Chocolate Shenanigans Cupcakes!

Woo-hoo! Today is St. Patrick’s Day!!! And as per usual, the last post of my St. Patrick’s Day recipe run features a cupcake. So all you chocolate lovers, you must have the luck of the Irish because these Chocolate Shenanigans Cupcakes are clearly meant for you!

A moist chocolatey malted cake is topped with a decadent rich malted chocolate Irish Cream frosting which is then dusted with Malteser bits. Get out!!!

As I mentioned, I have always ended my St. Patrick’s Day run of recipes with a cupcake offering. Last year it was these decadent Five Farms Irish Cream Cupcakes! 

But there were many more of these tempting little treats over the years. Feast your eyes on these:

Baileys Tres Leches Cupcakes

Irish Whiskey, Ginger & Lime Cupcakes

Butterfly Cakes (aka Fairy Cakes) filled with Strawberry Jam & Topped with Baileys Whipped Cream

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Malted Scáiltín Cupcakes

Chocolate Whiskey Dipped Irish Cupcakes

Phew! That is a lot of St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes! And there are even a few more to be found in my recipe library. If you can’t find a cupcake that appeals to you there, I think maybe you just don’t like cupcakes!

But to be honest, thoughts of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are not likely to conjure up visions of cupcakes. I thinks pubs and pints are more likely what comes to mind. On our most recent trip to Ireland, we definitely darkened the door of quite a few pubs. Indeed one night we ended up in the oldest pub in Dublin, The Brazen Head, which dates all the way back to 1198! Keep in mind, this is not the oldest pub in Ireland. That honor goes to Sean’s Bar located in Athlone, which dates all the way back to 900 AD! But the Brazen Head is Dublin’s oldest. Brass filled and lantern lit, this lively pub oozes old world charm.

This was useful because our next stop was indeed Reykjavík!

Remember these?!!

Another notable pub we visited was Toners. This cozy, traditional pub is one of Dublin’s oldest, established 1734. It is said the W.B. Yeats would occasionally imbibe here. They boast a lovely beer garden out back for when the weather is good. We found it very friendly and welcoming.

But let me get back to these naughty Chocolate Shenanigan Cupcakes. I’m a sucker for anything malted and these cupcakes not only have a malted cake, but also have malted chocolate Irish Cream frosting as well as crushed and whole Maltesers on top. Maltesers, for the Americans out there, are malted milk balls, which of course, I adore. And they are frosted with not any old frosting, but Swiss Meringue frosting. Another favorite, with its light and silky texture, it puts regular or simple buttercream frosting to shame as far as I’m concerned.

So I guess I would say, you should have all of your shenanigans ready today. You can start with these Malted Chocolate Shenanigan Cupcakes, which are simply perfect for any St. Patrick’s Day shindig you might attend. But you should also have some shenanigans of your own lined up and ready to go. You know, for later in the evening. Can’t wait to hear what you get up to. I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday! Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daiobh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day)!

• Servings: 18
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Pastry Love by Joanne Chang

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

• 210 grams (1 1/2 cups) malted milk powder
• 175 grams (1 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
• 60 grams (1/2 cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 200 grams ( 1 cup) sugar
• 2 large eggs ( about 100 grams) at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk (about 20 grams) at room temperature
• 110 grams (1/2 cup) vegetable oil (such as canola)
• 240 grams (1 cup) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste
• Malted Chocolate Irish Cream Frosting (recipe noted below)
• Vanilla Syrup (recipe noted below)
• maltesers candy, crushed for decorating-optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325° F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottoms of two regular cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Spray the sides lightly with pan spray or very lightly brush with vegetable oil. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the malted milk powder, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the sugar, whole eggs and egg yolk on medium high speed until the mixture falls back onto itself in ribbons when you lift the whisk up. Turn the mixer to low and slowly drizzle in the oil. Turn off the mixer and add about one third of the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix just until most of the flour mixture has been incorporated into the eggs, about 10 seconds. Stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the whisk. Add about half the milk along with the vanilla and turn the mixer back onto the lowest speed. Gently combine until most of the milk is mixed into the batter. stop the mixer and again scrape the bowl and the whisk. Add half the remaining flour mixture; mix on low until it’s mostly mixed in, then stop and scrape. Add the rest of the milk and mix again on low util it is mostly mixed in. Remove the bowl from the mixer , add the last of the flour mixture, and gently fold by hand with a rubber spatula until all of it is incorporated into the batter. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake tins.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans midway through the baking time, until the cupcakes spring back when you poke them in the middle and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when you insert it into the middle of the cake. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool in the baking pans on a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, make the frosting and vanilla syrup and set them aside.

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, remove them from the tins. Using a pastry brush, paint and soak the tops of the cupcakes with the vanilla syrup. 

Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and fill it with the frosting. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with Malteser bits and edible stars if you desire.

Vanilla Syrup

Ingredients:

• 120 grams (1/2 cup) water
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the water and bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool before using.

The syrup can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge indefinitely.

Malted Chocolate Irish Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 135 grams (2/3 cup) superfine sugar
• 2 large egg whites ( about 1/4 cup or 60 grams) at room temperature
• 455 grams (2 cups or 4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 420 grams(3 1/2 cups) confectioners sugar
• 105 grams (3/4 cup) malted milk powder
• 75 grams (3/4 cup) sifted dutch process cocoa powder
• 2 – 3 Tablespoons Five Farms Irish Cream (can substitute Baileys) 
• pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

In a medium metal of heatproof glass bowl, whisk together the superfine sugar and egg whites to make a thick slurry. Place the bowl over a small pot of simmering water, make sure the pot is small enough the the bowl sits above the water and not directly touching it, or you may end up with scrambled egg whites. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is hot to the touch, 6 to 8 minutes.

Pour the sugar-egg white mixture into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium high for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture cools. Add the butter bit by bit and whip on medium until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Add the confectioners’ sugar, malted milk powder, cocoa powder, Five Farms Irish Cream and salt and whip on medium until the frosting is smooth and satiny. 

The frosting can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Before using, let it sit out at room temperature for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight. Place the frosting in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until it smooths out again. It will look broken (curdled and very lumpy, possibly even separated with some liquid seeping out) for a while until it warms up, but don’t panic – just keep beating it and be patient.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Chocolate Shenanigans Cupcakes:

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste

Maltesers

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Murphy’s Ice Cream – I LOVE Murphy’s Ice Cream! We used to only be able to get it when we visited Dingle, but now they have opened several shops and one is in Dublin, just steps off of Grafton Street! Their ice cream is made with fresh from the farm milk, lots of local cream, free range eggs, and organic sugar. No colourings, flavourings, or powdered milk. My favorite flavor, though it is so hard to choose because they are all so exquisite, is probably Brown Bread.

Xi’an Street Food – Modern Asian Cuisine with authentic & bold flavours from Xi’an region in China. Looking for late night takeaway while visiting Dublin, or a delicious meal anytime for that matter, this is the place.

The Brazen Head Pub – dates all the way back to 1198! Mind you the date of 1653 is what has been officially documented for this establishment. The current building dates to 1754. We visited on a Friday night and it was jammers. Pints were all we sampled, though we understand the pub grub here is definitely respectable.

Toners Pub-This cozy, traditional pub is one of Dublin’s oldest, established 1734. It is said the W.B. Yeats would occasionally imbibe here. They boast a lovely beer garden out back for when the weather is good. We found it very friendly and welcoming. Though laid back and relaxed when we visited, we understand that if there is a big sporting event going on, we understand the place can be absolutely mad!

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

The Porterhouse -This large airy brewpub offers a wide selection of ales, lagers and stouts. It has a fun, folksy atmosphere and often you can catch some live music. They serve some tasty pub grub as well and some of the best chips I’ve had in Dublin.

