Irish Coffee Truffles

It’s day 3 of my St. Patrick’s Day run up of recipes and have I got a winner for you today – Irish Coffee Truffles! These little dickens are rich, creamy and boozy with a zing of espresso. Perfect not only to get that St. Patrick’s Day party started, but also to keep it going or even as a perfect compliment to your nightcap!

Now there’s only a few ingredients needed to create these lovely little indulgences, so you want to make sure you use those of the best quality. And for the booze, I have some recommendations. I told you all about them in my first post of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day countdown – The Irish Coffee Martini. These tipples are new discoveries for me from our most recent trip to Ireland in October 2022 and I am absolutely wild about both of them! I strongly recommend that you get ahold of some West Cork Irish Whiskey as well as some Five Farms Irish Cream.

On our most recent trip to Ireland I was thrilled to be able to stay in the luxurious 5 Star Cliff House Hotel which is located in the charming fishing village of Ardmore in County Waterford. We have been dying to stay here for years so this was quite a treat! This small boutique hotel seems to defy gravity as it clings to the cliffs above the sea. Full advantage is taken of this birds eye location with nearly the entire sea facing side of the hotel consisting of floor to ceiling (sometimes spanning multiple floors) windows looking out over Ardmore Bay.

View from our Bedroom balcony towards the village

View from our living room balcony looking out over Ardmore Bay

Indeed every room boasts a seaview and either a balcony or terrace. The decor is sleek, modern and bright featuring stacked stone walls and gorgeous tweed throws on the beds.

The bathrooms are huge! The semi transparent wall between the bathroom and bedroom allows the natural light to stream in.

There are cozy fireplaces in both the bedroom and living room of the suites.

You can enjoy their abundant, cooked to order breakfast in their lovely restaurant while gazing out over the sea or enjoy a lazy relaxing start to the day as we did and have it delivered to your room.

The infinity pool at the spa seems to flow out into the sea. There is also an outside jacuzzi. We indulged in massages, facials and a very relaxing peat soak in outside bathtubs while gazing over the sea and wild cliffs.

The Cliff Walk is located steps away from the entrance to the hotel. This 4 km walk features beautiful seascapes and breathtaking views from Ardmore Head and Rams Head. It starts with Temple Dysert, the 10th C ruins of a monastery originally founded by St. Declan as well as his curative well.

We passed the wreck of the Samson which hit the cliffs in 1987.

And stopped to drink the curative waters from Fr. O’Donnell’s curative spring. With Covid still lurking about, we figured we should have all the help we could get!

But let me get back to today’s tasty treat – Irish CoffeeTruffles!

Made with rich dark chocolate, Irish Cream, Irish Whiskey and espresso, how could they be otherwise than divine! These truffles are easy to make, albeit the rolling of them can get a bit messy. But it is definitely worth it. I made the ganache one day and left in the fridge overnight and then on the following day, I rolled and coated the truffles. I used chopped pistachios, a combo of confectioners sugar, espresso powder and cocoa and then just plain pistachio flour, for those who maybe didn’t like the toothy vibe that the pistachio pieces provided.

I’m not sure which was my favorite. But that is the fun thing with these truffles, you can do you! Love coconut – do that! I have also dipped these truffles in chocolate coating before which is also a lot of fun. Folks at your St. Patrick’s Day festivities will be undoubtedly smitten with these indulgent boozy bites!

• Servings: 30
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients:

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons West Cork Irish Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Pinch salt
• 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghiradelli, chopped
• Cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed), confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, finely chopped pistachios, pistachio flour or unsweetened shredded coconut, for coating*

Directions:

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the heavy cream, Five Farms Irish Cream, West Cork Irish Whiskey, espresso powder, butter and salt. Microwave on high power until the mixture comes to a boil, 70 to 80 seconds. Watch that it doesn’t boil over. Add the chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds to melt. Using a whisk, stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth. Refrigerate until completely firm, about 3 hours or overnight (to speed this chilling process up, pour the mixture into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate).

Place your coating(s) on a plate. Remove the chilled truffle mixture from the refrigerator. If you’ve had the mixture in the fridge for longer than 3 hours, you may need to let it sit out at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so it’s malleable enough to work with.

Using a small spoon, scoop out about 2 teaspoons of the chocolate mixture. Dust your fingertips with the cocoa powder or the confectioners’ sugar/cocoa mixture. Use your fingertips to shape into a rough ball. Quickly and gently roll in your palms to form into a smooth ball, then roll in your topping of choice. (If the chocolate starts to melt from the warmth of your palms, drop the truffle into the cocoa or confectioners’ sugar/cocoa mixture and lightly coat, then continue rolling. You may need to wash your hands in cold water from time to time.) Place the truffles in a single layer on a plate or in a storage container, cover, and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving (keep in mind that they’ll get too soft if left out at room temperature for too long). The truffles will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for up to two months.

*For my toppings I used rough chopped pistachios, pistachio flour and a mixture of 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon espresso powder and 1 Tablespoon Dutch Process Cocoa.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Irish Cream Truffles:

Pistachio Flour

Espresso Powder

Small Cookie Scoop (2 3/4 – 2 tsp. /#100) or King Arthur Flour has this one.

Travel Planning Guide:

Getting there: Icelandair! We love Icelandair and have always had great experience with them. Icelandair flies to Dublin, Ireland. Take advantage of their Stopover program on your next flight to Europe.

