Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

We're starting Monday on a sweet note. Though I skipped the Hoboken St. Patty's Day festivities on Saturday (a tradition that I have partaken in during the past years but just wasn't feeling it this year), I was, however, feeling inspired by (what else?) the food. And while I wouldn't typically tout the Irish for having top of the line cuisine, I will get behind their beer and their bread. This week, despite my non-Irish background (don't let the freckles fool you), I'm giving into my love of all things green with some St. Patty's Day inspired treats. First up? Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes. I know, it's not PC...but who walks into a bar asking for a shot of Jameson and Bailey's dropped into a pint of Guinness without referencing it as a Car Bomb? No one I know. So that being said, let's get down to business. When I devised the concept for these cupcakes, I honestly wasn't sure how they'd taste. But the end result? Nothing short of light, heavenly chocolate cake and creamy frosting with just a hint of, "what's that flavor I'm tasting? It's fabulous!"

I know, it seems weird to use so much liquor in a dessert, but trust me on this. The Guinness makes the chocolate sing, akin to adding coffee to your chocolate. It doesn't taste like coffee or beer, just makes the chocolate...well, more chocolatey...and in turn, more delectable. The Irish cream in the frosting doesn't overpower the cream cheesey, sugary goodness...it just gives a hint of Irish cream, which brings the whole cupcake flavor together. Let's get down to the deets...

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
*Adapted from smitten kitchen
1 cup Guinness
2 sticks 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 C sour cream (don't skimp and use low-fat. Go big or go home)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring Guinness and both sticks of butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Note: when you add the cocoa powder, the mixture will foam up, so stand back. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat eggs and sour cream until combined. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture to the eggs and sour cream and beat just to combine. Note: You will want to add the warm liquid in slowly, and make sure it's cooled slightly. Otherwise, you'll have scrambled eggs in your batter. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on low speed to combine, but not completely. With a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until completely combined. This is a light and airy batter so folding is a must. Line muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Fill about 3/4 of the way with batter (I use a big ladle for the perfect pour). Bake 17-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Whiskey glaze (optional)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 C water
1/2 C Irish whiskey (like Jameson)
1 C sugar
Sanding sugar or sprinkles

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar, water and whiskey. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for five minutes. Once cupcakes have cooled, dip tops into whisky mixture and roll in sanding sugar. Note: The glaze is not necessary to enjoy these cupcakes. It gives an extra kick of liquor and in the spirit of the Irish, I included it. But, these cupcakes are simply delish with or without it. When I made my batch, I did half glazed, half unglazed.

Irish Cream Frosting
aka the best frosting you'll ever eat
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
2 C confectioner's sugar (or more to taste)
2 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream (if you want to keep this alcohol-free, try it with Irish cream coffee creamer)

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until mixed and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar, one at a time, fully incorporating with each addition. Add 1-2 tbsp of Bailey's (to taste) and mix until incorporated.

So there you have it. A fun St. Patty's Day cupcake recipe. So what do you think? Do you eat any fun treats around the holiday?

Psst...stay tuned for St. Patty's Day treats part two, where I share a recipe for the best Irish Soda Bread you could imagine. And if you're just itching for more cupcake recipes, check out this, this, this and this.

A Weekend in Antigua: Sampling the Local Goods

As I mentioned earlier this week, Shaun and I took a little vacation over the weekend. It snowed uncontrollably in the New York/New Jersey area and we barely made it out on Thursday morning. I have to tell you...after a long, seemingly never ending, bitterly cold winter (which is still going on, by the by), there's really nothing quite like swimming and sailing in aqua blue water, sipping mixed drinks all day and laying on the beach reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential (see? even when I'm not writing, I still have food on the brain and I just can't seem to get enough of that guy).