The Old Storehouse – The Old Storehouse is a great venue, kind of like three different pubs all rolled into one. They’ve got the cozy, intimate snug area, the lively main bar and then Flaherty’s Pub downstairs for bands. They also have a lovely covered outside area.

Attractions:

The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology – ( Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann – Seandálaíocht), often known as the “NMI”, located on Kildare Street in Dublin specialises in Irish and other antiquities dating from the Stone Age to the Late Middle Ages. The NMI’s collection contains artifacts from prehistoric Ireland including bog bodies, Iron and  Bronze Age objects such as axe-heads, swords and shields in bronze, silver and gold, with the earliest dated to c. 7000 BC. It holds the world’s most substantial collection of post-Roman era Irish medieval art. In addition, it houses a substantial collection of medieval metalwork, Viking artefacts including swords and coins, and classical objects from Ancient Egypt, Cyprus and the Roman World.

TradFest – TradFest is a joyful celebration of Irish identity through music. Each January, it showcases the best of established and emerging musical talent at a landmark festival which is rooted in the historic and atmospheric setting of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. Over 50 live music concerts take place in some of the best pubs in Temple Bar, as well as key historical landmarks in Dublin.

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

Five Farms Irish Cream Frozen Mochaccino

My oh my! Just look what I have for you today – Five Farms Irish Cream Frozen Mochaccino! Perfect for those times when you need to whip up a dessert that is not only delicious, but also a bit boozy! This decadent delight is rich, smooth & creamy & just brimming with the enticing flavor of Irish Cream liqueur.

Now I know that when most folks think of Irish Cream Liqueur, Baileys comes to mind. And that is great. If you can’t get ahold of a bottle of Five Farms, you should definitely make this dessert with Baileys. But ya’ll, if you can get a bottle of Five Farms you simply must! I told you all about Five Farms after Rascalcook introduced me to it on our trip to Ireland last year. I featured it in three of last years posts:

Irish Coffee Martini

Irish Coffee Truffles

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

Obsessed much? Yeah, I’m totally spoiled for it and diligently searched the area until I found a store that carried it. It is that good! Five Farms single batch Irish Cream liqueur is also produced in beautiful County Cork in the southern portion where the land meet the sea. The fresh cream used in this rich smooth liqueur is sourced entirely from 5 family owned farms. It is combined with premium triple distilled whiskey. In fact, there is a greater amount of Irish Whiskey in this product than most other brands of Irish Cream. This results in a warm sweet creamy taste in which the complexity of the whiskey shines through. I promise, you will not be disappointed.

Now this dreamy dessert is indeed of the frozen variety. Some folks might think they don’t want anything frozen in winter. First of all, good ole Punxsutawney Phil said it is Spring, so it’s not winter. But even if it were, frozen desserts are fantastic year round. I did mention that we visited Ireland at the end of January. Firmly winter. And do you know what one of the first shops I made a beeline for was? Murphy’s Ice Cream! Truth be told, we might have visited it several times. I LOVE Murphy’s Ice Cream! We used to only be able to get it when we visited Dingle, but now they have opened several shops and one is in Dublin, just steps off of Grafton Street! Their ice cream is made with fresh from the farm milk, lots of local cream, free range eggs, and organic sugar. No colourings, flavourings, or powdered milk. My favorite flavor, though it is so hard to choose because they are all so exquisite, is probably Brown Bread. Though this time round they had a chocolate whiskey that was fantastic. They also had an Irish Cream flavor, so the husband got one scoop of the whiskey and one of the Irish Cream.

Not that it was freezing cold in Ireland in January. The temps were anywhere from 40 F – 50 F. Late at night it might have dipped down into the 30’s. It did rain a bit, but never any torrential downpours. On one drizzly day we headed over to the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology on Kildare Street to see all of the gold. The collection of prehistoric goldwork ranges in date between 2200 BC and 500 BC. Most are pieces of jewellery but the precise function of some is unknown. I have visited this museum many, many times and really love it. But I learned something new on this visit. Along with all of the Torcs and armbands, there were these round golden, often fairly decorated objects that had previously been identified as “boxes”. Turns out they are actually ear spools. So you know the folks you see nowadays that have ear stretchers or lobe gauges in their ears? Yup, you could’ve also seen those sported in the late bronze age (1000 – 500BC) Ireland. I had no idea.

This incredible museum also has exhibitions on Viking Ireland, The Treasury (think Ardagh Chalice) Kingship & Sacrifice (think Bog bodies) and much much more. You simply must devote some time to visit when in Dublin!

But wow! I did get off track there. Let me get back to today’s frozen delight – Five Farms Irish Cream Frozen Mochaccino! This dessert is very easy to make. Just plan ahead, because once it’s all whipped together, you need to let it chill in the freezer overnight or at least for eight hours. Oisín recommends placing it in the glasses you plan to serve it in before freezing. I just poured mine into a big freezer approved bowl and then used an ice cream scoop to place it into my serving glasses. It might be fun to freeze it in little 4 oz. Weck Jars as well. Not matter how you serve this tipsy treat up, folks will be delighted I assure you!

Five Farms Frozen Irish Cream Mochaccino

• Servings: six
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Irish Kitchen Cocktails: 60 Drinks You Can Make at Home with Everyday Equipment by Oisín Davis

Ingredients:

• 125 grams caster (superfine or baker’s ) sugar
• 120 ml (4 fl. oz.) strongly brewed coffee
• 200 grams dark chocolate, smashed into wee bits
• 100 ml (3 1/2 fl. oz.) Five Farms Single Batch Irish Cream Liqueur
• 375 ml (12 3/4 fl. oz) fresh cream
• white chocolate to garnish

Directions:

Place the sugar and coffee in a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted. Then add the Five Farms Irish Cream. Using a hand blender, blitz it all up and then set it aside to cool.

Pour the cream into a medium-sized bowl and whip until it’s stiff. Fold it into the cooled chocolate mixture. Divide it among six martini glasses or small glasses. Cover the glasses with cling film, ensuring it touches the top of the chocolate mixture to prevent a skin forming. Freeze for at least eight hours or overnight.

Remove the glasses from the freezer about 15 minutes before you want to serve. Grate some white chocolate over the top to garnish and serve with a spoon.

Enjoy!

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Five Farms Frozen Mochaccino

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase*

Breville Immersion Blender

Weck Jars

Five Farms Irish Cream – Five Farms single batch Irish Cream liqueur is also produced in beautiful County Cork in the southern portion where the land meet the sea. The fresh cream used in this rich smooth liqueur is sourced entirely from 5 family owned farms. It is combined with premium triple distilled whiskey. In fact, there is a greater amount of Irish Whiskey in this product than most other brands of Irish Cream. This results in a warm sweet creamy taste in which the complexity of the whiskey shines through.

Irish Kitchen Cocktails: 60 Drinks You Can Make at Home with Everyday Equipment by Oisín Davis -OMG! I love this book. So making craft cocktails at home can be a bit intimidating to say the least. Oisín Davis, who has years of experience in the hospitality/drinks industry, completely demystifies the process in his book. He shows you that you don’t need a ton of specialty bar equipment to make a superb cocktail. You can achieve outstanding result by using common kitchen supplies! He also does an amazing job of promoting some of the best distilleries on the planet, which call Ireland home!

Criostal Na Rinne – Like the champagne glasses I served the Mochaccino in? They are crystal glasses from the Tonn Collection at Criostal Na Rinne. Criostal na Rinne is a hand cut crystal studio workshop situated in Ireland’s Ancient East in the picturesque Irish-speaking area of An Rinn, the Waterford Gaeltacht. Eamonn Terry, a master craftsman glasscutter of over 50 years experience, started his career with Waterford Crystal before establishing Criostal na Rinne in 1987, producing Irish crystal of breathtaking quality and beauty. And you don’t have to go to Ireland to purchase, they ship to the US. I have ordered from them several times and the packages always arrive promptly and in perfect condition!

