Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

 Whenever I try a recipe using Guinness Stout, I always wind up with the same problem: what to do with the rest of the Guinness. Yes, it seems obvious to just drink it, right? But the thing is, I don't drink beer or stout, like, at all. But since I do like to cook and bake with it, I have a habit of buying a 6-pack, using ONE for a recipe, and then I'm stuck with the other five. So, I could certainly tell you that the inspiration for baking these cupcakes comes from a deep love of Guinness, but really I just wanted to use it up! lol
 But even though I don't drink it, I LOVE what it brings to the party when it comes to cooking and baking. These cupcakes are so rich and chocolatey, they're a sure-fire win. In fact, if you have some serious chocoholics in your circle, THIS is what you should make for them. I think they're possibly the richest most chocolatey cupcakes I've ever made. Not. Even. Kidding. And they come together in a snap, so you can whip up a batch in no time!
 The other thing that I like about this recipe is that there's Guinness in the frosting too, not just in the cupcakes. Very often, you'll see a chocolate Guinness cake with maybe a cream cheese or Bailey's frosting, but this one has a decadent chocolate Guinness swirl on top that pushes it over the top. It's from a website called Broma Bakery. I'm not sure if it's their recipe or not, but like I always say, they're the ones who shared it, so they're the ones who get the credit. So, if you want a rich, ever so moist cupcake that will blow your chocolate lovin' mind, this is the one for you!
Btw, does anyone want a bottle of Guinness? I still have 3 left.....



For the cupcakes:

1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
1 1/4 cups sugar 
3/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
2 large eggs 
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark stout, such as Guinness Extra Stout
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


For the frosting:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
3/4 cup cocoa powder 
3 cups powdered sugar 
1/4 cup Guinness Extra Stout
2 tablespoons milk 
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
flaked sea salt, for garnishing (optional)



 Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 14 cupcake tins with dark cupcake molds. Set aside.
In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the butter, eggs, Guinness, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry in batches, beating on medium speed until the batter is smooth and shiny, about 20 seconds. Pour into cupcake molds, filling about 3/4 of the mold, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Cream the butter and cocoa powder for 2-3 minutes, until the cocoa powder begins to lighten in color. Add in the powdered sugar, milk, Guinness, and vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Frost the cupcakes by scooping the frosting into a piping bag with a large star tip. Swirl the frosting around the cupcake, starting from the middle and working your way outwards. Continue to spiral the frosting up like a pyramid until the cupcake is frosted. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, if using, and serve!



Tips:
Yes, I know most cupcake tins are only 12 cupcakes and not 14. An odd yield, to be sure. But it's worth the extra time to bake just those last two cupcakes. To make sure they bake evenly, fill up the rest of the cupcake wells with water. This helps to insure even baking when you only have a partially filled cupcake tin.
Oh, and don't forget the sea salt on top! That's the kicker!
Going to a party? Double everything!

Joey's Guinness Beer Brats

 If you know me, you know that I'm not much of a drinker, and I'm definitely not a BEER drinker. But I do like to use Guinness Extra Stout in recipes from time to time. This one is about as simple as it gets, and it's so flavorful, it's definitely a reason for me to stop and get a six pack.
 It's really just sausages and onions, but then when you add Guinness to the party, it's a completely different game. I love how the Guinness reduces down to a thick rich sauce, almost like a gravy, and it goes perfectly with the sausages. It's slightly sweet from the onions, but then it has a hoppy bitter after-bite. SO good! Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best! Love it.


5 bratwurst sausages
2 bottles of Guinness Extra Stout
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 tbs butter

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium heat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. Let it simmer for about an hour. Remove the brats. Brown the brats on a grill or in a cast iron skillet. Meanwhile, reduce the onion and Guinness mixture until it becomes thick and syrupy. Serve brats and onions over mashed potatoes or as a sandwich on fresh bakery rolls with a nice sharp mustard.


