix to combine.  Slowly add flour a half cup at a time incorporating into batter each time.
4.  Remove batter from mixer and stir in chocolate chips, half cup of caramel, and half cup or crushed pretzels.  Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
5.  Roll 1 inch balls and place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.  After cookies have cooled, drizzle caramel and sprinkle crushed pretzels on top.  

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie - total time 50 minutes

Most traditional Irish food includes meat, but that doesn't mean it can't be transformed into a satisfying vegetarian meal.  Filled with root vegetables, this is a perfect winter meal or to celebrate the end of winter with Saint Patrick's Day.

Car Bomb Cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day - 90 minutes

 

A cupcake that is just like the drink.  Guinness, whiskey, and Baileys are all used to make these moist, decedent treat.  This is going to make about 60 little cupcakes (don't worry, they will all disappear).

Cake...

.75 cup Guinness

.75 cup butter

.5 cup cocoa powder

2.25 cups all-purpose flour

1.5 cups granulated sugar

1.5 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

.66 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling...

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips

.5 cup heavy cream

1 shot Irish whiskey

Frosting...

1.5 cups butter

3.5 cups powdered sugar

2 shots Baileys

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whip butter and sugar in mixer.  Add sour cream, and eggs and combine slowly.  Add cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and stir until everything is combined.

2. Add Guinness to batter, the batter will be 'soupy'.  Add one cup of flour at a time continue to combine together. Once everything is fully combined, scoop into cupcake tins (with cupcake liners).  Put in oven for 15 minutes.

3. While cupcakes are baking, whip butter for frosting in mixer.  Once butter is nice and whipped, alternate adding one cup of powdered sugar and one shot of Baileys (ending on powdered sugar).

4. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (or in microwave).  Once melted, add cream and whiskey.  Stir to combine.  Once cupcakes have cooled for a few minutes, you can dip top of cupcakes in the ganache or carve out a small dip into each cupcake (I used a small measuring spoon) and add ganache as a sweet surprise when you bite in.

6. Top cupcakes with frosting and enjoy!

Pictures added 3/17/13