Guinness chocolate cupcakes

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we could all use a bit o’ Guinness.

Even if you’re not a big fan of beer, like me, you’ll love these cupcakes. The Guinness is sort of like coffee — it just enhances the chocolate flavor. The basic idea for this recipe is all over the Internet, and I’m adding my own two cents with a special frosting.

There's a surprise inside ...

... And it's ganache!

Guinness chocolate cupcakes
Makes 12
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup of Guinness
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins or fill with paper liners.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add Guinness and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. One by one, beat in brown sugar, vanilla, sour cream, egg and egg yolk. Beat until smooth.

In separate bowl, sift together flour, white sugar, baking soda and salt. Dump flour mixture into wet ingredients and fold together until just combined.

Using 1/4 cup measure, fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way with batter. Bake 12 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, and bake another 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Once cupcakes are cool, use apple corer to hollow out their centers and fill with chocolate ganache.

Awaiting the frosting.

You don’t have to do this part. Just keep in mind that removing the centers gives you an opportunity to sample the plain cake before it gets all dolled up. Plus, who wouldn’t want MORE chocolate in their cupcake?

Chocolate ganache
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Irish whiskey (optional)

Coarsely chop the chocolate and place in heat-proof bowl.

In saucepan, bring cream to simmer over medium-low heat. Pour cream over chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is shiny and smooth. Stir in butter.

Let ganache cool slightly, then scoop into piping bag (or plastic kitchen bag with snipped corner). Pipe ganache into cupcake centers.

Hint of mint cream cheese frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1-2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Green food coloring (optional)

With electric mixer, beat cream cheese until soft and fluffy. With mixer on, slowly pour in cream. Add mint extract. With mixer still on, add confectioners sugar in 1/4-cup increments, until frosting reaches desired consistency and sweetness. Add 2 drops of food coloring for hint of green color. Use piping bag or offset spatula to frost cupcakes.

Chop House Crab Cakes

As my husband observes Lent, we’ll be eating meat-free for seven Fridays. Chop House Crab Cakes is a favorite at-home seafood dish. It’s adapted from The Chop House in Charleston, WV, whose chef shared his recipe with Charleston Magazine when we lived there.

These aren't 'no filler' crab cakes. I don't mind filler; it adds flavor!

Chop House Crab Cakes
Makes 12
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/4 cup minced red peppers
1 pound lump crab meat, drained
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, plus one egg yolk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley and chives
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons canola oil

Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onion and red pepper until soft. Remove from heat and let cool.

In medium bowl, combine crab meat and bread crumbs. Set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolk, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice, cayenne, herbs and salt. Mix in red pepper and onion. Dump crab and bread crumbs into bowl. Fold gently into mayonnaise mixture to keep crab chunks in tact. Form mixture into patties and transfer to a large plate. Chill crab cakes for 1 hour.

To cook, heat canola oil in nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook crab cakes in batches. Add four patties to pan and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in 200-degree oven while  you finish frying. Serve with Dijon Aioli and lemon wedges.

Dijon Aioli
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of Tabasco sauce
Salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Serve atop crab cakes.

Tips
* These crab cakes freeze really well. Just wrap uncooked patties in plastic or foil and stash in freezer for up to a month. Thaw in fridge for a couple hours before frying.
* Try forming mixture into balls and deep frying. Delicious appetizer!

Short rib rigatoni

The price of short ribs seems to be increasing with their popularity. I’ve heard them heralded as  “economical.” I paid $4.69 a pound. I’ll let you decide whether that’s cheap or expensive. Either way, this cut of beef makes a delicious, meaty sauce that coats pasta perfectly.

Short rib rigatoni with roasted Brussels sprouts

Short rib rigatoni
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com | Serves 2-3

1.5 pounds short ribs (about 6 hunks)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry wine (I had Pinot Grigio on hand; red would be even better)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 cup beef stock
1/2 pound rigatoni, cooked al dente

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat olive oil in cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper short ribs and place, fat side down, in single layer on bottom of pan. Sear on all sides until brown. Remove meat from pot. (You’ll have a lot of fat left in the bottom of the pot. Don’t get rid of it — it’s what makes the sauce yummy.)

Add onion and garlic to pot and sprinkle with salt. Saute until onions are clear. Add tomatoes, mustard, wine, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then bring liquid to boil. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add short ribs back to pot. Pour in beef stock. Cover pot tightly with foil, then lid, and transfer to oven. Cook 3 hours.

Remove short ribs from pot. Pull the bones from meat (they should slide right out) and discard. Separate any big hunks of fat from meat and discard. Shred meat. Toss with rigatoni.

Meanwhile, remove bay leaf from sauce and discard. Transfer sauce to food processor and puree. (You can add the sauce back to the Dutch oven and keep it warm on the stovetop, if desired.) Add about a cup of sauce to the pasta and meat. Toss and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

Get the roasted Brussels sprouts recipe here. I added a touch of maple syrup to them just before serving. They were a big hit.

Almond cakes with berries and cream

I can’t get enough of almond-flavored pastries. My mom used to make blondies with almonds on top, so treats such as biscotti or amaretti always have a familiar, nostalgic taste.

A couple weeks ago, I had a wonderful Gâteau de Beurre d’Amande (almond-butter cake) at Bistrot Zinc. And when I was jonesin’ for some baking last weekend, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home.

The restaurant presentation wasn't quite as frou-frou ...

... But I do what I want in my kitchen!

I’d never worked with almond paste before, but David Lebovitz’s Almond Cake was easy to make, as it’s all done in the food processor. Individual “cakes” (made in muffin tins) are just the right size dessert with your favorite berries and homemade whipped cream.

This is definitely a new favorite.