Though a gorgeous island in the Caribbean with lots to offer scenery-wise, as evidenced above, Antigua did not have many local eats. One of the stand out foods of the trip was a delicately fried conch fritter. White conch meat mixed with stuffing and fried, the fritter was served up with a light tartar sauce. Bellisimo.
Despite the abundance (or lack there of for that matter) of local fare, one of our must-do activities when traveling anywhere, inside or outside the US is to test out the local brew. Since Shaun and I have traveled to quite a few places in Europe and in the Caribbean, and sampling  (and subsequently smuggling for souvenir purposes) a bottle o'beer in each destination has become something of a tradition. After all, just as street food says so much about one's culture, so does the beer. Whether a cold Kolsch at an outdoor cafe in Cologne, Germany, circa 2006...
a mug of Staropramen to warm up on a rainy day in Prague in the Czech Republic...
or 40 oz bottle of Saku to pass the time on the overnight cruise between Sweden and Estonia...
I think local brews are a point of pride for many locales. In Antigua, the local beer is Wadadli. Hardly able to be kept cold in the extreme island temps, Wadadli follows in the Dutch tradition of Heineken and Amstel. A fine and somewhat tasty brew for a hot day, but not sure that it would be my go-to on a regular night in the Jerz.
Local fare aside, it was a fantastic vacation, filled with relaxation, rum slushies, and ok...maybe more than a little Wadadli. But when you end your day with this, it doesn't really get much better.So what about you? Are you a beer drinker? Do you sample local brews from place to place? And more importantly, did you take any vacations this winter to get out of the extremely frigid temps we've been having over the last months? And while you were there, sample anything worth noting?

Get the Skinny: Sandwich Thins & Deli Flats

Pepperidge Farms Deli Flat in my sweet little sandwich carrier a la third gradeAs I've mentioned in the past, it may seem like my life revolves around eating pastrami sandwiches, baking delicious treats, and seeking out one pizza joint after another, but in between all of those delicious eating sessions, I do try to keep eating to a minimum...otherwise, let's face it, I'd be a balloon. The number one place that I try to cut my caloric intake? My breakfast and lunch routine, especially on work days. By keeping the piehole stuffing to a minimum, not only does my tummy thank me but I feel energized and ready to get through the day. Also trying cut spending where I can, I try to bring my lunch to work at least 3 or 4 days a week. And I have to tell you, it really isn't easy to keep it even semi-exciting in the brown baggin' it department. Luckily, my office did recently implement a microwave after an employee uprising, giving me the opportunity to eat oatmeal, soup and leftovers to my heart's content. And I'm typically just not into the sandwich from home...I mean, really, is there anything more depressing? Not to mention the fact that we had two loaves of bread in our house, since Shaun eats the good stuff and I eat the cardboard variety. And that cardboard variety just isn't cutting it for me.

Enter the Sandwich Thin or Deli Flat. A round, thinned out bread that is a cross between roll and bread slice, these fantastic inventions are my new favorite way to do breakfast or lunch. Whether peanut butter and jelly (still a favorite), turkey and cheese, hummus and lettuce, or with a bit of soft Laughing Cow cheese, these rounds are upping the ante on lunchtime fare. Are they super filling? No. You better bring a snack. But they are a heck of a lot better than eating the low carb, 100 calories for 2 slices, mushy kind that I've deemed the only bread that won't steadily raise my weight.

Enter the two options that I've come across: Arnold Sandwich Thins and Pepperidge Farms Deli Flats. The winner? Arnold Sandwich Thins. While the Pepperidge Farms version seemed more substantial, taste-wise, Arnold took the proverbial cake. A now staple in my lunchtime repetoire, today I will be enjoying an old fashioned pb (natural peanut butter) and j (Polaner All Fruit blackberry jam) and rejoicing at my 100 calorie, 5 grams of fiber deli round.

So what do you think? Have you tried these out? Do you ever "brown bag it", so to speak? How do you keep your daily lunch feeling fresh?

Psst...for some healthy, yet delish recipes, check out the Eat Better Week series...