Car Rental: New Way Car Hire – Love the all-inclusive pricing on these cars as well as the Dublin Airport pickup!

Accommodation:

The Cliff House Hotel – Luxurious 5 star boutique hotel in the picturesque fishing village of Ardmore. Boasts Michelin starred fine dining and amazing spa!

St. Patrick’s Day Round-up 2023

Oh my goodness ya’ll…St. Patrick’s Day is only 7 days away. Tomorrow I will be starting my annual St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon. Yup, I’ll be sharing one lovely Irish-y recipe everyday with you, right up to the big day Thursday March 17th! And this year it’s going to be just a wee bit extra. I was fortunate enough to visit Ireland between last St. Patrick’s and this. Hadn’t been there in ten years, so a visit was well past due! So not only will I be sharing a bunch of delicious recipes, but I will also share a travel pic or two as well as some travel recommendations just to inspire you all the more. So make sure you tune in daily!

My First View of Ireland in 10 years!

Now I think managing to publish one recipe daily for six days straight is a pretty impressive feat. But, a few years ago I was completely mad and used to start on March 1st and do a new recipe each day until March 17th. That is why you can find over 100 delicious St. Patrick’s Day recipes on my blog. If you’d like to take a peek at my past St. Patrick’s Day posts, you can click Runcible Eat/Recipes up at the top navigation bar and scroll down to the St. Patrick’s Day category. That’s where you’ll find them! And stay tuned here for my latest additions this year. Today I thought I might inspire you with some of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dishes from years past. I’d like to first remind you of the dishes on deck last year in case you missed them:

Vegetarian Cottage Pie and Brown Bread

Irish Whiskey Cake

Guinness Punch

Whiskey Butter Tarts

Baileys Tres Leches Cupcakes

And I’ll follow up with some bread:

Classic Irish Soda Bread

Theresa’s Prize-Winning Scones w/Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream

Struan

Classic Irish Soda Bread, Theresa’s Scones & Struan

And here are some drool worthy mains:

Chicken Skink

Guinness Braised Beef Sandwiches on Waterford Blaa

Irish Ale Potato Cheddar Soup w/Beer Battered Leeks

Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

Dublin Coddle

Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Stew

Smithwick’s Beef & Cheddar Pies

Chicken Skink, Guinness Beef Sandwiches, Potato Cheddar Soup, Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup, Dublin Coddle, Guinness Beef Stew, Irish Stew, Smithwicks Beef & Cheddar Pies

I wouldn’t want to forget the sides:

Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Potato Nests

Champ

Corned Beef Potato Nests & Champ

And now for the decadent desserts:

Baileys Bite sized Cheesecakes

Chocolate dipped Baileys Pistachio Shortbread

Guinness Pretzel Truffles

Guinness Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baileys Salted Caramel Pots de Crème w/Baileys Whipped Cream

Baileys Cheesecakes, Baileys Shortbread, Guinness Truffles, Guinness Chocolate Chips, Baileys Pots de Crème

And last but not least….something to wash it all down with:

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

Guinness Hot Chocolate topped w/ Homemade Guinness Marshmallows

Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy

Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail, Guinness Hot Chocolate, Whiskey Toddy

Is your mouth watering yet? Quite the galleries of goodies if I do say so myself. And there are many more recipes to be found on my blog as well as seven new ones starting tomorrow! Along with some lovely pictures of the Emerald Isle and my travel recommendations. Don’t miss out!

Leprechaun Bait

So tell me, are you hoping to catch a Leprechaun this St. Patrick’s Day? Have you ever indulged in so many adult beverages on a St. Patrick’s Day past that you thought you saw one? Well, let me tell you about today’s recipe: Leprechaun Bait!

What we’ve got going on here is a magically delicious combination of chex cereal, Lucky Charms, salty pretzels, pistachios, cashews, M&Ms and Lucky Charms marshmallows, addictively coated with a silky white chocolate. Leprechaun bait? More like Leprechaun crack if you ask me!

But perhaps I’ve gotten ahead of myself. You can’t really conduct a Leprechaun hunt if you aren’t familiar with the wee fellows.

Old world Leprechaun as pictured in Spiderwick Chronicles

A Leprechaun is one of the fairy folk that live in Ireland. Cobblers by trade, these diminutive fellows (no taller than 3 feet) live a solitary life.  They are very focused on their appearance, dressed to the nines in a green suit, top hat and buckled shoes. Their love for green fashion apparently developed sometime in the 20th Century. Prior to that, they were fond of wearing red. Yeats explained that solitary fairies wore red, whereas trooping fairies tended to wear green.

There seems to be a bit of controversy about where the name “leprechaun” comes from. In middle Irish there is the word luchrupán which means small body or it could derive from the word leithbrágan translating to half shoe which eludes to their profession. Or if you are a fan of the Artemis Fowl series of books, you are well aware that Leprechaun is from Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance – LEPrecon for short. (OMG – If you have not read this young adult series put it to the top of your to read list!!! And a movie is coming out soon!)

Dame Judi Dench as Commander Root of LEP-Recon.

But wait….let me get back to the traditional folklore Leprechaun. Leprechauns love music and dancing, having ceilis which have been known to last for days. Perhaps these fairy raves are how they all wore their shoes out. Because apparently shoe making/mending is quite lucrative. It is well know that each leprechaun has a pot of gold which they have hidden somewhere. It is that pot of gold that has caused them to have such a troubling history with humans, which we know tend to be very greedy – always after the poor Leprechauns pot of gold or lucky charms.

