St. Patrick’s day isn’t just for the Irish. Pretty much everyone we know heads out to celebrate with a pint or a car bomb. And who can blame them? The weather is starting to warm, and spring is just around the corner. It’s the perfect excuse for a Guinness. And guess what? Guinness is not just for drinking. The robust earthy flavor compliments chocolate perfectly, and creates an extremely moist and decadent dessert.
crack open a Guinness
We found Dave Lieberman’s cupcake recipe and decided to give it a spin. Instead of cupcakes, we went with little petit fours (for portion control.) We used our 4 leaf clover (Hey! They tricked us. That’s not a clover!) flower shaped cookie cutter to cut out little cakes, and covered them in white green chocolate and sprinkles. It’ll have you screaming, “they’re always after me lucky charms” in no time.
They say alcohol is addicting. After having these, I think they’re right.
What You’ll Need (makes about 22 cupcakes):
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (we used Hershey’s)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 bottle of Guinness
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 12 oz of white chocolate (about 3 large bars)
- green food coloring
- wax paper
- baking sheet
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and get out a large mixing bowl for your dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa, sugar, and baking soda.
Step 2:
In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients: Guinness, melted butter and vanilla. Put your mixer on low speed and beat in eggs one at a time. Then mix in the sour cream and mix until smooth.
Step 3:
Incorporate your wet and dry ingredients by slowly pouring the wet into the dry. Keep your mixer on low-med speed to prevent a big ‘ol mess. Mix thoroughly until smooth and creamy. Hint: Now’s a good time to take in a long, drawn-out whiff of your batter. Doesn’t it smell insane?
Step 4:
Line a shallow sheet pan with wax paper and pour the batter in. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until you can put a toothpick in the middle and have it come out clean. When they’re done, take them out of the oven. Carefully lift the wax paper to take the cake out of the pan and place it onto a cutting board. Pop it into the fridge to expedite the cooling process.
Step 5:
Once the cake is completely cooled, use a your desired cookie cutter (we got ours from Sur La Table) to cut little shapes. We used hearts, stars, and flowers, but if you have a 4 leaf clover- use that! Then, set aside.
Step 6:
Melt the white chocolate by putting it into the microwave on 30 second intervals until smooth. Use a spatula to mix it between each interval.
Use green food coloring to dye the chocolate green. Start with a few drops at a time, and add slowly while mixing to achieve desired color.
Step 2:
Use a small spoon or a spatula to frost the cakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Set on wax paper and pop it into the fridge to cool.
Serve and enjoy!
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