tricolor treat

Since we boozed it up earlier and last year with the Irish sweets, this is more akin to spring and a cutesy representation of the Irish flag. I also thought that after several servings of stout with a side of corned beef, people's stomachs might want something light, if there is room for anything at all.

Carrot Cake, the Lighter Side

adapted from Cook's Country
Yield: 24 cupcakes, 1 9x13-inch cake or 1 8-inch two-tiered cake

INGREDIENTS
cake
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/8 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
2 large eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 4-oz jar carrot baby food
1 C packed dark brown sugar
1 lb carrots, peeled and shredded

cream cheese frosting
1 8-oz package of Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1 C marshmallow cream
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/4 C confectioners sugar

DIRECTIONS
cake
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and line your 12 cup muffin pan, 9x13-inch pan or 2 8-inch round pans.
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, baby food and sugar until smooth and creamy. 3. Slowly add the oil to the egg mixture, while still mixing. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until nearly smooth. Fold in the carrots.
5. Spread the batter in the prepped pan and bake until a toothpick comes out almost clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

cream cheese frosting
1. Beat together the cream cheese, marshmallow cream and vanilla. Add the sugar and mix till smooth.


Nutrition (per cupcake):  166cal, 7g fat, 202mg sod, 25g carb, 13g sugar, .5g fiber, 2g protein

st. pat's staples

Sit down to a traditional boiled dinner, pour some whiskey down your throat and top it off with these little treats as you declare yourself Irish for a day. We're pulling out all of the stops this year with the corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, soda bread and beer. These little gems were a concoction from the most Irish person I know, Torren "I was named after an Irish Cabbage Patch Kid" Doherty. Thank you for bumping up the percentage of green blood in the household.

Chocolate Stout and Irish Cream Sandwich Cookies

Yield: 18 sandwiches

INGREDIENTS
cookies
3/4 C butter
3/4 C dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 oz. stout I used Young's Double Chocolate

filling
2 C confectioners sugar
1/4 C unsalted butter
2-3 T Bailey's® Irish Creme liqueur

DIRECTIONS
cookies
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
1. Reduce stout in a saucepan at a constant simmer over medium heat, until it is a thick syrup, about 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup. Make sure to keep an eye on the pan and stir every so often so it will not boil over or burn.
2. As the stout is simmering, cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla. Meanwhile, check on the stout.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
4. When the stout syrup is fully reduced, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Alternating, add the flour mixture and stout syrup to the creamed mixture.
5. Drop tablespoons of the cookie dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on rack before frosting.

filling
1. Cream butter and slowly add confectioners sugar.
2. Beat in liqueur.
3. Spread generously between two cookies and serve.

Nutrition: 242 cal, 11g fat, 155mg sod, 33g carb, 21g sugar, .5g fiber, 2g protein

in like a lion out like a fluffy cupcake

For the sake of our auto insurance, let's hope that this freezing apocalyptic winter is coming to an end and that we won't have to worry about cars skating down the hill into our innocent parked ones or attempting to pack all of our residents in front of our house thanks to our neighbors' bogus handicap space while being overjoyed that we only had to make a ten point turn out of the space instead of a twenty. True, these things will happen as the snow and ice melt but in a less precarious fashion. Hopefully I won't rue this statement in July or something after I have parallel parked on top of our next door neighbor's cat.

There have been plenty of bright spots, however, and most of them surround the crazy amount of people who are hovering around thirty and still having birthday parties! Maybe that wears off once people start having kids? Or maybe it can't be denied that people like to have a shindig and even more so when it's bleak and blustery out. HA. I think I'll stick to my August birthday of lazing on the beach with the two people who still talk to me on a regular basis, thanks! Regardless, I can't complain that the rash of celebrations has provided me with plenty of opportunities to get creative with cupcakey prezzies and wrappers and boxes. Here are the results from one of my go-to recipes that young and old seem to enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Yield: 12

INGREDIENTS
cake
1/2 C melted unsalted butter, browned and cooled
1 egg
1 t vanilla
3/4 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C buttermilk any fat content
1 1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 C mini chocolate chips

cookie dough filling
1/4 C butter, softened
1/4 C plus 2 T brown sugar
1 T milk
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 C flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 C mini chocolate chips

cookie dough frosting from Annie Eats
3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
1/4 C plus 2 T brown sugar, packed
1 3/4 C confectioners’ sugar
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 T milk
1 t vanilla extract
mini chocolate chips for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
cake
Line 12 cup cupcake tin with liners. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
1. Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk browned butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl.
3. Alternating, beat buttermilk and flour mix into the sugar mixture until just incorporated. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into cupcake liners 3/4 of the way and bake for 20-25 min. or until cupcake tops spring back to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before assembly.

eggless cookie dough filling
1. Cream the butter and sugar in a small bowl. Add milk and vanilla and mix well. 2. Beat flour and salt until just combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

cookie dough frosting
1. Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
2. Mix in confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in the flour and salt.
4. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth.

 Cone method

assembly
1. Once cupcakes have cooled, use the cone method to carve out the tops.
2. Make little balls of the cookie dough and place in the hole. Cover with top.
3. Frost with cookie dough frosting and sprinkle chips on top for garnish. Fab!

Nutrition (not for the diet friendly): 480 cal, 27g fat, 136mg sod, 57g carb, 38g sugar, 1g fiber, 4.5g protein