Making matters worse, there is that rumor that if you catch a Leprechaun they will grant you three wishes. You know, like a little green genie. This relentless pursuit is perhaps why leprechauns are know to be tricksy or even sometimes grumpy or distrustful. If you had to put up with being constantly hassled for money and favors, you’d be grumpy too. Kind of like the long suffering denizens of New York City. However if folks chose to be nice to them, Leprechauns have been know to bestow huge rewards, like a castle full of gold, to such good samaritans. Now I should point out what with St. Patrick’s Day upon us, there is a fairy known as a clurichaun which is said to be a cousin of the Leprechaun. Clurichauns, which tend to hang around breweries, pubs and wine cellars, are know to be often drunk. And rather than happy drunks, they are the surly, boisterous, fighting type of drunk. They raise all kinds of ruckus at night, keeping good folk awake with all the commotion. They have even been know to go on wild joyrides on unsuspecting dogs, cats or sheep. Terrible altogether! Though I would be remiss if I did not mention that there is some thought that these aren’t two different types of fairies, but that Clurichauns are actually just Leprechauns out on a bender!

But wait just a second! I have really gotten off track here. I was supposed to be telling you about this Leprechaun Bait. This addictive snack is really very easy to make and will be a perfect addition to your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

In the spirit of full disclosure, my Mom always makes this at Christmas with some red and green M&M’s and craisins thrown into the mix. I love the stuff and look forward to it every year, so I decided to give it a St. Patrick’s Day spin by using green, white and orange M&M’s (colors of the Irish flag) green pistachios and Lucky Charms Marshmallows. Feel free to customize it as you see fit, cuz I gotta tell you – once you taste this delicious mix you’re going to be making it all the time. Yup – Leprechaun crack I tell you!

And if you do see a Leprechaun this year, don’t be trying to abduct him, rob him or nag him for favors. Just pour him a drink and share this snack with him. You never know, perhaps he’ll forego his tricksy ways and you’ll be rewarded!

• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 3 cups Lucky Charms cereal sans marshmallow bits (usually I use Cheerios, but since you’ve already got a box of Lucky Charms opened…Though this will make the mix a bit sweeter since Lucky Charms is frosted)
• 2 cups broken pretzels ( I used Snyder’s Snaps but you could use small stix)
• 1 cup pistachios
• 1 cup cashews
• 12 oz. M&M’s candy (I ordered specific color’s from the M&M store which does a St. Patrick’s Day mix as well* see disclaimer at bottom of post. Though you could just pick through regular M&M’s to get the green and orange ones)
• 27 oz. White Chocolate chips
• 1 cup marshmallows from Lucky Charms (I was able to get ahold of a limited edition box that had green clover & gold coin marshmallows)

Directions: 

In a large bowl, combine the Chex, Lucky Charms cereal (without marshmallows), pretzels, pistachios, cashews and M&M’s.

Cover counter with parchment paper.

Place white chocolate chips in top of double boiler and heat until melted through.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal mixture.

Stir quickly but carefully, taking care not to crush the Chex cereal, but to ensure that the mixture is completely coated with the white chocolate.

Turn the mixture out onto the parchment paper, spread it out and sprinkle evenly with the Lucky Charms marshmallows. Press down gently to get the marshmallows to adhere.

Allow the white chocolate to set. Break into smaller pieces and store in air-tight containers.

Enjoy!

Leprechaun Bait brought to you today by: Runcible Eats (www. leaandjay.com)

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Leprechaun Bait:

Double Boiler Pot

Snyder’s Snap Pretzels

Lucky Charms Cereal – Limited Edition

Artemis Fowl set – Books 1-3

St. Patrick’s Day M&M mix – I feel rather nit picky about mentioning this, but it is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. The M&M’s store St. Patrick’s Day mix is made up of green and white M&M’s which have been stamped with some lovely shamrocks – which is great. However, some are also marked with “Happy St. Patty’s Day” Arrrrghhhhh! Who is “St. Patty” Did Peppermint Patty from the Peanuts cartoon strip perform a couple of miracles I was unaware of which got her canonized? If I had noticed that slip up, I would not have purchased them. Deal breaker! I would have just bought some plain green and white M&M’s. Patrick in Irish is Pádraig and the nickname for that is Paddy. Not Patty, which is a nickname for Patricia. Come on M&M’s folks – surely you can do better!

 

 

White Chocolate Mummy Pretzels

 

Oh ho ho! It’s getting close to my favorite holiday! No not Thanksgiving – not that I’m not thankful or anything…I am. But….I’m talking about Halloween! Whats not to like? You get to dress weird, drink booze and eat candy for dinner. In fact all of that fun stuff is encouraged. That is my kind of holiday! These White Chocolate Mummy Pretzels will be a welcome addition to all of your Halloween festivities. Quite tasty and maybe a bit more on the cute than scary side of things, they will prove to be very popular with all of the ghosts and ghouls your encounter on All Hallow’s Eve.

Dogs can have white chocolate right?

