Gingerbread-Guinness Cake

This is a great cake recipe I came across several years ago and with this being St Patrick's Day, this was a great weekend to test a Gingerbread-Guinness Cake.  The cake was moist, rich and full of that distinct Guinness flavor, but it was not an overly sweet cake.  It needed a little surprise on top, and the final touch was a dollop of Cinnamon-Vanilla Whipped Cream and a drizzle of chocolate.

    

You will have to use some patience while cooking this cake.  During the cooking process it may seem like more of a science experiment than a recipe. The beer foams when combined with the baking soda and looks a bit like a small volcano.  But fear not, the foam will subside and leave a mixture that smells incredible.  The cake does a little more volcano action while cooking.  The top foams and rises, then relaxes and becomes something that looks more cake-like.  If you are cooking this for your family, not only will your kids love to watch this cake being made with all of that foaming action, they will love the end result. This cake received three thumbs-up from the under-21 crowd. Enjoy!!

1 cup  Guinness Stout
1 cup  Molasses
1-1/2 tsp  Baking Soda
3  Eggs
1/2 cup  Sugar
1/2 cup  Brown Sugar, packed
3/4 cup  Canola Oil
2 cups  Flour
2 TB  Ground Ginger
1-1/2 tsp  Baking Powder
3/4 tsp  Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp  Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp  Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp  Ground Allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper, then butter the parchment and the sides of the pan.

In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine the Guinness and molasses and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and add the baking soda.  Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes until the foam begins to dissipate.  Then stir for a few minutes until the foam is gone and the mixture has cooled slightly.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and both sugars, then whisk in the oil.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.  Combine the stout mixture with the egg mixture, then whisk this liquid into the flour mixture, adding a small amount at a time, and stir until blended.

Pour the batter into the lined pan and bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently pressed.  Do not open the oven door until the cake is almost fully cooked, or the center of the cake might fall slightly.  (Patience here, try to wait until at least 50-55 minutes into the cooking time to check for doneness.)  Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes, then loosen the sides of the pan with a knife and release the sides of the spring form pan.  Cool completely before slicing.

Serve with a dollop of Cinnamon-Vanilla Whipped Cream and a drizzle of your favorite chocolate syrup.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Whipped Cream

1 cup  Heavy Whipping Cream
1/8 cup  Sugar
3/4 tsp  Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp  Vanilla

Pour heavy cream into a chilled bowl.  (If you have a stand mixer this works great.  Just pop the bowl into the freezer for a few minutes.)  Beat the cream on medium speed and slowly add the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.  As the mixture begins to thicken slightly, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the mixture is thickened.  Serve immediately.

Guinness Chili

Anything you cook with Guinness Beer is going to be blessed with its thick, dark and rich flavor, and this bowl of Guinness Chili is no exception.  The secret ingredient in this chili is a square of unsweetened chocolate, which adds a nice background flavor to the beer, beef and spices.  The spices are actually very minimal, with just a small amount of cumin and chili powder to provide that familiar chili taste.

This recipe was a real experiment and it was amazing how the flavor of the sauce changed the longer it was allowed to simmer.  If possible, hold off adjusting the amount of salt until the last 30 minutes of cooking time.  Just one teaspoon of salt at the end was the only seasoning needed.

This chili does need a little extra time to simmer, but it is well worth the wait.  We served this chili on top of whole wheat linguine noodles, with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese and fresh minced red onion.  A simple bowl of deep, dark chili with the unmistakable flavor of Guinness.  Cheers!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2 lbs  Beef Chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 TB  Olive Oil, divided
2 tsp  Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp  Chili Powder
1/2 tsp  Cumin
1 small  Onion, diced
1 TB  Minced Garlic
14 oz can  Crushed Tomatoes
1/2 cup  Water
1 tsp  Sugar
1 bottle  Guinness
1 oz  Unsweetened Chocolate, chopped
1 tsp  Kosher Salt, if needed

In a large Ziploc bag, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin.  Push the mixture around to blend, then add the beef to the bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Brown the beef in the oil for 5 minutes while stirring, then add the onion and garlic to the pot, stir and cook 5 minutes longer.  Add the tomatoes, water, sugar and Guinness to the pot, bring to a simmer and add the chocolate, stirring until melted. 

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-1/2 hours, then adjust the seasonings as needed.  Add an additional 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or a pinch of chili powder for more spice, if desired.  Serve with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar cheese and minced red onion and a cold bottle of Guinness.

Guinness Ice Cream and Root Beer Float

Is it possible to use Guinness in one more recipe this week?  Oh, yes!

I stumbled across some IBC Root Beer at the grocery today and since it already feels like summer here in Florida, I thought the kids might like something special to drink.  If you're going to drink root beer, IBC is the one and only choice. It has that old fashioned flavor that is just unmatched by the other brands.

