My earliest memory of St Patrick’s day is of sitting on warm concrete steps at my granny’s front door. Waiting on my granny to cut a small bunch of shamrocks wrap the stems in kitchen foil to hold them together and a safety pin to fasten them to my t-shirt. Alas, it seems these past few years that we are more likely to have snow March 17th rather than sunshine. On this particular day, even though memories are fragmented and most of the day lost to me, I do remember dessert, A special treat, Granny Pat’s donuts. I still to this day the second a homemade fried donut hits my mouth I am brought back to this moment, to this day, it is a nostalgic food that both reminds me of my granny and of St Patrick’s day. It is, for this reason, i firmly believe that if throwing a party that you do not have to conform to luridly green food and beverage items that most of us do not wish to eat, it can have a novelty value but usually that it.
My favourite ways now of celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is to celebrate some of my favourite Irish ingredients and you will spot more than once in the recipes below. This year the celebrations may be on a much smaller scale due to virus outbreak but, I’m sure much merriment will be had none the less. Lenten restrictions are lifted for St Patrick’s day, hence, in my opinion, the reason that alcohol and sweet things are the popular option on this day and the star of any party I throw on this day is my chocolate Guinness cake with a cream cheese Bailey’s topping. Now, any Irish person will tell you that two of the most popular things that people restrict and cut out during Lent are Alcohol and chocolate. So it seemed only just to appropriate on this day when the restrictions let up that we make the most of it and indulge in both. My cake resembles the famous black pint too. The chocolate base looks like the dark stout and the Baileys cream cheese icing looks like the pale frothy head.
AuthordanieldiverA grown-up chocolate cake with a dark sumptuous tender sponge and the. dreamiest bailey’s cream cheese topping. The ideal cake for St.Patrick’s day celebration this beautiful cake not only contains that liquid velvet in its batter, but the final appearance also resembles a pint of Guinness.
Heat oven to 180°C. Line a deep 8” loose bottomed cake tin with parchment paper. Add the Guinness, butter, treacle and light brown sugar to a saucepan. Melt together over a low heat until the butter has just about melted. Pour into a jug and allow to cool while you get on with the dry ingredients.
In a bowl, large enough to take both wet and dry ingredients later, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and coffee powder. Give a brief stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.
Once the wet ingredients. Have cooled, whisk in the buttermilk and eggs.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until no lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing.
To make the frosting, using a freestanding electric mixer or handheld electric mixer whisk the butter until pale and fluffy. Sieve in half of the icing sugar then mix slowly until mostly incorporated. Turn speed up and whisk until a smooth and light in colour. Repeat with the remaining icing sugar. Add the cream cheese and baileys and give another quick whisk together.
Place the cake on a cake stand or plate and dollop the icing on top. Using a palette knife or crank spatula push it to the edge. Run the knife around the edge to flatten the sides until it resembles a pint of Guinness. Slice & Enjoy.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oven to 180°C. Line a deep 8” loose bottomed cake tin with parchment paper. Add the Guinness, butter, treacle and light brown sugar to a saucepan. Melt together over a low heat until the butter has just about melted. Pour into a jug and allow to cool while you get on with the dry ingredients.
In a bowl, large enough to take both wet and dry ingredients later, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and coffee powder. Give a brief stir with a whisk or wooden spoon to mix thoroughly.
Once the wet ingredients. Have cooled, whisk in the buttermilk and eggs.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until no lumps remain. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin before removing.
To make the frosting, using a freestanding electric mixer or handheld electric mixer whisk the butter until pale and fluffy. Sieve in half of the icing sugar then mix slowly until mostly incorporated. Turn speed up and whisk until a smooth and light in colour. Repeat with the remaining icing sugar. Add the cream cheese and baileys and give another quick whisk together.
Place the cake on a cake stand or plate and dollop the icing on top. Using a palette knife or crank spatula push it to the edge. Run the knife around the edge to flatten the sides until it resembles a pint of Guinness. Slice & Enjoy.