Halloween actually has Celtic origins. Our modern Halloween celebrations are derived from the Celtic holiday of Samhain. Samhain was Celtic New Year. It was a harvest festival which marked the dying of the sun-god and a turning to the colder, dormant half of the year. On this night, the Celts believed the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead was at its lowest point. The dead could more easily travel back over to our side, and if we weren’t careful, we could accidentally wander over in to their world and be trapped-a good reason to stay close to home and bonfires, no doubt! This belief likely gave rise to our Halloween legends of ghosts, ghouls and witches wandering about on this night in particular. Oh and I shouldn’t forget mummies. Yup they’ll be about too.

These treats are very easy to make. Just melt your chocolate in a double boiler. Use a spoon to pour chocolate over 3/4 of the pretzel rod. Tap the rod lightly against the side of the bowl to shake off any excess chocolate and then just add the eyes and bandages. I actually made it a bit harder on myself because I was convinced that I didn’t want to eat those candy eyeballs which come oh so conveniently in a pack from the store. No, I decided it would be a good idea to use and upside down white chocolate chip for the white of the mummy’s eyes and then add a mini M&M for the iris bit. Well, that required me to whittle the pointy bit off of 40 chocolate chips so that they would sit flat on the mummy’s face, then stick the M&M to the chip with a bit more melted chocolate and finally to draw the pupils onto the M&M with an edible marker. Yeah….store bought candy eyeballs would have probably worked just fine! Oh well, live and learn. And you can benefit with the knowledge of my travails. Though the M&M eyes are pretty cute, you gotta admit…

• Servings: 18 - 20 Mummy Pretzels
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Lets Dish Recipes

Ingredients:

• 18-20 pretzel rods
• 12 ounces white melting chocolate (such as Ghirardelli)
• 40 white chocolate chips*
• 40 mini M&Ms*

Directions:

Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip pretzel rods into white chocolate, or use a spoon to coat, covering about 2/3 of the pretzel. Gently tap pretzel rod on the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate.

Place two candy eyeballs on each pretzel rod (if they slip off, let the chocolate set for about a minute first). Place on waxed paper to set. Repeat with remaining pretzels. Or if you want to spend a bit more time fussing over them, place white chocolate chips upside down on the mummies for the whites of their eyes. You will likely need to whittle the pointy bit off of the top of the chip so that it sits flat.

Carefully spoon remaining chocolate into a pastry bag, zip-top bag or squeeze bottle. If using a bag, snip of a small corner. Drizzle white chocolate over the pretzels to form bandages, being careful not to cover the eyes, to resemble a mummy. If using mini M&M’s for eyes, squeeze one drop of chocolate on each M&M and stick it onto the white chocolate chips you placed earlier. Use an edible marker to add the pupil of each eye in the center of the M&Ms. Let white chocolate set completely before serving.

Enjoy!

*You can just use store bought candy eyeballs if you prefer.

White Chocolate Mummy Pretzels brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links to Useful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for White Chocolate Mummy Pretzels:

Wilton Candy Eyeballs

Ghirardelli White Chocolate Melting Wafers

Still looking for additional spooky Halloween treats for your festivities? Take a look at some of my past Halloween offerings.

Yeasted Irish Barmbrack Bread (traditional Halloween/Samhain)

Irish Tea Barmbrack with a Whiskey Honey Glaze (traditional Halloween/Samhain)

Soul Cakes (Traditional Halloween/ Samhain)

Halloween Cookies & Cream Owl Cupcakes

Mini Mummy Brownie Bite Cupcakes

Banana Yellowman Bundt Cake

Banana Yellowman Cake…Wow! The recipes have great eye-catching names this year. Chicken Skink yesterday and now Banana Yellowman. So what is a Banana Yellowman Cake? Well, it is a delicious moist banana cake that is shot through with little sticky nuggets of Yellowman and glazed with a caramel frosting. But what is Yellowman? Oh, right, unless you’re from Ireland, the term is probably not one you are familiar with. Yellowman is what Honeycomb is called in Ireland. It is also known as Cinder Toffee in Britain and Hokey Pokey in New Zealand and Cornwall. (I was tempted to call this cake a Hokey Pokey Cake because after I took one bite I was fairly certain that this cake could be “what it’s all about”, but since I’m including it in the St. Patrick’s Day countdown, I decided to go with “yellowman”). So, Yellowman is that yellow or golden sugary toffee with a crunchy sponge-like texture. You’ve maybe seen it in the middle of a Crunchie candy bar.

I’m not sure if you can just go out and buy it in a shop, but the good news is that it is very easy and fun to make. And if you have kids, they can help out and get a quick chemistry lesson as well. You see the reaction between the vinegar and the baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas, which gives the Yellowman its bubbly, crunchy consistency.

The reaction is quite dramatic  once that baking soda is added. Seriously it foams up to about 4x its original size, so make sure you are using a deep pan. And do exercise caution because you have to heat it to 300°F (150°C) before you add that baking soda, so there is potential there for some serious burns. Once you have a batch of Yellowman made up, you can use some of it in this cake, of course, but you can also dip it in chocolate for a great treat all on its own, or crumble it over ice cream.

I first came across this recipe on a great blog from the West of Ireland, Warm & Snug & Fat. The husband has never met a banana dessert he didn’t like, so I knew this cake would be a winner. And I am often looking for a way to use up bananas that have crossed over that thin line of ripe enough to way too ripe. This cake takes care of four of those types of casualties. After the Yellowman has been made, the cake comes together quickly and easily. And boy does it deliver on taste. Moist, tender, very notable banana flavour and when you get a bite with one of those bonus golden nuggets of goodness, it is pure bliss.