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Murphy’s Ice Cream – I LOVE Murphy’s Ice Cream! We used to only be able to get it when we visited Dingle, but now they have opened several shops and one is in Dublin, just steps off of Grafton Street! Their ice cream is made with fresh from the farm milk, lots of local cream, free range eggs, and organic sugar. No colourings, flavourings, or powdered milk. My favorite flavor, though it is so hard to choose because they are all so exquisite, is probably Brown Bread.

Xi’an Street Food – Modern Asian Cuisine with authentic & bold flavours from Xi’an region in China. Looking for late night takeaway while visiting Dublin, or a delicious meal anytime for that matter, this is the place.

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

The Porterhouse -This large airy brewpub offers a wide selection of ales, lagers and stouts. It has a fun, folksy atmosphere and often you can catch some live music. They serve some tasty pub grub as well and some of the best chips I’ve had in Dublin.

The Old Storehouse – The Old Storehouse is a great venue, kind of like three different pubs all rolled into one. They’ve got the cozy, intimate snug area, the lively main bar and then Flaherty’s Pub downstairs for bands. They also have a lovely covered outside area.

Attractions:

The National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology – ( Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann – Seandálaíocht), often known as the “NMI”, located on Kildare Street in Dublin specialises in Irish and other antiquities dating from the Stone Age to the Late Middle Ages. The NMI’s collection contains artifacts from prehistoric Ireland including bog bodies, Iron and  Bronze Age objects such as axe-heads, swords and shields in bronze, silver and gold, with the earliest dated to c. 7000 BC. It holds the world’s most substantial collection of post-Roman era Irish medieval art. In addition, it houses a substantial collection of medieval metalwork, Viking artefacts including swords and coins, and classical objects from Ancient Egypt, Cyprus and the Roman World.

TradFest – TradFest is a joyful celebration of Irish identity through music. Each January, it showcases the best of established and emerging musical talent at a landmark festival which is rooted in the historic and atmospheric setting of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. Over 50 live music concerts take place in some of the best pubs in Temple Bar, as well as key historical landmarks in Dublin.

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

The Spicebag/ “Mala Spiosrach”

Here we go folks, day five of my countdown to St. Patrick’s Day. And today I am really excited to host a guest blogger who can give you all the info on what is happening food wise in Dublin on/just after the big day! Without further ado I’m going to turn it over to Rascalcook!

An important part of any culture is what it eats after it gets completely ossified (Wasted) on a night out. What do people search for when their brains cease to function, but before they are haunted by the fear (pained by a headache and crippling anxiety about anything they said to people last night). The 2am feed after the feed of pints is vital to the making, or breaking, of a sesh (social event involving drinking). 

There are lots of contenders for the best food on the sesh. The kebab is always a strong fighter, and eating an entire pizza that has enough oil on the surface to fund Norwegian pensions, is only ever possible when you’re toasted. Above all of these though, there is the Spicebag. The combination of Protein, Carbs and Spicy Umami flavours cannot be topped. Since its inception in the bleak days of Post Celtic Tiger Ireland (After the 2008 financial crash), The Spicebag has taken over. 

There is mythology around the Spicebag. Fancy chefs say it’s akin to Szechuan stir fried potatoes, whereas the national broadcaster says it’s from a takeaway in Southwest Dublin. And at least a half dozen different places claim to be the first people to actually call it a Spicebag. I first had it in college when my usual Salt and Chilli Chips had an option to add chicken, though I didn’t see it called The Spicebag till I moved to Dublin.

A Spicebag you might get at a Dublin Takeaway

The Spicebag is a sample of a new Ireland, where people actually like flavour, and where the classic image of Irish food being boiled for hours and served grey is blasted away by enough chilli to make you sweat a little, but not so much you can’t inhale the whole thing. The quality of a Spicebag has started the careers of dozens of Dublin food micro influencers and shaped countless conversations in the pub about where to go for food. 

At its core, it’s Chips, Chicken, some peppers and onions, and a spice blend. You toss everything together in a pan, and serve with the sauce of your choice, though generally curry sauce is the key condiment. That being said, I’ve seen it with baby potatoes, I’ve seen it with scampi and tofu, I’ve had it served with hot honey and garlic dip, it’s a wonderfully versatile dish that’s also easy to make at home.

• Servings: 1 -2 Depending on the night you've had
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Rascalcook

*All of this is designed to scale, so I’m giving you weights. But i’m really doing things like having a 4-2-1 ratio in The Spicebag ingredients. When I say 2 grams/5 grams, I mean a teaspoon or a 1/2 teaspoon. At the end of the day, once you have added the spice mix to the combination of carbs and protein, you will have the spirit of The Spicebag

Ingredients:

For the Spicebag:

• 600 grams or roughly 4 – 5 medium sized spuds
• 300 grams sliced chicken
• 1 egg
• 50 ml water
• 30 grams all purpose flour
• 30 grams potato flour
• 100 grams bell pepper, roughly 1 pepper
• 50 grams, or one medium sized red onion
• 3 -4 cloves of garlic

For the Spice Mix:

• 10 grams salt
• 5 grams sugar
• 5 grams MSG

Powders: (This is basically a 5 Spice Blend with white pepper)

• 2 grams cinnamon
• 2 grams Star Anise
• 2 grams Szechuan Pepper
• 2 grams white pepper
• 2 gram
• 2 grams clove
• 2 grams Fennel

• Whole Herbs for Crushing:
• 5 grams Szechuan Pepper
• 2 grams Coriander Seed
• 5 grams Whole or Crushed Chili (Birds Eye if you can)
• 5 grams Korean Chilli Flake (Can be replaced with other flakes of your choice)
• 2 grams Black Pepper

Directions:

First you need to prep the spice mix. Our spice mix is in two parts, the powder which is basically just a 5 spice powder and then the whole herbs. You want to use a spice grinder, blender or mortar and pestle to break up the whole herbs. Don’t completely powder them, you just want to be able to see that there’s flakes of chili in the mix. Add the whole herbs to the powdered spices and then add in the sugar, salt and MSG.

Now you should prep your potatoes. I used 600 grams of Roosters, or four to five medium sized spuds. I’m making a pretty basic set of fries, so I slice them into chunky fries, rest them in some salted water for an hour at least. The next step is to parboil them for about 5 minutes to get them mostly cooked. After parboiling, it is good to let them cool. You have the option of doing this the day beforehand. Another option if you have a deep fryer, is to just cook them at a low temperature and then chill them. (If you don’t want to make fries, you could just cube up the potatoes and toss them in 2 Tablespoon of neutral oil and a teaspoon of the spice mix before cooking them in the oven until golden and crispy. Baby potatoes also work really well for this at home.

Prep your chicken. For this recipe, I’m using about 300 grams of chicken, which I will mix with two teaspoons of the spice mix. Slice the chicken into half inch or so wide strips. Mix one egg with 50 ml of water and mix it around your chicken strips. Then add roughly 60 grams of a 50/50 mix of potato and all purpose flour to the bowl. This is a very light batter. I prefer my chicken with crunchy bits, but not fully coated. If you want crunchier, more heavily coated chicken, just thicken the batter to your taste. Set bowl aside to rest awhile.

For the Veg; Thinly slice one medium red onion and three or four cloves of garlic. Slice one bell pepper into thin strips, roughly the same size as you have sliced the chicken pieces and potatoes.

Finish your chicken and potatoes right before you want to serve your Spicebag. If you are deep-frying your potatoes, cook them until they are crispy and golden brown, then very lightly salt them once they are done (You should always salt your fries straight away, even though we will be hitting them with more salty stuff later).

For the Chicken: You can deep-fry, air fry, pan fry or even oven bake at medium high until crispy and deep golden. The pieces should be small enough that once they’re cooked properly on the outside, they will be cooked through as well.