Tips:
 Use Irish Bangers, if you can. Otherwise, Johnsonville Beer Brats are a good substitute. I wouldn't use regular Italian Sausages because they have a completely different flavor.
Feeding a crowd? Use a wider pot and fill it up! You just need to use enough beer so that the brats are completely immersed. And add as many onions as you like.
Not a fan of Guinness? Use your favorite!

Guinness Bread

 A few weeks ago, my Kristin invited me over for dinner. It was just a no nonsense Friday night, nothing special going on, perfect night for some delicious home made soup. Not only did she make a tasty and healthy vegetable soup, but she also made a FABULOUS beer bread to go along with it. It got me to thinking, "hey, how come I don't have a beer bread recipe?" So I was inspired to see what different recipes I could find. I didn't want one that used bread flour or yeast because, well, frankly, I never keep them on hand. Clearly this meant that I'd be making a quick bread. I also wanted a recipe that would use an entire bottle of beer. I don't drink beer, so using anything less than the entire bottle would be wasteful. Then I found this recipe on a website called The Black Peppercorn, and it was exactly what I wanted!! It's so easy to make, you don't even need a mixer. Just stir everything together, pop it in the oven, and bake!
 Now, first, let me just say that even though this is not the sort of bread you'd use for sandwiches, this is definitely still a BREAD, not a cake. It does have a little sweetness from the brown sugar, but there is no mistaking that hoppy bite from the beer. It's not overpowering, but it's definitely there. It's fabulous with a schmear of soft butter served alongside a rich and luscious Lamb Stew or any favorite hot and hearty soup. Even better if you toast it first!
 So thank you again to The Black Peppercorn, and of course to my Kristin for the yummy dinner, and also for the inspiration! This is definitely a winner!




3 cups flour 
1/2 tsp salt 
4 tsp baking powder 
1/3 cup oats 
2/3 cup dark brown sugar 
12 oz Guinness 
1 tbsp oats 
1 tbsp butter



Preheat oven at 350ºF.
Grease a loaf pan with the 1 tbs butter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, 1/3 cup oats and brown sugar. Slowly beat the Guinness into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on the low setting. Do not over mix the batter, but make sure that it is not too lumpy. Pour the batter in the greased loaf pan and sprinkle the 1 tbsp of oats on top. Bake the bread for 50 minutes. The bread is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Place on a cooling rack until it is room temperature.


Tips:
Not a fan of Guinness? Use whatever kind of dark beer you like! And don't forget that little sprinkle of oats over the top. It adds great texture and chew!

Guinness Caramelized Onion Dip

  When you think of onion dip, just regular basic onion dip, you usually think of mixing sour cream with onion soup mix, correct? It's been one of those standard no-fuss recipes that everyone has made for ages and ages, and it always goes over well with a bowl of potato chips. But what if we take that onion dip and turn up the volume??
 This onion dip is absolutely MILES ahead of the old stand by as far as flavor is concerned. It just has a depth of flavor that you just can't get from a box of soup mix. Think of it as the difference between fresh vegetables and canned vegetables. There's just no comparison, right? So, for this onion dip, it's kind of like that. Plus you get the added bonus of skipping all that extra sodium. It takes a little bit of time, but it's really worth that extra effort to develop those deep flavors. And it's a total do ahead, so you'll wind up saving time in the long run. This is my tweaked version of a recipe I found on a blog called Home Cooking Memories. If you like onion dip, then this one is definitely next on your must-do list!



5 cups Vidalia or other sweet onions, about 3 large
4 tbs butter
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 (12oz) bottle of Guinness Extra Stout
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper


  Chop the onions down to small dice. Melt butter in a large heavy pan over low-medium heat. Add the chopped onions and let them slowly caramelize. Don't rush this step! This will take a good 20-30 minutes. Every few minutes, give it a good stir to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan. When the onions have turned a dark-amber color, stir in the garlic and continue to saute for a few more minutes. Add the whole bottle of beer. Stir again to make sure nothing is stuck to the pan. Turn up the heat just until it comes to a boil, then reduce the heat back down again to simmer. Let it simmer until just about all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Set aside.
 In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy. Stir in the onion mixture. Place the bowl in the fridge until chilled. Just before serving, give it a final stir, just to make sure it's all creamy and delish. Garnish with a few chopped scallions, if you like. Serve with your favorite potato chips.



