No Malarkey, Just Great Irish Food!

Good afternoon, readers! I hope your St. Patrick's Day weekend was filled with Guinness, Jameson and the Luck O' the Irish! Nate and I are hosting a dinner party of sorts this evening to celebrate the holiday and are making some Irish-inspired dishes! He is making Guinness Beef Stew with boiled potatoes and I made Irish Soda Bread and Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

Irish Soda Bread

5 C all purpose flour, sifted, plus more flour for kneading
3/4 C sugar
2 Tsp baking powder
2 Tsp salt
1 Tsp baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 C raisins, soaked in water for 15-20 minutes and drained
3 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 1/2 C buttermilk
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles course breadcrumbs.

Stir in raisins, caraway seeds, buttermilk and egg to form a dough.

Form dough into a loaf, using extra flour as needed. Bake for 1 hour.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

For those not in the know, an Irish Car Bomb is a mixed drink popularized in America and so-named for it's ingredients of Guinness beer, Bailey's Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey. To concoct this cocktail, fill a shot glass halfway with Bailey's Irish Cream and the rest with Jameson Irish Whiskey. Drop the shot into a half-pint of Guinness Stout and chug! You can probably understand why it's a popular St. Patrick's Day drink. My cupcake version takes the wonderful flavors from the drink and while you don't have to chug, you'll want to gobble these treats up just the same!

for the cakes:

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 C Guinness beer
3/4 C cocoa powder
2 C cake flour
2 C sugar
1 1/2 Tsp baking soda
3/4 Tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 C sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer together butter and Guinness for 5 minutes. Whisk in cocoa powder until combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs and sour cream until smooth. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined.

Line a muffin tin with liners and fill using a 1/4 C measuring cup. Fill cups 3/4 of the way and bake until a toothpick can be inserted into the cake and come out clean. This took about 20 minutes for my cakes.

For the buttercream:

1/2 C unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 C powdered sugar
6 Tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy. Alternate adding in half-cups of sugar and tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream.

Using your favorite offset spatula or pastry bag fitted with your favorite piping tip, frost cupcakes when completely cool.

These cupcakes are much more pleasant to eat than the Irish Car Bomb is to drink, in my opinion anyway. Chocolate is the perfect pairing for the Guinness and helps to bring out the subtle flavors of the beer and the creaminess of the Bailey's makes the already delicious buttercream extra decadent and luxurious.

Enjoy and I hope your St. Patrick's Day was safe and fun! Thanks for reading!