Another favourite recipe of mines, especially if I’m not the one throwing the get together, is my spiced Guinness cupcakes. They are much easier to transport and guys let me tell you you haven’t had gingerbread until you have tried Guinness gingerbread. These cupcakes also resemble the famous black pint with its frothy pale head. Check out this super easy recipe below.
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My final recipe is my beef & Guinness Cobbler another winner, that has such heart warming soul soothing comfort
AuthordanieldiverCategoryCrowd Pleasers, Slow SensationsA hearty beef & Guinness casserole with a duvet like dumpling topping. Everything about this dish is comforting from the aroma that it fills the house with to those cosy warm flavours and nothing is more reassuring on a cold evening than a big steaming bowl of stew.
Peel and quarter onion add to a food processor along with the celery and garlic. blitz until a wet pale green pulp is achieved. Set aside while you get on with the beef.
Add the beef to a large zip lock bag or bowl. Add the flour, salt and pepper. Lock the bag and squelch about in your hands to coat everything in the seasoned flour or mix together in the bowl. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan over a high heat then tip in a third of the beef allowing it to brown before moving about allowing the other side to brown. Transfer to a bowl or plate when browned all over. Repeat until all meat has been browned.
Turn the heat under the pan to low. Then tip in the blitzed onion, garlic and celery and add the carrots . Stir this about scraping up any bits you can from the bottom of the pan. When softened and almost translucent, tip back in the beef and any juices that collected.
Pour in the Guinness and beef stock. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Allow the pan to come back to boiling point, put on the lid, then transfer to 170°C oven for 3 hours.
10 minutes before the stew has had its time in the oven get on with the topping by adding the flour to a large mixing bowl along with the baking powder, salt, suet, cheddar, pepper and thyme. Mix together and make a well in the centre and pour in approx 3 -5 tablespoons of water and mix until it forms a dough. If you overdo the water simply simply flour your surface well and knead gently. Form into a fat sausage shape and cut into slice approx 2 cm wide.
Retrieve the stew from the oven, check for seasoning and season accordingly. Add the discs of dumpling dough on top of the stew overlapping slightly if necessary. Return to the oven this time without a lid and cook for a further 30 minutes until the dumpling are puffed up they will be soft and tender underneath and firm on top. They won't gain much colour but you can increase the oven temperature to make them more golden brown on top.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel and quarter onion add to a food processor along with the celery and garlic. blitz until a wet pale green pulp is achieved. Set aside while you get on with the beef.
Add the beef to a large zip lock bag or bowl. Add the flour, salt and pepper. Lock the bag and squelch about in your hands to coat everything in the seasoned flour or mix together in the bowl. Heat the oil in a heavy based pan over a high heat then tip in a third of the beef allowing it to brown before moving about allowing the other side to brown. Transfer to a bowl or plate when browned all over. Repeat until all meat has been browned.
Turn the heat under the pan to low. Then tip in the blitzed onion, garlic and celery and add the carrots . Stir this about scraping up any bits you can from the bottom of the pan. When softened and almost translucent, tip back in the beef and any juices that collected.
Pour in the Guinness and beef stock. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Allow the pan to come back to boiling point, put on the lid, then transfer to 170°C oven for 3 hours.
10 minutes before the stew has had its time in the oven get on with the topping by adding the flour to a large mixing bowl along with the baking powder, salt, suet, cheddar, pepper and thyme. Mix together and make a well in the centre and pour in approx 3 -5 tablespoons of water and mix until it forms a dough. If you overdo the water simply simply flour your surface well and knead gently. Form into a fat sausage shape and cut into slice approx 2 cm wide.
Retrieve the stew from the oven, check for seasoning and season accordingly. Add the discs of dumpling dough on top of the stew overlapping slightly if necessary. Return to the oven this time without a lid and cook for a further 30 minutes until the dumpling are puffed up they will be soft and tender underneath and firm on top. They won't gain much colour but you can increase the oven temperature to make them more golden brown on top.
great recipes. I made the cupcakes. Delicious
I’m delighted you liked them