Now it is time to build our Spicebag. If you have a wok, now is the time to use it. Otherwise, grab your biggest pan so that you have space to move the ingredients around in it. Heat 2 Tablespoon of neutral oil at medium high temperature. Add the onions and garlic to flash fry for about 15 seconds and then throw in the peppers. At this point, add about one teaspoon of the spice mix, stir to combine. Add the chicken and potatoes, as well as two more teaspoons of the spice mix. Toss together for long enough that the spices start to get fragrant. Add more spice mix to taste. Serve onto a plate.

Notes:

For serving: You can eat this with or without a side sauce. If you want it with a sauce, I recommend making a packet of curry sauce to get that classic takeaway vibe. The Japanese blocks of curry mix are pretty much as close as you can get flavor wise. But you can also use any sauce you like. I’ve had it with hot honey, gochujang mayo and a classic lemon and garlic mayo.

You can also add fresh sliced chilies and green onion at ten end to brighten the dish, though keep in mind that more chili = more heat.

If it is too hot, you can reduce the amount of chili in the spice mix, but in order to keep the peppery flavor, you should add more black pepper.

Enjoy!

Hi. I’m Xander. I’ve been working in and around the Irish food and drink industry since I was a child working in the Milk Market in Limerick with my mom. I mostly cook for pleasure these days, but when Lea asked about a favourite part of Irish food to share in advance of Paddy’s day, I knew I had to help spread the word of The Spicebag. If you like this you can find me on instagram as @Rascalcook where I post photos of food and projects I’m working on.

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Xi’an Street Food – Modern Asian Cuisine with authentic & bold flavours from Xi’an region in China. Looking for late night takeaway while visiting Dublin, or a delicious meal anytime for that matter, this is the place. And watch them prepare their version of the Spicebag in this video.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Xian Street Food (@xianstreetfood)

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

The Porterhouse -This large airy brewpub offers a wide selection of ales, lagers and stouts. It has a fun, folksy atmosphere and often you can catch some live music. They serve some tasty pub grub as well and some of the best chips I’ve had in Dublin.

The Old Storehouse – The Old Storehouse is a great venue, kind of like three different pubs all rolled into one. They’ve got the cozy, intimate snug area, the lively main bar and then Flaherty’s Pub downstairs for bands. They also have a lovely covered outside area.

Attractions:

TradFest – TradFest is a joyful celebration of Irish identity through music. Each January, it showcases the best of established and emerging musical talent at a landmark festival which is rooted in the historic and atmospheric setting of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. Over 50 live music concerts take place in some of the best pubs in Temple Bar, as well as key historical landmarks in Dublin.

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

Guinness Braised Short Ribs

Alrighty friends, here we go on day four of our countdown to St. Patrick’s Day 2024! What I’ve got for you today is some classic comfort food at its finest – Guinness Braised Short Ribs. These rich, juicy ribs are slow braised for hours along with some delicious veg in that magic elixir – Guinness Stout. After a couple of hours, your patience will have paid off because these ribs will be juicy, fall off the bone tender. Seriously, they practically melt in your mouth. Served over some creamy mashed potatoes with lashings of the sauce for a hearty, warm you to your core feast!

This dish comes together so easily. Just chop some veg, sear the ribs, sweat the veg and then add in the Guinness. That’s it for the work. Then you just leave it simmering away on the stove top and let that Guinness work its magic. I served these ribs over creamy mashed potatoes, though polenta would also be tasty. Such a great winter warmer.

And speaking of winter, I did mention that we are just back from an awesome January get away to Ireland. I know folks might think January is not a good time for a visit, but I’m telling you that is not true. One great thing is that there are fewer crowds as well as off season prices. That’s awesome right. But I also want to let you know that TradFest takes place in Dublin every January. TradFest is a joyful celebration of Irish identity through music. Each January, it showcases the best of established and emerging musical talent at a landmark festival which is rooted in the historic and atmospheric setting of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. Experience live trad music sessions in some of the best live music pubs and venues in Dublin. And I have to say, even if you are a bit short on cash and can’t afford a ticket to one of the bigger shows, you can check out the Smithwick’s Sessions. These are free and unticketed shows in the best pubs and cosiest lounges of Temple Bar. The Husband and I were lucky enough to catch Ispíní na hÉireann (the Sausages of Ireland) at The Old Storehouse. The Old Storehouse is a great venue, kind of like three different pubs all rolled into one. They’ve got the cozy, intimate snug area, the lively main bar and then Flaherty’s Pub downstairs for bands. They also have a lovely covered outside area.

But let me take a moment to tell you about those Sausages. Ispíní na hÉireann are raucous and somewhat irreverent, their music music is a combination of original songs as well as reimagined covers and tunes, all influenced by the Irish musical tradition.

So if you are into Irish Traditional Music or just live music in general, you should check this out! But let me get back to those melt-in-your-mouth Guinness Braised Short Ribs.

The first time I served this dish (oh yes, the Husband and I had leftovers) I was all fancy and served one rib perched atop a mini mountain of mashed potatoes. After capturing the photos, I promptly removed the ribs from the pan, got rid of the bones and shredded the meat, which I then stirred back into that lovely sauce. We’re still serving it over the mashed potatoes, but it is a bit easier to work with now. So what are you waiting for, make up a big pot of this amazing winter warmer today!

• Servings: 4 - 6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 4 ounces diced pancetta
• 3 pounds Beef Short Ribs, bone-in
• 2 tablespoons Butter, unsalted
• 1 whole Onion, diced
• 2 whole Carrots, medium dice
• 16 ounce package Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 10 ounce can of Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 2 cans (14.9 Oz. Size) Guinness Stout
• 4 – 5 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, to season
• 2 tablespoons Cornmeal
• Parsley to garnish
• Mashed potatoes – for serving

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the pancetta to the pan and fry until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Season the ribs on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown ribs on all sides, working in batches. Remove to platter and set aside.

Add two tablespoons butter to pan. Once melted, add the onion, carrots and mushrooms to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute or so. Then add the tin of diced tomatoes, as well as the two cans of Guinness Stout. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, stir and bring to a low simmer. Nestle the browned ribs into the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook for approximately 2 1/2 – 3 hours.

Once again, remove the ribs from the pan to a serving platter. Place 2 Tablespoons cornmeal in a small dish and stir in some of the cooking liquid until you have a loose paste. Slowly stir this cornmeal mixture back into the pan and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened. Return the ribs to the pan.

To serve: Place one short rib on a portion of mashed potatoes. Ladle sauce over the top and garnish with some fresh parsley as well as the crispy reserved pancetta.

Enjoy!

***Hold up! Don’t go away just yet. I need to remind you that tomorrow Dublin based Rascalcook will be taking over the blog to tell you how to make an essential dish that simply everybody will be scarfing down come the wee hours of St. Patrick’s Day, after a night of consuming innumerable celebratory pints. You don’t want to miss this one!!!***

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Guinness Braised Short Ribs:

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase*

Le Creuset Dutch Oven – I use a 9 oz. pan for this recipe

Potato Ricer – for the most creamy, perfect consistency mashed potatoes a potato ricer is essential!

Zipstrip Herb Stripper – make quick work of those thyme leaves

Crafty Celts – Love the utensils in the pics above? You can get a set for yourself at Crafty Celts where you will find handcrafted historically inspired bronze and silver jewelry, as well as gorgeous silverware. You might recognize some of their jewelry as it was featured in the Vikings television show.

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

The Porterhouse -This large airy brewpub offers a wide selection of ales, lagers and stouts. It has a fun, folksy atmosphere and often you can catch some live music. They serve some tasty pub grub as well and some of the best chips I’ve had in Dublin.