This cake would be just fine without the frosting, but the frosting really puts it over the top and provides something to which even more of that crumbled Yellowman can cling on to. And as far as Yellowman is concerned, the more the merrier!

• Servings: 1 bundt cake
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Warm & Snug & Fat

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 225 grams (8oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 heaped tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 110 grams (4oz) caster sugar (can substitute granulated sugar)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 75 grams (3oz) butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 65 grams (2½ oz) yellowman/ honeycomb, smashed (recipe for yellowman/honeycomb below)
• 4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed

For the caramel frosting:

• 115 grams butter
• 115 grams light muscovado sugar
• 140 ml heavy cream

Directions:

 Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl and stir in the sugar.

Mix in the egg, melted butter and vanilla but do not beat.

Fold in the honeycomb and mashed bananas, using a fork. Again, do not beat.

Spoon into a buttered and floured bundt tin or lined (3½ inch x 8 inch) 900 gram/2lb loaf tin and bake in an oven preheated to 350° F ( 180° C, gas mark 4) for 50-60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back when prodded gently with your finger.

Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool.

Once cake is completely cool, drizzle caramel frosting over the top. You can also add some extra crumbled honeycomb to garnish.

Enjoy!

Yellowman, Honeycomb, Cinder toffee, Hokey Pokey

recipe from: Nigella.com

Ingredients:

• 100 grams caster sugar (can substitute granulated, but you should probably give it a couple of pulses in the food processor to make the sugar “superfine”)
• 4 tablespoons Lyle’s golden syrup
• 1 ½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 25 ml water

Directions:

Put the sugar and syrup into a saucepan and stir together to mix. If you notice that sugar is clinging to the sides of the pan, you can paint the sides with a pastry brush dipped in water. Once you turn on the heat, it is very important that you do not touch it! That’s right, no stirring.

Place the pan on the heat and let the mixture first melt. Continue watching the pan closely. You will notice that it will liquefy and then turn a dark amber color. It should reach a temperature of 150°C/300°F. Or you can drop a bit of it in a small bowl of water and if it forms a hard ball when it hits the water, it is done. I think the thermometer version is easier. It will take about 3 minutes or so, depending on how high you have the heat.

Take the pan off the heat, whisk in the bicarbonate of soda. Take care because the mixture will bubble up crazily, like a volcano comes to mind. Turn this immediately onto a piece of baking parchment or greased foil. Don’t try to smooth it out. Just pour it and leave it alone.

Once it has cooled, smash it will a rolling pin or hammer so that it splinters into many pieces.

Store in a air-tight bowl.

Banana Yellow Bundt Cake brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

Guinness Hot Chocolate topped with Guinness Marshmallows

Hello, hello, hello! Today is March 1st, which means that starting today I will be posting one Irish-y recipe every day all the way up to the big day…March 17th….St. Patrick’s Day! I’ve been inexplicably doing this for a few years now, so I’ve got quite a lot of great St. Patrick’s Day food ideas for you from past years as well. Just click Runcible Eat/Recipes up at the top navigation bar and scroll down to the St. Patrick’s Day category. There are over 50 recipes to choose from there. Not to mention all those that I will be adding this year. Which brings me back to today. I wanted to start my St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon off right and I thought I’d go for something boozy and decadent! That is just what I’ve got going on here with this Guinness Hot Chocolate topped with Guinness Marshmallows.

And let me be clear….this is homemade Guinness Hot Chocolate…no powders here…with homemade Guinness Marshmallows bobbing around on top! Whaaaaat?!! Before I did it, I didn’t know marshmallows could be made at home…well that’s a bit of a fib…I should say I didn’t think I would ever do it.

Homemade Marshmallows waiting to be dusted

Woooweee! They can and I sure did. And once you taste them, you’ll be spoiled for those little plasticy nuggets that come in bags at your local grocery.

You’re kind of getting two recipes today as well. Of course, they can be served together. Gooey Homemade Marshmallows melting on top of a big mug of piping hot silky smooth liquid chocolate and Guinness blend is a no-brainer for sure, especially in light of the lovely weather we have been graced with this winter. But you can also just serve these marshmallows as a treat all on their own. Once you’ve accessorized them to meet whatever your tastes might be, they simply look divine and taste pretty heavenly as well!

 

I’ve provided you with a couple of toppings options, but really you can add whatever you like. Get creative! But definitely try your hand at a batch of these Guinness Marshmallows today!

But let’s not forget that rich, thick and creamy Guinness Hot Chocolate with all of the Guinness Marshmallow excitement. It will be exactly what the doctor called for to warm you once you’re back inside after the parades. Cold weather simply calls for the comfort of Hot Chocolate and the addition of the Guinness, which adds a bit of a nutty depth of flavour, really ups its game.

Yup, this Hot Chocolate with an Irish twist is pretty special all on its own, but when you pop a couple of the marshmallows on top, you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven! So there you have it…day one of this years St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-polooza done and dusted. Only 16 more to go! Hope you’ll stick around for all the fun!