Tips:
Ok, let me say this again because I can't stress it enough.. do NOT rush cooking the onions! Just let them go low and slow. Perfection takes time!! It's a MUCH bigger pay off in the end!
You decide how dark you want them. I like to let them go very dark, almost brown. The flavor just gets deeper and deeper as you go.
You can use a food processor to chop the onions, but I prefer to do them by hand. I like to be able to control the size of the dice, and it's one less thing to wash. Besides that, you don't want them to be too finely minced because then they'll nearly disintegrate as you saute them. A little texture is a good thing! If you're not sure how to do them by hand, just watch my video How to Cut an Onion !
The original recipe said to completely cool the onions before mixing them into the creamed mixture. I didn't, but just chilled the whole thing after. It's still fabulous either way.
For an extra added twist, try adding a a few pinches of fresh thyme leaves as you saute your onions. It gives another layer of flavor that really goes well with sauteed onions! Yum.

Guinness Stout Brownies with Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Frosting

 I first got this idea several months ago when I was out with my Thursday Night Quizzo gang. Our fabulous friend (who always takes care of us) Carissa, brought us a little taste and I immediately said "oooo I have to make these!" So I looked at several different recipes, and this is where I landed! The brownie recipe is from a blog called LifeLoveandSugar, and the frosting recipe is from a blog called Family Fresh Meals. (Actually, FFM added 4-6 tbs of Bailey's to her frosting, but I just went with 3, otherwise it might not have set up the way I wanted, but you do you!) 

 When I made them for friends, we quickly realized that you can't eat just one. I'm not even kidding. They're so rich and chocolatey, and the frosting is just SO good, you suddenly find yourself justifying why you absolutely DESERVE another one! I'm not exactly sure what kind of sorcery this is, but I'm certainly not gonna argue. They're just that good! In fact, I would go so far as to say they are some of the best brownies I have ever made. And you KNOW I've made literally hundreds, possibly even thousands of brownies. So that's really saying something! You should probably stop what you're doing and make TWO batches of them, like right now! You'll be glad you did!

Brownies:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup Guinness Stout beer

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup salted butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

1 cup flour

2/3 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa 

Heat oven to 350ºF. 

Grease a 9x9 square baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Set aside. Mix together the oil, Guinness, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add butter and mix until well combined. Add eggs and mix until well combined. Combine flour and cocoa in another medium sized bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to the egg mixture until well combined. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cheese Icing:

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1/4 lb (1 stick) salted butter

2 cups powdered sugar

3 tbs Bailey's Irish Cream

Whip the butter and cream cheese until creamy and well blended. Turn your mixer to its lowest setting, and slowly add the sugar until it's well incorporated. Add Irish cream. Turn your mixer back up to high and whip everything until light and fluffy. 

Tips:

-Yes, I know I piled the cream cheese frosting HIGH on top of the brownies so that the frosting is nearly as thick as the brownie. I'm not seeing this as a bad thing.

-I've discovered that one bottle of beer is exactly enough for two batches. Just sayin!

-And I know I've given this tip about a million times, but it's worth repeating every time:

When you line the pan with parchment, cut it a little longer than the pan so you have a little extra hanging over the edges. Then after you've cooled, frosted, and chilled your brownies, you can use the parchment as a sling to lift the whole batch out of the pan. Now you're able to make perfectly perfect cuts using a large knife. (Chrissy, bring me the big knife!) Your brownies will be much prettier, and you won't ruin your pan!