The Old Storehouse – The Old Storehouse is a great venue, kind of like three different pubs all rolled into one. They’ve got the cozy, intimate snug area, the lively main bar and then Flaherty’s Pub downstairs for bands. They also have a lovely covered outside area.

Attractions:

TradFest – TradFest is a joyful celebration of Irish identity through music. Each January, it showcases the best of established and emerging musical talent at a landmark festival which is rooted in the historic and atmospheric setting of Temple Bar, Dublin’s cultural quarter. Over 50 live music concerts take place in some of the best pubs in Temple Bar, as well as key historical landmarks in Dublin.

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

Tomato & Irish Gin Soup with Cheddar Cheese Straws

Oh yes! You read that correctly…Tomato & Gin soup! This tipsy tomato soup is just a bowl of creamy, dreamy comfort food at its finest! It comes together quickly with pantry staples for the most part, but it tastes like you’ve been crafting it for the better part of the day! Fresh tomatoes, a generous glug of Drumshando Gunpowder Irish Gin and sweet cream are the stars of the show.

Tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwich is one of the Husband’s favorite meals. And don’t you know it, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Gin is also high up on his list of favorites. So yeah, this soup is a match made in heaven for him.

Oh and then there are those tasty little Cheddar Cheese Straws, which are standing in for the classic grilled cheese sandwich here. They are quite simply perfection and also come together very quickly. Just use store bought puff pastry, stuff it with freshly grated Irish Cheddar Cheese (I used Dubliner), brush a bit of egg wash over the top, season, twist and then bake. These pillowy, butter cheesy little straws with all their nooks and crannies are perfect for mopping up every last bit of that gorgeous tomato gin soup. Not to mention, they are great for nibbling alongside a bit of wine or pint of beer. Just the combo to brighten up a chilly winter day

Speaking of which, I did mention to you that we just got back from our most recent trip to Ireland. We were in Dublin at the end of January. I am aware that January might not be the most popular time to visit Ireland, but we thought it was great. A little rain never stops us, and as I have mentioned, cold doesn’t bother us either. Not that it was terribly cold in Dublin. The temps hovered right around 40 – 50F for most of the time. And we found a bit of gentle rain to be cozy to tell you the truth. We once again stayed the incomparable Number 31! This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard.

The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. We love this wallpaper!

The Husband & I

The Husband and I after a few too many pints!

And the award winning, legendary breakfast never disappoints. They serve an amazing homemade Cranberry-orange Nut Loaf that is to die for. I attempted to get the recipe, but wasn’t able to wheedle it out of them. You’ll just have to go try it for yourselves! Hands down this is one of the best breakfasts I’ve had anywhere – full stop!

Irish Cheddar Omelet with rashers & potato cake!

But there I go, getting side tracked again. Back to this Tomato & Irish Gin Soup! This recipe comes from The Raglan Road Cookbook by Kevin Dundon. This is a great cookbook, chock full of contemporary as well as traditional Irish recipes with a smattering of fun stories and interesting Irish trivia and quotes. One of my favorites from WB Yeats: “Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy”. I’m thinking a big pot of this soup and a handful of cheese straws should be enough to bring on one of those joyful periods for you. Treat yourself to this amazing winter warmer today!

Tomato & Irish Gin Soup

• Servings: 4-6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: The Raglan Road Cookbook by Kevin Dundon

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 kg (2lb 4 oz.) plum tomatoes, halved
• 60 ml ( generous 2 fl. oz.)Irish gin
• 700 ml (3 cups) vegetable stock
• 1 pinch light brown sugar, optional
• 225 ml (8 fl. oz.) cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon herb oil to garnish, optional

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high hear. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for a few minutes until golden. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so until well heated through and just beginning to break down. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the gin into the pan and continue to stir occasionally until the gin reduces by half. Stir in the stock and allow it to reduce by half, stirring occasionally.

Blitz with a hand blender until you reach a smooth purée consistency. Season to taste and add the sugar if you wish.

To serve, add the cream to the soup and allow it to warm through. Check the seasoning again and then ladle into warmed serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with a drizzle of herb oil if desired.

Irish Cheddar Cheese Straws

Ingredients:

• 175 grams (6 oz.) sheet of ready rolled puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• all-purpose flour for dusting
• 55 grams (2 oz.) Irish cheddar, finely grated
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 tsp water, for egg wash
• flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle over the cheddar in an even layer. Fold the pastry in half width ways to completely enclose the cheese layer. Roll the pastry out to its original size, dusting the surface with flour as needed. Brush all over with the egg wash and place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to rest.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Remove the chilled cheese pastry and cut it into 4 inch lengths, each 1/2″ wide. Twist the ends in opposite directions. Arrange the twisted strips on the baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and pepper if desired.

Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Tomato & Irish Gin Soup with Cheddar Cheese Straws:

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase*

Breville Immersion Blender

Oxo Box Grater

Pastry/Ravioli wheel

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

Attractions:

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

Tayto Chocolate Chip Cookies

And here we go ya’ll. Day two of my 2024 Countdown to St. Patrick’s Day! What I’ve got on deck for you today is Tayto Chocolate Chip Cookies! So I’m sure you’re thinking “how is this different from the average, run of the mill chocolate chip?” as well as “what is a Tayto?”. These scrumptious little chocolate chips are different from any other you might have come across because they have a surprise ingredient. Yup there is a bag of Tayto Cheese & Onion crisps (potato chips) crumbled up in them. Light and chocolatey, with an extra bit of crunch from the savory crumbled crisps, these particularly Irish chocolate chip cookies are quite crave worthy!

The iconic Tayto Crisps have been a favorite in Ireland for generations. Their original crisp factory was founded in 1954 in Dublin by a man known as Joe “Spud” Murphy. He is credited with having invented the worlds very first seasoned crisp, and yes Cheese & Onion was their first flavor variety on offer. Indeed, Tayto’s Cheese & Onion crisps are reported to be the number one snack that expats miss the most after moving abroad.

Believe me, I have eaten a fair few packets of these crisps in my day. I gotta say, I love potatoes, in pretty much all of their incarnations. Crisped, baked, fried, mashed…you get it. I particularly love french fries (chips in Ireland). In fact, I’m told that one of my first words was “fry fry”, clearly a testament to my enduring love. And yes, I prefer my french fries to be thick cut. Not those skinny McDonalds variety, but more like proper Irish Chips. I swear to you the potatoes in Ireland simply taste better than any available in the States – sorry Idaho! On our most recent visit, the Husband and I were delighted with the chips we ordered at The Porterhouse in Temple Bar. Crisp on the outside with a gorgeous soft center, splashed with lashings of malt vinegar and salt, they were absolute perfection!

We might have had one or two of these while visiting the Porterhouse as well…

But I digress. Let me get back to today’s cookies featuring Tayto Cheese & Onion crisps! I found this recipe in Graham Herterich’s book Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists. I love this cookbook.

Visually it is gorgeous, but it doesn’t rely on looks alone. This book is chock full of fantastic recipes. Graham Herterich, better known in Ireland as the Cupcake Bloke, initially trained as a chef and then went on to open The Bakery in Rialto Dublin. In this, his first cookbook, he offers a traditional recipe followed by a modern twist on that recipe. Last year I shared his Malted Coffee Chocolate & Pecan Brack.

And also my take on his Irish Jambons.

Tayto Chocolate Chip Cookies are his modern twist on regular chocolate chips. Now I must admit, although I love Tayto’s and I do enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie, I was not sure how I would feel about mixing a cheese & onion flavor into a cookie. But hey, you never know, so I went for it and liked them much better than I thought I would. The cookie was very light and airy, but with a wonderful crispy texture from the crumbled crisps. And while I could taste the onion flavor a bit, it was not at all overpowering and gave the cookie a less sweet and more savory profile. Cheese & Onion crisps in a chocolate chip cookie definitely works! Who knew? Apparently Graham Herterich.

