Guiness Chocolate Cake

Guiness Chocolate Cake

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 bottle Guiness Draught

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

2.  In mixer bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3.  In saucepan, mix sugars, cocoa, butter and Guiness. Bring to a boil. Keep an eye on it because it'll boil over really quick.  Cool.  Add sour cream and eggs. Mix well.

4.  Add the cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on low until just mixed together. Pour into the bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let rest for 15 minutes before turning onto a rack to cool completely.

Icing

1 1/2 bricks (12 ounces) cream cheese

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

3 cups powdered sugar

Beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy.

Add vanilla and salt.

On low, mix in powdered sugar. Beat well to combine.

**I didn't put the icing on mine and I wish I had because it was a bit dry although it tasted great!

Irish Soda Bread with Guiness Butter

Irish Soda Bread with Guiness Butter

4 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

6 Tbsp. butter, cubed

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 Tbsp. caraway seeds

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round pan.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, caraway seeds and raisins. Cut in butter.

3.  Mix the buttermilk with 1 egg. Mix remaining egg with a teaspoon of water; set aside.

4.  Add buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Mix on low just to blend. Turn onto a floured board and knead 10 strokes. Please in the greased pan.

5.  Brush with the egg wash and cut an "X" in the top with a sharp knife.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours.  Cool. Keep wrapped in plastic wrap.

Guiness Butter

2 sticks butter, softened

3 ounces Guiness Draught

3 Tbsp. honey

Beat in mixer. Serve on warm bread.

The butter is:

Home Cured Corned Beef

Home Cured Corned Beef

7 cups water

1 cup Kosher salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick, broken in pieces

1 tsp. mustard seed

1 tsp. black peppercorns

8 whole cloves

8 whole allspice berries

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 bottle Guiness draught

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1  4-5 lb. trimmed beef brisket

1.  Place water in a large stockpot along with salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, bay leaves and ginger. Cook over high heat until salt and sugar are dissolved. Remove from heat. Add Guiness. Cool until it reaches 45 degrees. You may have to put it in the refrigerator.

2.  Once cooled, place the brisket in a 2 gallon plastic bag; add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Turn over once a day.

3.  After 10 days, remove from brine and rinse well under cold water. Place brisket into a large pot; add onion. Cover with water by 1 inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for about 3 hours or until fork tender. Remove from pot and slice across the grain to serve.

Recipe adapted from Alton Brown and my wonderful friend Gene Floyd

Guiness Stout Brownies

Guiness Stout Brownies

1 cup flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. butter, cubed

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup Guiness Stout*

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil.

2.  Whisk together flour, cocoa and salt.

3.  In a double boiler, melt butter, bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate chips. Remove from heat. Let cool for a bit.

4.  Beat eggs and sugar on high until light and fluffly - about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate; beat until combined.

5.  Mix in flour mixture. Whisk in Guiness by hand. Batter may seem thin.

6.  Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips on top. (Some will sink in). Bake for 30 minutes on center rack or until toothpick comes out clean.  

7.  Cool completely. Cut into 36 or 48 brownies.

*Guiness should be room temperature. Pour early so the foam will settle.

If you don't want to use Guiness, then you can use coffee.

You can also change up the flavor of the chips on top.

As you can tell from the picture, I forgot to put the chocolate chips on top. But, they still came out great! Warm them and put some ice cream on top with a bit of chocolate syrup. Yummy!

I don't know where I got this recipe. If it's yours, then please let me know so I can give you credit.

Brennan's Irish Soda Bread

Brennan's Irish Soda Bread

1 c. milk
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
raisins (opt)

Stir the milk and vinegar together and allow to stand until curdled; about 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400. Grease a baking sheet. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
Gradually stir in the soured milk; mix just until the dough comes together; stir in raisins and turn onto a well-floured surface. Knead a few times and shape into a round. Place onto the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife, cut an X into the top of the dough to release steam and help the bread keep its round shape.
Bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

4 lb. corned beef
4 c. water
6 oz. Guiness
2 onions

Put your corned beef in a large dutch oven. Add water and beer and then cut up your onions and toss them in. Bring to a full rolling boil.  Then, turn the heat down to low and cover. Let this simmer until tender. About 50 minutes per pound.

About a half hour before it's done, you'll want to add your vegetables. I make it the way my Grandma always did.  The vegetable I use are:
small red potatoes
rutabagas
onions
carrots
cabbage

I didn't put any amounts in here, because you'll want to add what you need to feed your family.

Irish Soda Bread

4 c. flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
6 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. raisins
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 inch round pan.

Combine flour, caraway, raisins, cubed butter, sugar, baking powder,salt and baking soda in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together buttermilk and 1 egg.  In separate bowl beat 1 egg with a bit of water to use for brushing top of bread.

On low speed, mix buttermilk mixture into flour mixture. Mix just until blended.  Place on a floured surface and knead about 10 times.  Shape into a ball and place into greased pan. 

Baste with the egg wash and then with a sharp knife cut a cross in the top.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown.  To store, wrap in plastic wrap as the soda bread will dry out quickly.

Guiness Butter

2 sticks butter, softened
3 oz. Guiness
2 Tbsp. honey

Mix it all together and use on nice warm Irish Soda Bread