• Servings: 3 cups or 24 ounces for the hot chocolate. Number of servings will vary according to the mug size you plan to use and anywhere from 9 - 120 Marshmallows -depending how you slice them
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipes from: Guinness Marshmallows: Yes, More Please! Guinness Hot Chocolate: The Beeroness

Ingredients:

For the Marshmallows:

• 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin /approx. 21 grams (I used powder, you’re welcome to use gelatin sheets )
• 1 cup cold, flat Guinness Stout
• 2 cups granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 2 pinches of sea salt
• 2 large egg whites beaten until stiff peaks.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To dust:

• ½ cup confectioners sugar
• ½ cup cornstarch

For Toppings:

• 1 cup dark chocolate for melting.
• caramel sauce
• 3-4 tablespoons roasted salted pistachios crushed.
• Salty, pretzels
• Maldon flaky salt

Directions:

For the Marshmallows:

Whisk the Guinness to flatten. Or just crack one open and leave it sitting the night before you plan to make the marshmallows. Remove some of the foam if necessary.

Lightly oil your 8×8 pan and generously dust with the confectioners sugar and cornstarch mixture. Reserve the rest for use when cutting the marshmallows.

Using the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, place ½ cup of Guinness and sprinkle the 3 envelopes of gelatin powder. Leave to bloom.

In a separate bowl, whisk your egg whites until stiff peaks set aside.

In a medium saucepan (and when I say medium, I mean you want to have sides at least 4″ high – if you’re nervous like me, go for an even deeper pan!) over medium high heat mix the sugar, corn syrup, and the other ½ cup of flat beer until the sugar is dissolved. At this point attach the candy thermometer to your saucepan and bring this sugary mixture to a slow boil until it reaches 240°F/ 116°C . This sticky, lava-like syrup will bubble up and foam like mad before it reaches 240°F. Stay calm! And stay back…it also pops and spits and burns like the dickens if any of that molten stuff lands on you! Remove from heat.

Fitted with the whisk, start your stand mixer on the slowest speed. Being very careful, start adding the hot syrup in a low stream to incorporate with the bloomed gelatine.

Once you pour in all the syrup, mix for 2 minutes and then proceed to add the egg whites along with the vanilla extract.

Mix  on high for about 10-12 minutes, until the mixture has double or tripled in size, it turns an off-white color, it has a nice shine to it and it holds stiff peaks.

At this point with the help of a spatula (lightly spray the spatula with some nonstick spray), Pour all this fluffy and highly sticky gooey goodness into your greased and powdery pan.

 Flatten the top and allow the marshmallow to dry for at least 4-6 hours. Overnight is best. The marshmallow should fill springy and soft  to the  touch.

Once dry, over a piece of parchment paper generously dusted with powder sugar and cornstarch mixture, un-mold the marshmallow sheet with a little spatula pulling from one corner and place the big square on top of the paper. With the help of a dusted knife, pastry cutter, pizza cutter or scissors, cut your marshmallows into squares.

Once they are cut, place the remainder of the confectioners sugar and cornstarch mixture in a bowl and toss the squares, so every side is covered with powder to avoid sticking. Shake the excess powder, and place the marshmallows on a clean cookie rack.

At this point, you will need to decide how many of these marshmallow are going to be used in hot chocolate and how many will simply be devoured all on their lonesome. The only reason I say this is that I prefer to have non-pretzelfied/pistachio’ed marshmallows on my hot chocolate, but to each his own. Proceed with toppings as you see fit!

Melt the dark chocolate, and warm any other sauces you plan to use. Drizzle the marshmallows, sprinkle with toppings of your choice.

Devour!

Guinness Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• ½ cup Milk
• ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Guinness
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar (if desired – remember those marshmallows will add quite a bit of sweetness as well)

Directions:

In a pan over medium high heat, add the cream, milk and chocolate chips. Stir until melted, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in the Guinness. Depending on your personal preference, add in the 2 tbs of sugar for a higher level of sweetness.

Return to heat and stir until desired temperature is reached (Usually between 140 and 160 degrees F).

Serve hot chocolate topped with Guinness Marshmallows.

Enjoy!

Guinness Hot Chocolate Topped with Guinness Marshmallows brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

Festy Besty Boozy S’mores Fudge

Woo wee! Would ya’ll just take a look at this fabulous S’mores Fudge I just whipped up!  Yup, what you’re seeing there is a rich decadent creamy chocolate fudge, surrounding fluffy mini marshmallows, all sandwiched between a buttery graham cracker crust. And you did read that title right…there’s booze in it! Marshmallow Vodka booze to be exact, which goes along just perfectly with the whole s’mores vibe. (Though I suspect Bourbon would be a good choice as well.) Why is it that I’m always reaching for that bottle of booze to give recipes that little something extra? Wait…don’t answer that. 🙂

Anyhoo… This fudge was super easy to make and only required me to have the stove top on for 5 minutes and there was nary a bit of oven time need at all. As I’ve mentioned in past blogs, heating up the kitchen one fraction of a degree during these hot swampy Virginia summers is really frowned upon. So no-bake desserts are very popular around here right now. The only thing you might be left wondering at this point is what is the meaning of that “Festy Besty” bit in my recipe title. Well let me explain and also take a moment to plea for a favour.