• Servings: 28 - 30 cookies or 12 big monster cookies
• Print

recipe from: Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich

Ingredients:

• 160 grams butter, softened
• 80 grams light brown sugar
• 80 grams caster (superfine) sugar
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon milk
• 225 grams all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (bread soda)
• 200 grams chocolate chips ( I used a blend of milk and dark chocolate chips, just as Graham Herterich recommended, but you do you.)
• 1 bag of roughly crushed Tayto Cheese & Onion crisps ( potato chips if you are from the states. If you can’t get Tayto, you could substitute in your favorite brand)

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on medium. Keep mixing until they are pale in color and light and fluffy, about 5 – 6 minutes.

Add the egg and milk and continue mixing for approximately 30 seconds. Add the flour and baking soda a mix for another 30 seconds.

Add the chocolate chips and mix until they are just evenly incorporated.

Add the crushed potato chips.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Scoop cookies using a medium sized cookie scoop – approximately 2 Tablespoons, placing the dough right next to each other. Flatten the dough slightly. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Allowing the dough to to sit for 24 hours lets the starch and proteins in the flour begin to break down, which leads to a more even bake. I should mention here that Graham’s recipe calls for making really large cookies. He advises that you divide the dough in 12 portions. These are some monster cookies. If this sounds like the cookie you’d like to make, do as he advocates. Place six of these big boys on each baking tray and bake for the 15 – 18 minutes recommended.

On baking day, preheat the oven to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C fan) and turn on the convection fan. Line two baking trays with parchment. Divide the dough balls equally among the trays.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 -18 minutes. The cookies should be slightly brown and the edges and still soft in the center.

Allow to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Tayto Chocolate Chip Cookies:

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase*

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop

Tayto Cheese and Onion Crisps (Chips)- A national institution in Ireland!

Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich – It does not appear that this book is available on Amazon, but you can get it here or when you go and visit Ireland. I love this cookbook! Visually it is gorgeous, but it doesn’t rely on looks alone. This book is chock full of fantastic recipes. Graham Herterich, better known in Ireland as the Cupcake Bloke, initially trained as a chef and then went on to open The Bakery in Rialto Dublin. In this, his first cookbook, he offers a traditional recipe followed by a modern twist on that recipe. It also contains a brief history of Irish baking as well as a guide to baking essentials and lesser known ingredients.

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

The Porterhouse -This large airy brewpub offers a wide selection of ales, lagers and stouts. It has a fun, folksy atmosphere and often you can catch some live music. They serve some tasty pub grub as well and some of the best chips I’ve had in Dublin.

Attractions:

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

Belfast Coffee

Alrighty! Here we go folks. First day of the 2024 St. Patrick’s Day recipe count down! And what better way to kick things off than with this caffeinated, boozy delight of a cocktail – The Belfast Coffee! Now I know some of you might be thinking… “Oh right. An Irish Coffee. We get it.” I understand how you might think that…but ya’ll….This libation is so much more than just an Irish Coffee! (Not that there’s anything wrong with an Irish Coffee mind you. Just saying…this is soooo much better!) But let’s not let me get ahead of myself. So, as I mentioned, the Husband and I were off to Ireland again in late January of this year. We were very lucky in that we had planned to meet up with RascalCook and he introduced us to Bar 1661, where we had the pleasure of experiencing this exquisite Belfast Coffee. To be honest, it is a unique twist on the Irish Coffee. Instead of Irish Whiskey, Poitín is substituted and instead of hot coffee, the choice is cold brew.

A fluffy, lightly whipped cream is floated on top, accompanied with a lovely garnish of freshly grated nutmeg. One sip and I swear you’ll be hooked!

Now, I’m thinking one or two of you might be thinking, “Poitín?” Oh ya’ll… let me tell ya all about it! Poitín is an Irish word that can be translated to “small pots” which is in what this spirit was traditionally distilled. It has also been called “Irish Moonshine” by some, or perhaps that “Old Mountain Dew” by others. In 1661, poitín was banned in Ireland. This ban was not lifted until 1997! Fast forward to today, and Bar 1661, whose menu proudly boasts “Staunchly Irish & Fiercely Independent”, celebrate Poitín’s place in the modern canon of Irish drinks. This phenomenal cocktail bar deservedly won Bar of the Year in 2022 from Hospitality Ireland. Indeed, I can honestly say this is the best cocktail bar I have ever been to, anywhere…full stop! While they celebrate all Irish drinks, 60% of their drinks feature poitín. We imbibed on what a fair few might say are far too many of their elixirs. I dunno, seemed like the right amount to us. We delighted in:

The Paperwork:

The Golden Moment:

As well as a flight of amazing Poitíns that Bar 1661 has on offer:

Having been completely initiated into the world of poitín, once I arrived back here in the States, I began the difficult process of trying to source a bottle of it for myself. Luckily I was able to find some of the authentic stuff in this Mad March Hare Poitín. This delightful tipple is distilled in West Cork from malted barley. Check out their website for fantastic cocktail recipes and without a doubt, score a bottle for yourself!

And if you’re visiting Dublin, Bar 1661 is an absolute must!

• Servings: one cocktail
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Irish Kitchen Cocktails: 60 Drinks You Can Make at Home with Everyday Equipment by Oisín Davis

Ingredients:

• ice cubes
• 60 ml (2 fl. oz.) cold brew coffee
• 30 ml (1 fl. oz.) Poitín ( I used Mad March Hare Irish Poitín)
• 15 ml (1 Tablespoon) Demerara sugar syrup (recipe below)
• 1 Tablespoon lightly whipped cream
• freshly grated nutmeg to garnish

Directions:

Chill your glass of choice with some ice.

Pour the coffee, poitín and Demerara sugar syrup in a 500 ml Kilner jar or a 17 oz shaker and fill it with ice. Stir with a tablespoon for 20 seconds.

Remove the ice from the glass. Open the Kilner jar and using the lid, strain the liquid into the chilled glass.

Holding a spoon upside down over the top of the glass, slowly pour the cream onto the back of the spoon. The cream’s fall will be cushioned by the spoon so that the cream sits on top of the coffee and doesn’t sink. Fill the glass to the brim with the cream. Grate fresh nutmeg on top to garnish.

Demerara Sugar Syrup

• 200 grams Demerara Sugar
• 100 ml (3 1/2 fl. oz.) boiling water

Directions:

Place the sugar in the boiling water. Once it has dissolved and the liquid is clear, store it in a jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for one week.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Belfast Coffee:

*Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase*

Irish Kitchen Cocktails: 60 Drinks You Can Make at Home with Everyday Equipment by Oisín Davis – OMG! I love this book. So making craft cocktails at home can be a bit intimidating to say the least. Oisín Davis, who has years of experience in the hospitality/drinks industry, completely demystifies the process in his book. He shows you that you don’t need a ton of specialty bar equipment to make a superb cocktail. You can achieve outstanding result by using common kitchen supplies! He also does an amazing job of promoting some of the best distilleries on the planet, which call Ireland home!

Mad March Hare Irish Poitín

Oxo Cocktail Shaker

Oxo Measuring Cups -7 Piece Nesting Measuring Set. I absolutely love this set and it is very useful!

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: Number 31 – This luxurious hotel is half traditional Georgian townhouse and half modernist mews which are connected by a charming courtyard. The Georgian townhouse half is where we have always chosen to stay and we love the mildly eccentric jazz age flamboyance. The location of this decadent hideaway is also superb. It is steps from St. Stephen’s Green in the heart of the city. We would not dream of stying any where else and cannot wait to visit again!

Restaurants/ Cafés/ Bakeries/ Pubs:

Bar 1661 – Voted Ireland’s Bar of the Year in 2022! My favorite cocktail bar full stop! Not just in Ireland, but everywhere! Folks, if you are visiting Dublin and you like cocktails at all, this is an absolute must!!! The ambiance is in point, not to mention the historical significance as well as the absolute enthusiasm everyone there has for crafting exceptional cocktails! I will say, make sure you book a reservation. You do not want to miss this!

