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.

Ringing in 2010

If you are at all like me, you've waited until the last possible moment to plan your New Year's Eve. And by waited until the last possibly moment, I mean even at this point you haven't solidified plans. I'm not sure if it's the big hype that more often than not doesn't live up to its promise or just plain old post-holiday exhaustion, but by the time New Year's comes around, I'm kind of already over it. Not to mention the fact that I'm kind of tapped out in the cash area and I'd prefer to spend any remaining money on holiday sales rather than one night at the bar (though by going out, it does give me a reason to purchase a sparkly little number for a night out on the town which probably won't be used again throughout the year). So that always leaves one question: what do to for New Year's Eve? Shaun and I rang in 2009 with a night on the couch, surrounded by champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and a viewing of The Dark Knight. To ring in 2010? It's anyone's guess at this point.

So my question to you is, how are you planning to ring in 2010? Are you hitting up a swank bar or lounge? Having a low key game night with friends whilst lamenting the downturn of Dick Clark's deteriorating health? Heading out for a chic dinner with your significant other? Taking in a late night viewing of Avatar 3-D (this one is high on my list)? I'd love to hear about your plans (and possibly steal some of your ideas!) so please do tell!

Holiday Unwrapped

And we're back! I hope everyone had a fabulous holiday. I saved some vacation time and took a few days off from my 'real' job for some holiday celebrating. This included, but was not limited to seeing family and friends, baking cookies, rocking red lipstick for the first time, watching the 25th anniversary of the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame concert, viewing The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center and ceasing to sleep for a few days time. And let's not forget about the gift exchange. Shaun and I are so unbelievably lucky to have the absolute best families in the entire universe (no, really...they are) who know us oh-so-well and gave us gifts that just warmed our food-obsessed hearts. From good reads to gift cards to tools, we made out like the proverbial foodster bandits that we are. Here's the rundown:

Serving tray, Target; Good Eats: The Early Years, Barnes & Noble; Rachael Ray nylon bench scrape, Rachaelraystore.com; Bamboo spider, Sur la Table; Rachael Ray nylon 2-pc turner set, Rachaelraystore.com; Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food, Amazon.com; Magazine subscriptions, Foodnetwork.com, Realsimple.com; Entertainment Book 2010, entertainment.com; Sur la Table gift certificate, Sur la Table

Yep, it was a good year for the Humistons. Furthering our culinary knowledge and technique is something we love and receiving gifts to aid us in this food crush of ours is just the icing on the cake. I, for one, cannot wait to dive into New York City Food as well as test out my bench scraper. Apparently it's the only way to pick up chopped food from your cutting board - onions, veggies, you name it - for super simple transfer into your stock pot or skillet. And I know Shaun is just itching to break out the fryer and test out the bamboo mesh spider he's been wanting for ages. What can I say? It doesn't take much to get us going. The holidays were filled with many more gifts (both given and received, including the matching iPod Touch that we unknowingly picked out for each other), multiple family gatherings, and of course, indulging on holiday treats. I'm sad to see it pass us by, but am so looking forward to a fabulous, food-filled 2010.

So there's the food gift roundup - a peek at some of our foodster gifts we were so fortunate to receive and can't wait to enjoy now that our holiday travel has ceased. But my question to all of you fabulous readers is: What did you get for the holiday this year? Any food-related gifts that tickled your fancy? Please tell me that Shaun and I aren't the only food geeks out there and leave us some tales of good eats (and by eats I mean actual eats, products, gift cards, reading materials, kitchen tools and anything else of the sort).

Oh, and in case you're curious, the baking, red-lipstick-wearing, family time went something like this...

The butter cookie cutouts...a Christmas staple for as long as I can remember

Just a small sampling of the Cannon bakefest '09

Kimberly & me

Christine & me vampin' it up

Shaun & me at Christmas Eve dinner

Suburban, yet city-loving doggie Chloe trying her hardest to get some holiday treats from her stocking

My mom, sisters and me after The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center

And there's the roundup. Hope you enjoyed your holiday as much as we enjoyed ours!

PS - If you missed any of our holiday coverage, including foodster gift guides for all the food-lovers in you life, you can find it all right here.