When everyone spotted the root beer they immediately asked for root beer floats, which led my husband to ask if we could use the Guinness Ice Cream instead of plain vanilla.  A Guinness Ice Cream float?? Hmm, not sure, but  why not give it a try. (He does come up with some great ideas!!)

So we added 2 scoops of the Guinness Ice Cream to the glasses and topped it off with a few ounces of root beer.  The flavors combined perfectly and added a new twist to the traditional drink.  The rich, creamy ice cream and the bold flavor of the root beer made a seriously good float.  Enjoy!!

Irish Lamb Stew

As the main course for our Guinness Three Ways tonight we made an Irish Lamb Stew.  This creation was a compilation of several recipes as there are so many ways to make this classic dish.  Some methods used a crock pot or stove top dutch oven to cook in and used either a lamb shoulder or leg of lamb as their cut of choice.

Many of the recipes I came across used lamb shoulder, which is the traditional cut, but lamb shoulder proved to be impossible to find in any of the markets in our area.  Leg of lamb was an option, but I didn't want this ultra-tender cut of meat to completely fall apart when it was cooked for an extended amount of time.  To solve this problem we combined the tender leg of lamb and cooked it for a shorter time on the stove top.  The result was a thick-gravy stew with tender chunks of lamb and perfectly cooked vegetables. 

 

When choosing a leg of lamb remember the bone will account for about 3/4-1 pound of the total weight. The piece I used was 3.15 lbs and it netted about 2 lbs of meat once it was cut off the bone and trimmed.

The addition of Guinness Stout to the stew rounded out the flavors and was the perfect compliment to the lamb and beef stock.  Serve with a loaf of Irish Soda Bread or crusty French bread.  Enjoy!!

3 TB  Olive Oil
1  Large Onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp  Dried Thyme
1/4 cup  Flour
3 lb  Leg of Lamb, meat cut off the bone and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1-1/2 to 2 lbs total)
2 tsp  Salt
1 tsp  Ground Black Pepper
1 bottle  Guinness Stout
1 TB  Tomato Paste
2 cups  Beef Broth
2  Bay Leaves
5 - 6  Yukon Gold Potatoes, cubed
6  Carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 TB  Dijon Mustard

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper, then add the lamb pieces and toss to coat evenly.  Shake off excess flour and add the meat to the pot.  Saute for about 5 - 7 minutes until the lamb is browned on all sides.

Remove the lamb and onions to a platter and set aside.  Pour the Guinness into the pan and simmer over medium-high heat, loosening any browned bits while stirring.  Reduce mixture for about 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste, broth and bay leaves.  Stir to combine then add the lamb and onions back to the pot.

Bring stew to a low boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot, stir and replace the cover.  Simmer for 1 hour longer. 

Just before serving add the Dijon mustard to the pot and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Mmm..Chocolate + Guinness. Today is the big finale to our Guinness Three Ways Challenge and the Chocolate Guinness Cake is ready and waiting for dessert.  The aroma of this cake cooking is wonderful and makes the whole house smell like a German bakery!  Check back later for an update to our main course, Irish Lamb Stew.

This would be a great treat for St. Patrick's Day or as a special dessert for anyone who is a fan of dark beer.  The "stout" flavor is mellowed slightly by the cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla, but it is not an overly sweet cake.  Enjoy this cake with a scoop of Guinness Ice Cream, a little whipped cream or just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

 

   

 

1 3/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup Natural Cocoa Powder (not Dutch processed)
1 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 sticks + 5 TB Unsalted Butter, softened
2 1/4 cups firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups Guinness Stout (do not include foam when measuring)
1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans, divided
Confectioners Powder for dusting, optional

Preheat oven to 325 and place oven rack in the center position. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan or a springform pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat at high speed until very light and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla extract and reduce speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the stout in 2 batches and mixing until well blended. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chopped pecans and mix just until combined.

Remove bowl from the mixer stand and stir a few times with a spatula to make sure the batter is evenly blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake for 70 to 75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan and on a rack for 20 minutes.

Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.

Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners sugar or add a scoop of Guinness Ice Cream vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream as a final touch.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Guinness Ice Cream

If you like Guinness Beer, you are going to LOVE Guinness Ice Cream. We found this recipe in Food and Wine Magazine awhile back and had to try it for Al's birthday and as part of our Guinness Three Ways birthday challenge.

I did make some adjustments to the quantities so that the ice cream would work in our ice cream machine and I also added just a touch of vanilla.

The flavor is almost coffee-like,  oh and this is definitely not low calorie ice cream!  It's the real thing, full of heavy cream and egg yolks, but it's worth every decadent bite. 

The strong, malty flavor of the ice cream can only be made better by sprinkling crushed chocolate-covered pretzels on top.  Enjoy!

