A Cupcake For A Rascally Leprechaun And Other St. Patrick’s Day Partygoers
I have found the perfect cupcake if you want that sneaky leprechaun to reveal where he’s hiding his stash of gold. He’ll sing when he has Guinness in him, along with that sweet, sweet treasure that is chocolate after eating “Chocolate Stout Cupcakes.” The recipe by Food Network’s Dave Lieberman, yields 24 of these Irish delights, so your guests can have one or two as well. There’s even extra icing (and Guinness) to go around. Only one bottle (and an additional splash or two) of the Irish stout is necessary to cast its spell. I took some sips while I was baking as well, just to get in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. After all, the great Julia Child was known to partake of wine while cooking. My mom was with me. She was the sober baker.
I actually haven’t had Guinness before. I missed my chance to imbibe in Ireland so I’ll have to have a pint when I go back because Michael Fassbender, the Irish and German actor, (Interesting fact:: He filmed a movie in my hometown in America) said it’s best in Ireland. I love to bake, though. So trying it for the first time in my kitchen, after watching Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on television, with my mom, who I inherited my red hair and other splendid Irish genes from, felt right too.
This is actually the first time I’ve baked with alcohol of any kind. The reason for adding the Guinness besides that it is festive for St. Patrick’s Day, is twofold, according to Mr. Lieberman in a video that accompanies the recipe. “…I really love dark beer because it has this rich, almost chocolaty quality to it but it also has a bitterness which makes it the perfect pairing to use with chocolate.”
My mother was actually the pourer of the Guinness. She handled it with great care, as it was the recipe’s v.i.p. She also advised that I should add a little more from another bottle to make it even as the case we bought from the grocery store contained 11.2 ounce bottles and Mr. Lieberman mentioned using 12 ounces in the video. She then suggested I drink the remaining Guinness from that bottle. My mom should be a spokesperson for Guinness aimed at a niche market of mothers and daughters who bake together and want to take a little stress out of following the directions precisely.
This is Carlo. He was our supervisor - keeping an eye on us the whole time we were baking. I felt bad that we were baking something he absolutely cannot have, with the chocolate and the stout, so I gave him a dog treat later for being a good boy.
My favorite part of the baking experience was when the hot, melted butter caused the Guinness to fizz in the mixing bowl. I felt like a kid who was performing a science experiment much like the volcano with vinegar and baking soda. After all, baking is science.
There are some minor differences between Mr. Lieberman’s video and the recipe. The recipe calls for the sour cream to be added a little earlier. Also, the recipe includes a tablespoon of vanilla extract, while in the video he mentions a teaspoon. I went with the recipe. It is amazing and a little annoying that Mr. Lieberman is so good at baking (and so handsome), that he doesn’t have to measure anything. He can just guesstimate. Then again, he became a chef and a doctor, so he is a man of many skills. I stressed over exactly how much is a pinch of salt. (I don’t think leprechauns stress over a pinch though, so wear that green.)
We only had one muffin tin, so the recipe took us longer. Also the second time around we used baking cups, which made it easier. For the icing, I used a whole cup of heavy whipping cream. Then I refrigerated it for about an hour so that it would be less drippy. Next time I would refrigerate it even longer, as the recipe suggests. I tried not to wind up getting the confectioners’ sugar everywhere and was only slightly successful, but it makes for great icing.
The icing on the cupcake.
After all the icing was done, my mom and I split a cupcake. It was scrumptious. First you taste the sweet chocolate and then you taste the rich, dark barley. The Guinness is not overpowering, but the cupcake has an adult, gourmet taste. It’s for the foodie partygoer or the sophisticated leprechaun. It is a treat meant to be shared on one of our most convivial occasions - St. Patrick’s Day.