The Festy is this phenomenal 3 day camping music festival which takes place the 2nd weekend in October on the beautiful grounds of the Devils Backbone Brewery in Nelson Country Virginia (about 45 minutes away from Charlottesville). This event is the brain child of  The Infamous Stringdusters. The Stringdusters are a pop bluegrass, progressive bluegrass or newgrass band – take your pick of descriptors there. Basically  these incredibly talented musicians are schooled in traditional bluegrass which they are able to combine seamlessly with the improvisational skills and blistering solos of a consummate jam band. To hear a recording of them is delightful but let me tell you, seeing their enthusiastic and passionate performance live is a unforgetable experience to say the least! Every year, The Stringdusters hand-pick the line up of bands which will perform at the Festy in an attempt to display a wide range of musical genres, not just bluegrass. Yeah…you heard me. A music festival… held on the grounds of a brewery! And you don’t have to worry about driving anywhere after a full day of listening to a lineup of smoking hot bands, eating tasty grub and washing it all down with cold refreshing Devils Backbone brews. Nope cause you’ve got a tent pitched only a small bit away from the stages. Brilliant!  (And even more brilliant if you leave all that tent pitching work to the Show Sherpa. Sooooo worth it!) The husband and I went last year for the first time and that is all it took. We were hooked and have vowed not to miss any of the future Festys come what may! (I think there is supposed to be a vow which specifies something about hell and high water here…)

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it our not, but the husband and I are both musicians. I play mandolin and he plays pretty much anything with strings, but most recently has been seen with a banjo over his shoulder.

We love to play bluegrass tunes as well as some Old Time and Americana songs. So we are really looking forward to the Festy this year because in addition to hearing all those great acts over the weekend, there are many impromptu jam sessions taking place back at the camp sites and everyone gets to join in. That is where this Festy Fudge comes in.

When we are ready to take a break from picking, I will be ready to offer everyone some of that delicious Festy Besty S’mores Fudge. It will be just perfect, enough sugar to keep you going, a little booze to keep you loose and the wonderful campy S’mores vibe to boot. I mean what is camping without s’mores? And these little gems are coated with a graham cracker crust which will keep the melted chocolate off of your fingertips, and hopefully off of your strings, when the snacking is done and the playing resumes.

The husband and I will definitely be in attendance at Festy 5 come this October. In fact, I even entered a photo contest which the Festy Experience is hosting. And I’m a finalist!!! Here is what I hope will be the winning pic:

The winner gets free weekend camping and back stage passes. Oh my goodness! We would so love to win this. And this is where that favour I mentioned come into play. I’m going to have to ask you for some help. You see the winning photo will be chosen from the photo that gets the most votes. So….Please…pretty, pretty please with S’mores Fudge on top, please take a couple of minutes and cast a vote for our picture at this link: http://thefesty.com/festybesty-finalists-cast-vote-winner/ The deadline for voting is Sunday August 3rd, and thus far, I don’t really have a lot of votes compared to some. Help a girl out ya’ll! But regardless, even if you don’t do the “vote for people” thing, you should check out the Festy. Tickets are on sale and the lineup looks incredible. You don’t want to miss the raging good times to be had by all! If you are a bit too far away to take part in the Festy, make some of this stunning S’mores Fudge to console yourself. You won’t regret it and keep your fingers crossed for us to win!

• Servings: 16 pieces
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted (I added the booze bit – go figure!) from: On Sugar Mountain

Ingredients: 

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 6 Tablespoons melted butter

For the fudge:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• pinch of salt
• 1 (7 ounce) jar of marshmallow fluff
• 1 (12 ounce) bag of semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 -4 Tablespoons Marshmallow Vodka  (some folks would say this is optional. I don’t think so, but do as you will…)
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions:

Prepare the graham cracker crust. Line one 9 X 9″ square pan with aluminum foil. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a medium bowl and stir until well combined. Press half of the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Set the remaining graham cracker mixture aside for the moment.

Make the Fudge. Add the sugars, butter, heavy cream and salt into a medium-sized , deep pot and bring to a boil Boil for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and using and electric mixer, beat in the marshmallow fluff. Next add the chocolate chips to the mixture and beat until the all of the chocolate has melted and the fudge is smooth. Add the Marshmallow Vodka to the mixture and continue to beat until combined.

Pour half of the fudge over the prepared graham cracker crust in the 9 X 9″ pan. Top with the mini marshmallows. Cover the mini marshmallow layer with the remaining chocolate fudge and smooth the top. Cover the top of the fudge with the remaining graham cracker mixture and press down gently. Cover the pan and place it into the refrigerator to set for at least four hours. Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Boozy S’mores Fudge Brought to you by: Runcible Eats (http://www.leaandjay.com )

 

Guinness Pretzel Truffles

Time for more candy in this St. Patrick’s Day countdown I say! And who doesn’t like truffles? Better yet, who doesn’t like boozy truffles?!! These Guinness Pretzel Truffles will knock your socks off!

You know how some truffles are just so tooth-achingly sweet you can’t manage to take more than one nibble? Not these little devils. You see they have a reduced Guinness syrup added to the chocolate. That Guinness reduction adds an earthy, slightly bitter stout flavour to the chocolate and also serves to temper the sweetness. I’m sure that sounds great to those of you with a bit more subdued sweet tooth. But wait…there’s more. These tasty treats are then rolled in crunchy, salty crushed pretzels.

So there you have it – malty Guinness, rich dark chocolate and salty pretzels combined to make an irresistible St. Patrick’s Day confection. You can have a batch done in no time flat. So what are you waiting for?! You’ll absolutely drive folks wild with these!