1 cup Guinness (you'll have to drink the remaining 4 oz!!)
1 cups Heavy Cream
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup Whole Milk
7 Large Egg Yolks  (save the white for another dish)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp  Vanilla Extract
Chocolate-Covered Pretzels, crushed, for topping optional



In a large saucepan, combine the beer, cream and milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar.  Slowly add several tablespoons of the hot Guinness cream to the yolks, whisking constantly until well blended. (NOTE: Do this very slowly so the mixture will not separate. This is called tempering.)  Continue to add the warm mixture to the egg yolks until the egg yolks are thinned and you have added about half of the Guinness mixture.

Guinness Ice Cream in the works

Pour the Guinness/egg yolk mixture back into the into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it coats the back of a spoon, about 6 minutes;  do not let it boil.  You will have a custard-like consistency.

Pour the custard into a medium bowl set in a large bowl of ice water.  Let stand until the custard is cold, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Pour the custard into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers directions.
When the ice cream process in complete, pack the ice cream in an airtight container and store in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours.

Scoop the ice cream into bowls and top with crushed Chocolate-Covered Pretzels or Guinness Chocolate Cake.

Guinness Three Ways

My Sous Chef/Photographer has submitted his birthday dinner request and it consists of, what else, BEER!  Not just any beer, but Guinness.  Smooth, rich and velvety Guinness. And we are going to enjoy this delicious beer in three different ways in honor of his birthday on March 16th and St. Patrick's Day on March 17th!!

It's sad that he was born one day too early to be a St. Patrick's Day baby, because he does do his part to celebrate this special holiday. Without a single drop of Irish blood in his veins, he has enjoyed (endured?)  almost 16 years of me cooking St. Patrick's Day food such as Irish Soda Bread, Corned Beef and Cabbage, and Irish Beef Stew with Guinness, plus more than a few bottles of Guinness.  (That's what you get when you marry an Irish girl!)

For his birthday dinner we will be starting off with Irish Lamb Stew served with Irish Soda Bread.  My daughter had a slight look of horror in her eyes when I said we would be eating lamb, so we'll have to work on her a bit.

Dessert will cap off the night with Chocolate Guinness Cake and Guinness Ice Cream.  Check back soon for more details and recipes.

Irish Beef Stew with Guinness

This stew recipe has such great flavor it will quickly become a favorite.  Using Guinness Stout beer adds a rich flavor to this beef stew and then it's cooked the old fashioned way, low and slow.  At a low temperature of just 275 degrees and cooking the stew for 2 hours, the flavors blend into a creamy beefy gravy that will warm your soul on a cold winter night.   All you need is a loaf of Irish Soda Bread on the side to soak up all of the delicious gravy.


2 TB Olive Oil
3 Bay Leaves
1 1/2 lbs Beef Stew Meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch to 2 inch cubes (with some fat)
1 large Yellow Onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, whole
3 - 4 Heaping TB All Purpose Flour
1  15 oz can  Beef Stock
1 Guinness Stout Beer
1 TB chopped Parsley (optional)
6  Carrots, peeled and sliced
8  Small Red Potatoes, washed and quartered
Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Heat a 6-quart stove-top and oven-proof pot over medium-high heat and add the oil and bay leaves. Heat the bay leaves for a few moments then add the beef, browning meat on all sides over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook until tender. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, thyme, and flour, adjusting the flour as needed to evenly coat the beef and onions; stir well until smooth.

Add the beef stock and Guinness; simmer, stirring, until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover.

Place the pot in a 275 F oven for about 2 hours, stirring a couple of times. Season with salt and pepper before serving.   Serves 6.

Crock Pot Guinness Beef Stew

This is a hearty meal that you can make in the crockpot and it's ready to eat when you arrive home after work.

4 TB Olive Oil
1-1/2 - 2 pounds Boneless Beef Chuck, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 large Onion, chopped
1 - 2 Baking Potatoes or 5-6 Red Potatoes, chopped
3 large Carrots, coarsely chopped
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 16-ounce Guinness Stout
1 TB Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1 15.5-oz can Beef Broth
3 TB Tomato Paste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. In a bowl toss meat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat all pieces. Arrange the meat in a single layer in the heated skillet. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side, just browning the outside.

Next, toss the onions, potatoes, carrots and garlic into a crockpot. Pour the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce over the veggies, sprinkle the thyme on top, and drop in the bay leaf. When all your meat is browned, place it in the crockpot, on top of the veggies.

Return the skillet to the stove and pour in the can of beef broth. Stir in the tomato paste, and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits on the bottom of the pan into the broth. Those flavorful brown bits add a lot of flavor to this stew! Add the beef broth mixture to the crockpot, and top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.Stir gently to combine.

Place the lid on the crockpot and set on LOW for 7 - 8 hours or on HIGH for about 5 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.