-Since you bake the batch in a square pan, I find it easiest to cut it in half in both directions, making 4 quadrants. Then do the same thing to each quadrant. You'll wind up with 16 perfectly square brownies.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

A few weeks ago, I got a text from my friend, Greg. He was browsing my website, wondering if I had ever made a Chocolate Guinness Cake. I hadn't, but quickly did a little search to see which one I would recommend. I quickly found this recipe from Nigella Lawson (LOVE her, btw). It looked pretty simple and straight forward, so I sent him the recipe. Then I thought, well, I guess I might as well try it!
 All I have to say it OH. MY. GOD. This cake is HEAVENLY. It has a rich deep chocolate flavor with just the tiniest hint of a bitter note from the stout. And the cream cheese topping is just a pillow of lusciousness covering everything. Actually, it's so moist, you don't even need the topping, but it's CRAZY good, so you'll want to include it. It's SO easy to make too. Just follow the recipe as written, straight through, and you'll be good to go!
 So, thanx to Greg for the suggestion, and thanx to Nigella for the lovely recipe. This one is definitely a new favorite!

Cake:
1 cup Guinness stout 
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter 
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 
2 cups superfine sugar 
3/4 cup sour cream 
2 large eggs 
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Topping:
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature 
1/2  cup heavy cream

For the cake:
Heat oven to 350F.
Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment paper. In a large saucepan, combine Guinness and butter. Place over medium-low heat until butter melts, then remove from heat. Add cocoa and superfine sugar, and whisk to blend. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add to Guinness mixture. Add flour and baking soda, and whisk again until smooth. Pour into buttered pan, and bake until risen and firm, 45 minutes to one hour. Place pan on a wire rack and cool completely in pan.

For the topping:
Using a food processor or by hand, mix confectioners' sugar to break up lumps. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add heavy cream, and mix until smooth and spreadable. Remove cake from pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake only, so that it resembles a frothy pint of Guinness.


Notes:
Instead of lining the pan with parchment, I just sprayed it with baking spray (the kind that has flour in it) and it worked perfectly!
Also I didn't use superfine sugar. I just used regular granulated sugar. I'm guessing the superfine might give you a slightly different texture, but the regular granulated worked well enough for me. You could always blitz your regular sugar in the food processor for a while if you want superfine sugar.
Next time, I think I'm gonna try making it in a bundt pan, just to see how it turns out. I kind of like the idea of the rich creamy topping cascading down the sides!
Btw, if you want to add a different kind of stout, go for it! How about a chocolate stout? Makes sense to me!
I like using heavy cream in the topping, just as it's written, just so it stays white to resemble the frothy pint of Guiness, but if you want a little extra something, try using Bailey's instead of cream. Delish!

Irish Beer and Cheddar Soup

 I recently made this for my family's Olympics Opening Ceremonies party. (I'm sure every family has an Olympics party, right?) In keeping with the International theme, we always choose foods from different countries for our menu. This time I chose Ireland and Russia. For Russia, I made Beef Stroganoff (which was FABULOUS, btw) and this soup was my Irish contribution.
 It's really easy to throw together and it's rich and hearty. BIG BOLD flavors too! Actually, tbh, this isn't the exact recipe I made for the party. The original batch had a VERY strong beer flavor. (You know that bite that comes from the hops in the beer? yeah, that.) It was fine, but I think it overpowered all the other flavors.  My brother Chris loved it, but I felt that I needed to tweak it a little. So, here is the newer version.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!

1 onion, chopped
2 tbs butter
12 oz bottle lager (recommended: Harp Lager) 
32 oz chicken stock 
Salt and pepper to taste
2 lbs potatoes (peeled and diced) 
2 tbs cornstarch 
1 lb cheddar (shredded) 
8 oz Cheese Whiz
Bacon, crisp and crumbled 
Chopped chives


 In a large heavy pot, saute the onions in butter until they begin to soften. Add the beer and chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Stir together cornstarch with a little cold water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the soup and reduce the heat to low. Stir in the shredded Cheddar, a little at a time. Turn off heat and whisk in the cheese sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into serving bowls. Top with bacon and chives.

Tips:

This would be fabulous served in a bread or pretzel bowl. For a little extra decadence, serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.  YUM.