Guinness Pretzel Truffles

recipe from: SprinkleBakes

yield: 18 – 21 truffles

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bottle Guinness Extra Stout (divided)
• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup finely pulverized pretzel rods (you want these really pulverized – best to use a food processor)
• 3/4 cup crushed pretzels for rolling truffles

Directions:

Place 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. Guinness Stout in a 2 cup saucepan.  Set aside.

Pour the remaining Guinness Stout in a separate small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Cook until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 15- 20 minutes.  Be sure to keep an eye on this because it can be tricky. You’ll notice it will foam up quite a bit at first. Don’t let it boil over as it will be quite the sticky mess to clean up! (Not that I have first hand knowledge of that or anything. 🙂 Also, once reduced considerably, the syrup can burn easily. So – don’t get distracted!

Chop the chocolate into pieces and place in the saucepan with the Guinness Stout. Place the saucepan over medium- low heat and let stand until the chocolate starts to melt.  Stir with a wire whisk to blend together the chocolate pieces, but don’t whisk vigorously – we’re not trying to incorporate air.

When the chocolate is melted and smooth, begin to add butter 1 tbsp.  at a time. Whisk gently until butter is melted, and then add the 1 tbsp. Guinness Stout reduction.  Stir in the pulverized pretzels.

Pour the chocolate mixture into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until firm (or overnight).

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Scoop the Guinness ganache out by the heaping tablespoon and quickly roll between your palms.

Once all the chocolate is used up, chill the truffles in an air-tight container in the fridge until ready to roll in crushed pretzels. These chocolates will keep for 7 days when stored properly in the refrigerator.  Roll truffles in crushed pretzels just before serving (so they’ll be crunchy!). If crushed pretzels resist sticking to the chilled truffles, roll the truffles between your palms to warm them up, and then roll in the pretzels. The pieces should stick.

Enjoy!

Baileys Irish Potato Candy

Only seven more days to go until St. Patrick’s Day! Phew….I can’t believe I’ve made it this far with the daily blogs. Hope folks have been enjoying it. I’ve got a fun, sort of silly recipe for you today. Baileys Irish Potato Candy! Truth be told, no potatoes are actually involved in making these delicious little devils, but they’ve got the look of tiny spuds down huh? What they actually are is a candy made of confectioners sugar, butter, pecans and cream cheese. They get their color from a dusting of cinnamon and cocoa powder and their eyes from slivered almonds.

Irish Potato Candy originated in Philadelphia and has been a tradition there for over 100 years. The version you will find there in the “City of Brotherly Love” includes coconut flakes and forgoes the cocoa powder coating, using only cinnamon. I couldn’t resist throwing a bit of chocolate into the mix and while I was at it, I decided a bit of Baileys would go a long way here as well. This sweet and creamy candy is very easy to make, no baking involved, just a bit of chill time. I don’t know about you, but believe me, a bit of chill time sounds great right about now! Adorable, tasty spuds… who could ask for more? Whip up a sack of these potatoes for your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations today.

Baileys Irish Potato Candy

recipe slightly adapted from: Bake at 350

yield:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pecans (or you could substitute in your favourite nut)
• 4 Tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 teaspoons Baileys Irish Cream
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 lb. powdered (confectioners) sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon sweetened cocoa
• slivered almonds

Directions:

Heat oven to 350° F.  Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 4-6 minutes, until fragrant and toasted.  Remove from the baking sheet and let cool.  Once cool, finely chop

Beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, Baileys and salt until light and fluffy.

Mix in the sugar and pecans until combined and a dough forms.

Place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Place the cinnamon and cocoa in a shallow bowl.  Use a 2 tablespoon scoop, and form the dough into small potato shapes.  Roll in the cinnamon/cocoa mixture, using a pastry brush to brush off the excess.

Break the slivered almonds into small pieces, and press into the cookies to make the eyes.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Bailey’s Irish Cream & Pistachio Fudge

Today is March 1st. That means St. Patrick’s Day will be here soon! Just like last year, I aim to post one Irish-y, St. Patrick’s Day recipe each day up to March 17th. Wish me the luck of the Irish for this endeavor! To get things rolling, I’d thought I’d start off with a St. Patrick’s Day recipe that is both incredibly easy and incredibly delicious. I’m telling you, you don’t even need a stove for this one, you could just use a microwave. There are no candy thermometers, no baking, just a bit of mixing and a little chill time. Which is great, because it will give you time for a little chill time as well. This fudge tastes so dreamy folks will surely believe you must have slaved over it all day, when you’ve really been kicked back with some sort of refreshing adult beverage! (We are talking St. Patrick’s Day after all :p ). Give this one a whirl, you’ll be glad you did!

Bailey’s Irish Cream & Pistachio Fudge

recipe from Butteryum who adapted it from Eat Good 4 Life

yield: One 9×9 pan. Number of pieces depends on how you slice it 🙂

Ingredients:

• 36 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 1/3 cup pistachios, blanched and chopped

Directions:

Line a 9×9 pan with foil and lightly grease with butter (or use nonstick foil); set aside.In a heavy-bottom sauce pan over low heat, combine the first 3 ingredients and stir constantly until the mixture is completely combined.  Remove from heat and stir in pistachios.  Pour into prepared pan and chill until set. Cut and serve.

Enjoy!