Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

These cupcakes are rich and chocolaty, the Guinness stout enhancing its chocolate flavor.  The light and fluffy cream cheese frosting is similar to the top of a frothy beer.  Dust with cocoa or festive sprinkles and they are perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

 

 

 

Recipe

3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 bottle Guinness Stout beer

1 stick butter, melted

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, room temp

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 lb. box confectioners sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 muffin cups with liners or grease muffin tins.  Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl, add and whisk together sugar,  baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the stout, butter and vanilla.  Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  Add sour cream and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth.  Add the dry ingredients and blend until incorporated.  Divide batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full.  Bake for about 18 mins total, rotating pan halfway through baking, until they are set in the middle but still soft and tender.  For icing:  beat the cream cheese on med speed until light and fluffy, gradually beat in the heavy cream.  Add the confectioners sugar and beat until incorporated and smooth.  Pipe icing onto cupcakes and dust with cocoa powder or garnish with festive sprinkles.

 This recipe is a winner with rave reviews, and the original can be found here on the Food Network, by Dave Lieberman:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/chocolate-stout-cupcakes-recipe/index.html

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Apple Filled Sticky Buns

Who doesn't love an ooey gooey sticky bun?  I sure do, but have been reluctant to make them because of the time it takes with preparing the dough.  This version is a little bit of a shortcut using a Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix.  It's also healthy because I've added apples in the filling (well at least the apple part is healthy), so you have an excuse to eat them.  I made half of the batter with just the cinnamon/brown sugar filling, and 1/2 with the apple filling.  I really liked them with the apple filling. 

 

 

 

1 16 oz package hot roll mix
3 Tbsp butter melted
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped- I used a gala apple which worked great
Sticky Bun Syrup - whisk together 2/3 cup confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup and 1 egg white until smooth
Maple Glaze - Prepare when rolls are almost ready: melt 3 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over med heat, whisk in 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, and a pinch of salt until blended.  Add 3 Tbsp milk, bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to med-low, simmer, whisking constantly, 3-4 mins until golden brown and glossy.  Use immediately

Spoon sticky bun syrup into 2 9" pie or cake pans or 1 large casserole pan.  Prepare roll mix according to box directions, cover the dough and let it stand 5 minutes.  Roll dough on a floured surface into an 18 x 10" rectangle.  Using a pastry brush spread the melted butter over dough.  Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over butter.   Sprinkle apples over cinnamon/sugar.   Roll up the dough tightly, starting at the longest end.  As your rolling brush off excess flour from the dough with a dry pastry brush.  Cut into 18 slices with a serrated knife.  Place 1 in center of each prepared pan and 7 slices around the center.  Cover pans loosely with saran wrap, and let rise in a warm place 85 degrees to proof - double in size.  The way I did this: I set my oven to 170 degrees (the lowest setting) once it hit this I shut it off and put the buns in the oven for 35 mins until doubled in size.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover rolls and bake for 15 to 20 mins or until golden brown and done all the way through.  Cool in pans for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile prepare the glaze and brush over rolls.  Serve immediately.  Cover any remaining rolls with saran wrap, these can be reheated individually in the microwave for about 20 seconds at 50% power to achieve the ooey gooeyness again the next day.
Adapted from Southern Living

Enjoy!