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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Kiss Me, I'm Irish...Boozy Edition

Happy hump day lovely readers. I've got a few more recipes for St. Patty's to share...giving you a few days to prep and bake before the fun festivities! This one's dedicated to those of you of legal drinking age...though you can scroll down to the end to find one or two that are kid-friendly!

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Bruce Aidells, BA October 2009

Ingredients

Cake
  • 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 3/4 cup chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter
  • 2/3 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
Frosting
  • 1 pound bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Ingredient Tip:
If you can find it, use a chocolate stout (Brooklyn Brewery and Oregon's Rogue Brewery make it) in the cake batter. The chocolaty flavors in the beer come from dark-roasting the malts. Some brewers even add a little chocolate to the beer as well. If you can't find chocolate stout, use another stout, such as Guinness. Sierra Nevada Porter and Samuel Adams Honey Porter would also work well in this recipe.

Directions
Cake:
  1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.
  3. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.
  4. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.
Frosting:
  1. Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).
  2. Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. 
DO AHEAD Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

Chocolate-Whiskey Souffle Tarts

Selma Brown Morrow, BA March 1999

Ingredients


For crust
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon (scant) salt
For filling
  • 10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup Irish whiskey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons instant coffee crystals
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Sweetened whipped cream
  • Chocolate shavings (optional)
Directions


Make crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend all ingredients in processor just until dough gathers together. Shape dough into log. Cut into 8 equal rounds. Press 1 round over bottom and up sides of each of eight 4 1/2 x 3/4-inch tartlet pans with removable bottom. Pierce crusts with fork. Bake crusts until pale golden, about 18 minutes. Cool in pans on rack.
Make filling:
  1. Set aside generous 1/3 cup chopped chocolate. Place remaining chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water); stir until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in whiskey, vanilla, coffee and salt, then yolks. Beat egg whites in another medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold half of whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in reserved 1/3 cup chopped chocolate, then remaining whites. Divide mixture among crusts. Freeze at least 3 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Push bottom of frozen tartlets up to release from pan sides. Arrange tartlets on pan bottoms on baking sheet. Bake until filling puffs and begins to crack, about 20 minutes.
  3. Place tartlets on plates. Spoon whipped cream alongside. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired.

Irish Soda Bread
Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients



  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
  • 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  • 1 cup dried currants
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.
  3. With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.
  4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.
  5. Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Dark Chocolate Mint Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mint Frosting
Marcel Desaulniers, BA February 2004

Ingredients
Cupcakes
  • 2 cups walnuts, toasted, cooled
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces high-quality white chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon green crème de menthe (optional with kids!)
Directions
Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Butter two 12-cup mini-muffin pans. Using on/off turns, blend first 4 in processor until walnuts are finely chopped. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
  2. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl until very thick, about 4 minutes. Gradually beat in cooled chocolate mixture. Stir in walnut mixture. Stir in flour mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons batter into each prepared muffin cup.
  3. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Cut around cupcakes to loosen; turn out onto work surface. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; store at room temperature.
Frosting
  1. Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate; stir until melted. Mix in crème de menthe. Transfer frosting to bowl; let frosting cool at room temperature until firm enough to pipe, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
  2. Spoon frosting into pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe frosting decoratively atop cupcakes.
Happy baking!


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