So, how’s it taste?

They were uber, super fudgy. Fresh out of the oven, I couldn’t stop myself from snagging little bites here and there. It was like a chocolate explosion at first, and then the aftertaste of Guinness. They were so rich and decadent. The funny thing is, the older they got, they lost a lot of that fresh-out-of-the-oven appeal. First, the texture changed. They were light and almost cake-like out of the oven, but as they cooled, they became really dense. I’d almost compare it to the texture of the inside of a truffle. This wasn’t a bad thing, but I really liked them as they were fresh. I was glad I substituted semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet as the original recipe had. I was afraid it would be too bitter with the stout. I think the semisweet made them richer, without being too sickeningly sweet.

Also, the older they got, the more they lost the Guinness flavor. The next day, the aftertaste wasn’t as strong and by day three, I couldn’t distinguish it at all. I dusted mine with powdered sugar, but that lasted for two seconds. The tops were so fudgy and gooey that it dissolved. The texture kept changing, too. They got gooier and gooier and not in a great way, but again not so bad that I quit eating them. Just a little different than what I’d want in a brownie.

I thought the idea of cooking down the Guinness to concentrate the flavor was a great idea…until I tried it. At first, the smell of Guinness as it was simmering away was intoxicating. Again I can’t explain why I like that smell, but won’t drink it straight. The original recipe has that it should cook down in 15 minutes and mine was no where near being ready at that time mark. I kept simmering the Guinness and it slowly didn’t smell so great, so I stopped. I still had a bit to go, but I measured out the amount and tossed the rest. I was worried that smell would translate to the brownies, but thankfully it didn’t.

We enjoyed these brownies at the office and I’d like to try to perfect the recipe. I know chocolate and Guinness go so well together, but I’m convinced there’s a better Guinness brownie out there…it’s a tough mission, I know.

Guinness Brownies

adapted from GroupRecipes & Blondie's Cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 bottles Guinness Extra Stout beer
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Pour both bottles of beer into a medium saucepan. Simmer on medium heat until it's reduced down to 1 1/4 cups.* Keep a glass measuring cup nearby to check the progress when you think you're close. It should take about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.

4. Melt butter, semisweet chocolate, and white chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove from heat.

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined.

6. Beat reserved flour mixture into melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in Guinness stout beer and vanilla. The batter will seem a bit thin. Fold in semisweet chocolate chips.

7. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

8. Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

*Note: When I heated the beer to reduce it, it took much longer than 15 minutes and started smelling unappetizing. I stopped at that point, measured out 1 1/4 cups and tossed the rest.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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So, how’s it taste?

I first thought this might turn out pretty gross. Mint and rum do not sound good together. But I pressed on determined to have a fun beverage for St. Patty’s Day and to fill my skimpy alcohol category on the blog. This shake turned out pretty fabulous. Refreshing mint and bits of chocolate stood out with the rum playing a nice background role. I made this a few times with the mint extract and without. Both versions were great, it just depends on how much mint you like in your shake. I also used skim milk instead of whole, which produced a thinner shake, but still delicious. I do wish there was a way to keep the chocolate from blending into the mixture so much that it turns the drink a brownish-green. You could probably add some drops of green food coloring…or just rename it the Dirty Irish Pirate.

Irish Pirate

by Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, Recipezaar via Food2.com
2 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk (I used skim)
1 pint mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 tsp. pure mint extract
3 tbsp. dark rum
Mint leaves, optional for garnish

Directions:

1. Put milk, ice cream, mint extract, and rum into a blender. Mix until smooth.

2. Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint.

3. Optional: Drop the rum and you've almost got a Shamrock Shake.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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So, how’s it taste?

I’m not kidding when I say they are addicting. I’m not a huge fan of just plain meringue cookies, but throw in chocolate chips and pecans and it’s a whole new ballgame. The meringue becomes really crunchy and these little cookies seem like pillows of air with tiny bursts of chocolate and nuts. That’s where you run into trouble. They seem so light that you just pop, pop, pop them in your mouth and boom you’ve eaten half a batch in no time! The meringues are just the right amount of sweet and a tiny hint of salt from the pecans. They are also very easy to make and if you’ve got a ton of egg whites leftover, say from making all that ice cream, this recipe is a great way to use them up. You could also get fancy and pipe the meringue onto the cookie sheet before baking.

Irish Meringues

from RecipeSource
makes about 36 meringues

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 300 degrees.

2. Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt together until soft peaks form. Add vanilla, then add sugar gradually, beating until stiff.

3. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by teaspoon-fulls 2 inches apart on parchment-covered cookie sheet. Bake until dry, about 25 minutes.

4. Let cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. Set on rack to cool before storing in airtight container. Freezes well.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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So, how’s it taste?

You just can beat this Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookie recipe. It has made this sugar-cookie-hating girl change her tune. For the shamrock cookies, I rolled the dough out slightly thicker and they were even more delicious. I much prefer a chewy, moist cookie to a crunchy, crispy one. So bake some cookies and break out your icing colors and have some fun decorating!

Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies & Royal Icing
Tutorial on Marbling Royal Icing

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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So, how’s it taste?

It’s so indulgent and so chocolatey, Irish creamy delicious. Yes, I had to make up words to describe it. I’ve had this cupcake before when my friend and fellow foodie, Shannon from Bake. Frost. Repeat., made them. She didn’t include the ganache in hers, which you can leave out as well, but I highly suggest including it. I was thrilled when the two of us decided to team up and make this recipe again for a coworker’s 30th birthday. We included the ganache this time and holy cow! They were the most sinful dessert I have ever tasted. The recipe we followed used Bailey’s in the ganache and it was delicious, but for a true Irish Car Bomb, I’d like to try these with a whiskey ganache as a another recipe suggests.

Irish Car Bomb Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Smitten Kitchen via Annie's Eats
makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Guinness cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Whiskey (or Bailey's) ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1-2 tsp. whiskey or Bailey's (optional)

Bailey's buttercream frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3-4 tbsp. Bailey's Irish Cream

*Note: The Guinness gets mostly baked out in the cupcakes, but if you're serving these for people who don't drink, you'll want to leave out the whiskey or Bailey's from the ganache and the Bailey's from the frosting. You can use milk for the frosting instead.

Directions:

1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Add the butter and Bailey's (or whiskey) and stir until combined.

4. Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped (or you can spoon the mixture into the cupcakes). (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.) Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom; aim for 2/3 of the way. Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

5. To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey's until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Copyright © 2009-2020 Leah Claire - Leah Claire

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