Attractions:

Dublin Castle – 13 Century castle. Today Irish Govenment and Conference Center.

Grafton Street – One of the principal shopping streets in the city center. Mostly pedestrianised and lined with many cafes, shops and street performers.

Temple Bar- Busy riverside neighborhood with many pubs, restaurants and quirky boutiques.

Guinness Storehouse – Learn about the history of Ireland’s most iconic beer over seven floors. Enjoy 360 degree views of the city from the Gravity Bar!

St. Patrick’s Day 2024 Recipe Count Down!

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 Sunday March 17th! Last year, St. Patrick’s Day 2023, I had a wee bit extra to offer because I had recently visited Ireland. It had been 10 years which is way too long. Well I remedied that! I was just over again for a visit in January 2024. The husband and I had a blast! We stayed in Dublin the entire time this go round.

I will have some fun, updated recommendations for you in this countdown! And….(insert drumroll) for the first time ever, I will be hosting a guest blogger. Straight from Dublin, Rascal Cook will be stopping by with a recipe that is an absolute essential for everyone who is celebrating the big day this year!

Believe me, you don’t want to miss out, so make sure to stay tuned every day right up until Sunday March 17th!!!

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 well 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 all! 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:

Irish Coffee Martini

Orange-Cranberry Soda Bread with White Chocolate

Irish Coffee Truffles

Malted Coffee, Chocolate & Pecan Brack

Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes

Irish Jambons

Irish Cream Cupcakes

And here are some drool worthy mains from years ago:

Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Stew

Smithwick’s Beef & Cheddar Pies

Chicken Skink

Guinness Braised Beef Short Rib Sandwiches on Waterford Blaa

Crockpot Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

Dublin Coddle

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

I wouldn’t want to forget the sides:

Sticky Carrots with an Irish Whiskey & Ginger Glaze

Champ (Brúitín in Irish)

Or maybe your shindig calls for some finger foods:

Paddy’s Day Corned Beef & Cabbage Potstickers

Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Potato Nests with Spicy Horseradish Cream & Guinness Mustard

Irish Potato Bites

I’ve made so many decadent desserts over the years. Let me tempt you with a few:

Baileys Bite Sized Cheesecakes

Baileys & Coffee Pots de Crème with Baileys Whipped Cream Topping

Guinness Pretzel Truffles

Guinness Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bailey’s Irish Cream & Pistachio Fudge

Brownie Tart with Irish Whiskey Meringue

And last but not least, bring on the cocktails!

Black Velvet

Guinness Punch

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

Scáiltín (Milk Punch)

Is your mouth watering yet? Quite the galleries of goodies if I do say so myself. And this is barely scratching the surface of all the epic St. Patrick’s Day recipes to be found on my blog as well as seven new ones starting tomorrow! Along with some lovely pictures, my travel recommendations and the must have recipe of what all the folks in Ireland will be feasting on/ detoxifying with after their St. Patrick’s Day festivities . Don’t miss out! I’ll see you tomorrow!

Irish Jambons!

So if I said “Jambon”, what would you think of? You might be thinking “That’s French for ham right?” You would be correct, but I’m not really talking about ham. Perhaps I should’ve said “Irish Jambon”. Ahhh! Now it might be getting clearer. The Irish Jambon is the much beloved, ubiquitous deli offering found in gas stations and convenience stores throughout the Emerald Isle. But what is it? It is puff pastry filled with béchamel sauce, cheese (usually Emmental) and diced ham. Kind of like a Danish pastry but with savory filling rather than fruit. So that is the technical definition. But what you need to know is they are comfort food at its finest!

I first read all about these little delights in that cookbook “Bake” by Graham Herterich that I told you about in the post from a couple of days ago – Malted Coffee, Chocolate & Pecan Brack. He had a recipe for jambons and claimed that they are “now as Irish as soda bread”. I was mystified. I had never once come across a Jambon anywhere at all while I was studying in Ireland. Seems like just the thing a student would’ve lived on. I felt very cheated and when quizzed about them, my Irish friends assure me that I should indeed feel that way. Not to date myself, but i turns out they didn’t actually become widespread and popular in Ireland until the late ’90’s. It’s fairly meteoric rise in popularity is a testament to how addictively good these little dickens are!

Previous to that, quick food on the go wasn’t really a thing in Ireland. However in the 90’s compact bakery ovens became available which allowed petrol stations, small supermarkets and convenience stores to offer “freshly baked” (usually from frozen Cuisine de France) hot items such as croissants, breakfast rolls and jambons from their deli counters.

These jambons were very portable, undeniably tasty and quite economical. I could not wait to taste one, but since I was no longer visiting Ireland by the time I discovered how deprived I’d been, I decided to make my own to tide me over until I could get back there!

My homemade versions are pretty easy to make. Although the authentic ones in Ireland usually use Emmentaler Cheese, I went with a mixture of Kerry Gold Irish Cheddar and Kerry Gold Blarney Cheese, which is a bit like Gouda.

And speaking of Blarney, Blarney Castle is one of the places I visited on my most recent trip to Ireland.

The Husband had never kissed the good old Blarney Stone. For anyone who knows him, I’m sure you’d find that hard to believe. He has already in firm possession of the “gift of gab” as they say. I was worried how even more eloquence for him would play out.

Nevertheless I considered it a must do, so off we went. For those of you who don’t know, the Blarney Stone is a block of limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. Legend has it that if one kisses the stone, which is no easy task, they will be given great eloquence or the skill of flattery or beguiling talk. To get to this magical stone, you have to climb to the top of the castle,

lay down and lean over backwards from the parapets ledge. A bit nerve wracking to say the least!

But let me get back to the Irish Jambons. My homemade Jambons did not disappoint. Crispy crunchy puff pastry filled with a gooey, squidgy cheese sauce that is shot through with salty ham. Chock full of salt and carbs, I can see why they are considered a sure fire hangover cure. Now I’ve just got to get back to Ireland to get the real authentic jambon from a petrol station experience. I’ve been told Centras have the best there are to offer. Until then, these homemade ones will have you addicted and will be just the thing for your pre and post St. Patrick’s Day festivities!

• Servings: 12 jambons
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe source: a combination of 2 from: Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich & National Dairy Council

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 2 red onions, sliced
• splash extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 small sprinkling of brown sugar
• 25 grams butter
• 25 grams all purpose flour
• 250 ml milk
• 250 grams cheese, grated – I used a mixture of KerryGold Blarney Cheese which is Gouda like and KerryGold Irish Cheddar. Emmentaler would also be great! But you do you.
• 1 tsp mustard – I used Colemans, but again the choice is yours.
• pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
• 200 grams ham, cubed
• 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

Directions:

For the caramelized onions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the sliced onions, leaves from one sprig of thyme in a bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar and then add a splash of olive oil. Stir to distribute the oil and sugar.

Slide the onion mixture into an ovenproof casserole. Cook for 30 minutes.

After the initial cook time, stir the onion mixture, cover the casserole and cook for an addition 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

For the Cheese Sauce:

Place the butter in a medium sized sauce pan and melt over low heat.

Slowly whisk in the flour, whisking constantly until a dough begins to form.

Slowly add the milk, whisking the entire time so that there are no lumps in the sauce.

Once all of the milk has been incorporated, add the grated cheese (reserving a bit to sprinkle over the tops of the jambons), the nutmeg and the mustard.

Mix well until you get a smooth, thick cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the finely cubed ham to the sauce and stir.

Set the mixture aside and allow it to cool.

To assemble:

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry. Cut each sheet into 6 equal sized squares.