Beer and Cheese Pretzel Dip

 This is my version of a popular recipe I found online. My original thought was to make a dip for pretzels. You have onion dip for the bowl of potato chips, and so I figured we needed a dip for the bowl of pretzels. Am I right? I do love the really thin ones, but the larger pretzel rods seemed to be calling me for this particular dip. But then I talked to my brother Denny, and also to my friend Donna Marie, and they both suggested that it should be served with SOFT pretzels instead. Hmm...not a bad idea!  After all, I do love to serve Spinach Dip with broken up soft pretzels! Still, there's just something about that pretzel rod CRUNCH that I'm loving with this dip.
Well, whichever pretzels you choose to serve, I'm sure you're party guests will love it. Make it ahead and serve it for your next sports party or tailgate event! As Jerry described it, 'it's addicting!!!"
Try it!

16 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (1 oz) packet Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup beer
Pinch of Kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a food processor with a metal blade and process until smooth.
Drink the rest of the beer.
Cover and place in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Serve with pretzel rods, or your favorite kind of pretzels.


Tips:
If you don't have a food processor, you can just bring everything to room temperature and mix it together with a mixer. The dip won't be smooth,  but it'll still be yummy.
Use any kind of beer you like. Usually, when using beer in a recipe, it's better to choose a heartier dark beer or stout.
I think the flavor is quite good as it is, but if you want to pump it up even further, feel free to add finely chopped green onions and/or fresh minced garlic.
Can be made well in advance, even up to several days before your event. Just keep it tightly covered in the fridge.

Beef and Brew Stew

Lately I've been in the mood for some old timey soups and stews. You know, the kind you cook in a heavy cast iron Dutch Oven. My Mother used to say "just throw everything into the pot and let it cook." I could be making some "Feel Better All Over" soup for Jaclyn, or Beef Stew or Beef Barley Soup for Paul, and it always brings me home to my Mom cooking a big pot of something all day on a Sunday afternoon.
So, when I saw this recipe, I knew immediately that I had to try it.  It screams comfort food and it'll satisfy your hungriest hungry man. Oh, and it's from the Campbell's Soup kitchens so you know it's gonna be fabulous. Seriously, just wait until you taste it! It's PHENOMINAL. Like, I think this just might be my new favorite "go to" recipe for beef stew. It's that good! It's the perfect thing when you need something to thaw you out. Whether you've been outside for hours shoveling snow, or working out in the cold all day, there's nothing like a delicious comforting stew to help warm you up and bring you home. You simply MUST try this one!

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large onions, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup

2 cans (10 1/2 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup

1 bottle (12 fluid ounces) dark beer or stout

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 cups fresh or frozen whole baby carrots

Egg noodles, cooked, drained and buttered

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an oven-safe 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat.  Add the beef in batches and cook until well browned, stirring often, adding an additional 1 tablespoon oil as needed during cooking.  Remove the beef from the saucepot.  Pour off any fat.
Heat the remaining oil in the saucepot over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are tender, stirring occasionally.
Stir the soups, beer, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme, bay leaf and carrots in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Add the beef back to the pot along with any juices. Give it a good stir. Cover the saucepot.
Bake at 300°F. for 2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender.  Remove and discard the bay leaf.  Serve over the noodles with some warm crusty bread.

Tip:
I used Beck's Dark beer because the recipe reminds me of a hearty sort of German stew, so I chose an imported German beer, but you can use whichever dark beer or stout you like.
I added two pounds of baby carrots instead of one pound because, frankly, I like carrots. And if you like a lot, you should add a lot!
The recipe suggests that you serve it over buttered egg noodles, but I think it would be just as fabulous over some mashed or smashed potatoes, or you could even just cut some baby red potatoes into halves or quarters and add them right into the stew.
This recipe can also be made in a crock pot. Just brown everything up as directed, then transfer everything to a crock pot and slow cook it for 8 or 9 hours on low.
When I first typed up the recipe, I noticed that someone in the Campbell's Soup kitchen neglected to instruct when to add the beef back to the pot. As I've stated above, I just added it to the pot after I gave everything else a good stir and it turned out perfectly. I'm guessing they meant to do that!