Place a scoop of the ham/cheese mixture into the center of each square. Place a bit of caramelized onion on top of the cheese.

Fold the four corners of the pastry to the center and pinch them together to seal the contents inside.

Brush the egg wash over the pastry. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top, as well as a bit of flaky sea salt.

Repeat for the remaining pastry squares.

Place the jambons on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden-brown.

Serve hot or room temperature.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Jambons:

KerryGold Blarney Cheese

KerryGold Aged Cheddar

Coleman’s Mustard

Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich – It does not appear that this book is available on Amazon, but you can get it here at the Book Depository. I love this cookbook! Visually it is gorgeous, but it doesn’t rely on looks alone. This book is chock full of fantastic recipes. Graham Herterich, better known in Ireland as the Cupcake Bloke, initially trained as a chef and then went on to open The Bakery in Rialto Dublin. In this, his first cookbook, he offers a traditional recipe followed by a modern twist on that recipe. It also contains a brief history of Irish baking as well as a guide to baking essentials and lesser known ingredients.

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!

Activities:

Blarney Castle -Official site. You can book tickets here or when you arrive. The actual castle and stone are of course a big attraction, but the gardens are really lovely as well.

Shopping:

Blarney Woolen Mills – You can’t visit the castle without heading right across the street to do a bit of shopping at the flagship store of Blarney Woolen Mills. This store is HUGE and has everything. Not just sweaters, but china, crystal, homewares – you name it! It is housed in one of Ireland’s oldest and most authentic Irish Woolen Mills. This family owned business is not only brimful of the best Irish designers but also offers their wares at a good price.

Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes with crispy Dillisk Flakes!

So I’m sure you are all familiar with twice baked potatoes right? Delicious, creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes cradled in their crisp, salty skin. Well, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day I’ve actually given the twice baked potato a bit of an Irish make-over. Yup! These savory little devils you see here are Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes.

I shared a recipe for Colcannon with you a few St. Patrick’s Days ago. It is without a doubt, Irish comfort food at its finest! Buttery mashed potatoes whipped up with cabbage, leeks and bacon.

Mix that divine concoction just described with some lovely Irish Cheddar and that is the filling in these show stopping Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes. And since I had picked up some Dillisk on my last trip to Ireland, I chopped that up and sprinkled it over the top! Sheer magic I tell you!

Turns out the nutty salty Dillisk is the perfect flavor enhancer for these potatoes. Dillisk (duileasc in Irish) or dulse, as it is also known, is an edible seaweed which has been harvested along the shores of the North Atlantic for generations. The earliest mention of it being harvested comes from 1400 years ago. St. Columba and his monks gathered it for food as well as medicine. It is an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, iodine and zinc. You can often find it in health food stores in the US. It can be eaten dried or rehydrated to use in soups, stews, breads or salads.

Since we’re talking about potato dishes, I’ve gotta bring up Cheese & Onion pies! One of the things I was most excited about on our most recent trip to Ireland was taking The Husband to visit Cork. I went to college at University College Cork and wanted to show him some of my old haunts.

Quad at University College Cork.

Stunning Street Art!

It had changed quite a bit since I’d been there, but I was very excited to see that my favorite chipper…no wait….the best chipper in Cork – no…Hands down the best chipper anywhere – Jackie Lennox’s was still going strong!

I love Jackie Lennox’s. There is no substitute. Back in the day, myself and the college friends, filled to the brim with pints would stop by to get a little something to help us soak up that booze. And Lennox’s never failed us! Perfectly cooked fish and chips, great burgers and batter sausages.But the thing I crave, the thing I almost always got was – Lennox’s Cheese & Onion Pies! They served this crispy, crunchy, deep fried ball of cheese, onions and mashed potatoes with plenty of chips and a hearty lashing of salt and malt vinegar. YUM! I tried to recreate it once. But there is nothing like the original.

The cutest puppy in the world and my version of a Cheese & Onion pie!

I had talked about it so much over the years that The Husband couldn’t wait to get his hands on one and let me just say it did not disappoint!

College friends, Cheese & Onion Pies, Batter Sausages & Chips!

Once we’d gotten our Lennox’s fix. We strolled by St. Finbar’s Cathedral

Strolled through the English Market. And stopped for a few pints. Perfect day!

But let me get back to these awesome Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes! You can make these babies ahead of time. Just complete the recipe through filling the skins. Refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days ahead of your shindig. On the day you want to serve them, just pop them in a 375 F oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. How easy is that?!!

With crispy, salty flavorful skin and savory creamy cheesy filling, these exquisite Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes go well as a side next to any meat dish you might wish to serve. Or you could even just chow down on this hearty stuffed spud as your dinner, full stop! I have no doubt folks will go wild for this dish at your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Heck they will go wild for it on any day that it appears on the table.

Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes

• Servings: 8
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: The kitchn

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 6 strips smoky bacon
• 1/2 small savoy cabbage, shredded (approx. 12 ounces)
• 2 leeks, white and light green portions, halved lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces Irish cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 Tablespoons/ 113 grams unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly ground pepper
• handful of chives, chopped
• sea salt flakes
• handful of dillisk, chopped – to sprinkle over the top

Directions:

Set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Scrub the four potatoes and prick all over with a fork.

Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of salt in 1/2 cup of water. Dip the potatoes in the water covering all sides and then set on one of the prepared baking sheets.

Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the other prepared tray.

Place both baking trays in the oven. Bake until the bacon is browned and starts to ripple, or to desired doneness, 10 to 20 minutes. (Because the cook time depends on the thickness of the bacon and how you like it cooked, start checking doneness at the 10-minute mark.) I usually bake my bacon for 13 minutes.

Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain. Reposition the baking tray with the potatoes so that it is centered in the oven and continue to bake, turning after about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F – about 45 minutes to 1 hour total baking time.

Once the potatoes have reached 205 degrees F, remove from oven and brush all sides with olive oil. Return to oven for 5 more minutes. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling ingredients. Cut the core from the cabbage and finely chop. Slice the leeks. Grate 4 ounces of Irish cheddar cheese. Crumble the bacon. Finely chop the dillisk.

Place 2 Tablespoons of the butter into a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage, leeks and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook until cabbage begins to wilt, 5 -6 minutes.

Add the milk, dried mustard powder and the bay leaf to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 20 -25 minutes.

Once the potatoes are ready, cut them in half lengthwise and carefully scrape the potato flesh out of the skins into a bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shell. Try to keep the skins intact as you will be refilling them. Place the skins on the baking sheet and place in a warm oven while you are finishing the filling.

Pass the potato flesh through a ricer into the bowl of a stand mixer. You can just mash with a potato masher if you wish, but a ricer will yield and much more creamy mash. Add two tablespoons of the butter and mix on low. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage and leek mixture to the potatoes, discarding the bay leaf. Again mix on low to combine. Slowly add the reserved milk from the cabbage mixture until your mash achieves the desired texture.

Add the cheese and 2/3rd of the crumbled bacon and mix until combined. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Remove the warm potato shells from the oven and spoon the potato mixture into them. Dot each stuffed potato skin with 1/2 Tablespoon of butter. Turn the oven back up to 375 F and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are browning and the filling is hot.

Remove from oven. Transfer to serving platter and top with reserved bacon, chopped chives, flaky sea salt and the chopped dillisk.

Enjoy!

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes:

Dillisk

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!

The English Market – Don’t visit Cork without stopping by The English Market! This 18th Century covered market is chock full of fresh local produce as well as many international delights! A must see!

Pubs & Grub:

Jackie Lennox’s Chip Shop

An Spailpín Fanac – great pub. Take note of opening hours. Doesn’t open until 6 -7 pm.

Hotels:

The River Lee Hotel – I didn’t actually stay overnight in Cork on this trip. But when we visit in the future – I’ve my eye on the River Lee Hotel. Looks awesome and is in a great location!