Irish Whiskey Cake

Alrighty! Here we are at day 2 of my annual St. Patrick’s Day recipe blog-a-thon. And I’ve got a great recipe to share with you today – Irish Whiskey Cake! This moist and flavorful, boozy spice cake is shot through with pecans and enveloped in a warm buttery whiskey glaze.

All you Irish Whiskey lovers – this one is for you! We’ve got whiskey in the cake and on the cake! Hooray! And this cake is super-dooper easy to make. I almost feel like I’m cheating somehow. But here is the secret – you just go buy a box cake mix and then doctor it up a bit. The results are just wonderful whiskey perfection!

Now the original recipe called for applying the whiskey butter glaze over three days. I have found that you can achieve pretty much the same taste by applying the glaze over three hours instead. You just want all that buttery whiskey goodness to be able to soak into the cake. I think you can do that over a few hours vs. days. I do also poke some holes in the cake to facilitate maximum whiskey absorption.

Did I just say “maximum whiskey absorption”? Yup, sounds about right for St. Patrick’s Day Festivities! This delicious Irish Whiskey Cake will serve a crowd. So there you are, sorted for the St Patrick’s Day potluck!

• Servings: 16 slices
• Difficulty: easy - but allow 3 hours for whiskey glaze to soak in
• Print

recipe adapted from: Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 package spice cake mix (regular size)
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3/4 cup 2% milk
• 3/4 cup Irish whiskey
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1-1/3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, divided (I used pecans instead)

For the whiskey glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300° F. Grease and flour a 10-in. tube pan or bundt pan.

Place all of the ingredients, with the exception of the nuts in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and mix for2 minutes. Fold in 1 cup the nuts, reserving 1/3 cup for later. If you are using a bundt pan, sprinkle remaining nuts in the bottom of the prepared pan and then add the batter. If you are using a bundt pan, sprinkle the nuts over top of the batter once you have added it to the pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 60-65 minutes. Cool in pan.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Place all ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Cool 3 minutes.

Take a wooden skewer, toothpick or swizzle stick and poke a scattering of holes in the cake. Pour one-third of glaze over top of cake, allowing some to flow over sides down into the pan. Let stand 1 hour. Remove from pan. Reheat the glaze if you need to and brush another third over the cake. Wait one additional hour and then brush the remaining glaze over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely and then cover.

Enjoy!

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Irish Whiskey Cake:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix – This is for a box of 2, so you’ll be ready to go when everyone requests you make this cake again!

St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Roundup 2022!

Sneak peak! Make sure to check back to get all the details on the tasty mystery treat (for now anyway) pictured here!

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! 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. We’ll start it off with some bread:

Classic Irish Soda Bread

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

Struan: Celtic Harvest Bread

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 take a peek at these 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 six new ones starting tomorrow! Don’t miss out!

P.S. I tried to get links to the recipe added to the pictures, but with my limited skills, was unable to make it work. You can find links to the pictured recipes in the gallery captions. Sorry ’bout that!

Beltaine Spiced Honey Cake

Today is May 1st or May Day as it is known. Now when I say “May Day”, I am not referring to the more modern, political International Worker’s Day type thing. Or the distress call – though given the state of the world currently, I can understand why you might have thought I was calling for help. No, I am talking about the ancient festival of Spring that is/was celebrated throughout many countries. For my part, I’m going to celebrate with this Beltaine Spiced Honey Cake.

You might be familiar with May Day celebrations held in England. There, a May Queen is crowned and you will likely see Morris Dancers and folks dancing around a Maypole. Today I am looking back in time to Irish traditions.

In Ireland the day is known as Lá Beltaine, which roughly means “the day of the fires of Bel” – Bel being a Celtic God. Halfway between the Spring and the Summer solstice, Beltaine celebrates the arrival of summer and the fertility of the coming year. Yellow flowers such as primrose, rowan, hawthorn, gorse , hazel and marsh marigolds were placed at windows and over doorways. A Maybush, often a hawthorn tree, was decorated with flowers, ribbon and bright shells and sacred wells were visited to pray for health.

Photo from Facebook Page May Day – Bealtaine

This was also the time in Ireland, back in the day, when cattle were driven to their summer pastures. And quite significantly it was believed that the veil between our world and the world unseen was very thin. It was more likely that you might encounter fairies or other supernatural beings out and about at this time. That notion made folks very nervous. So lots of the Beltaine traditions were done to protect oneself, livestock and crops from any mischief or ill will. Bonfires were lit throughout the country. It was believed that flames, smoke and ashes have protective properties. Livestock were driven between the fires and people walked between them as well, Indeed they sometimes even leap over them. All fires in the house were extinguished and then relit from the communal Beltaine bonfire.

The festival was associated with fertility, not only of the land, but also the people. Just think about that Maypole…yup, symbol of fertility. In order to have a more youthful and beautiful complexion, women would wash their face in dew, preferably gathered from beneath a hawthorn tree at dawn on May 1st. I have been trying to do this for years here in Virginia, but I don’t have a hawthorn tree. I have a crab apple, which is in the hawthorn family, so that is my go to. Unfortunately, I’m not really an early riser, so the dew is almost nearly all burned off by the time I schlep on out of the house. Furthermore, I’m often quite suspicious of any wetness I do find under the tree. Anybody out there have any idea what washing your face in fox or cat urine accomplishes? But I digress…

Maybe I should make the effort to get out of bed earlier this year…

Interestingly enough, I had originally considered doing a recipe for little fried honey cakes. I found an article online (so you know it had to be true…) that said they were made for Beltaine and left out as a gift for the fairies the night before. I really did not want to fry any dough, since that would not only use up all my oil (pandemic quarantine concerns….) but would also make my house smell like a chipper. So I reached out to some friends in Ireland to ask if they knew of any traditional Beltaine recipes. They did not, but were horrified to hear that anyone would consider leaving treats out for the fairies. As far as they are concerned, doing anything whatsoever to draw any sort of attention from the fairies was to say, at the very least, quite foolish. Having recently read The Call by Peadar O’Guilin (creepy and somewhat terrifying, Hunger Games-esque modern Irish fairy story – have you read it? You should!) I can definitely see the wisdom in that line of thought!

So I arrived on the idea of baking, not frying, a honey cake. Honey has long been associated with Beltaine. Not surprising since it is considered to have aphrodisiac qualities and is often associated with fertility. So I figured a honey cake would be a great match for the holiday.

Truth be told, this recipe is from Smitten Kitchen. Deb calls it the Majestic & Moist Honey Cake and she baked it for Rosh Hashannah – Jewish New Year. In Jewish tradition, honey symbolizes excitement for a sweet New Year. Hey given what 2020 has dished out so far, a “Sweet New Year” sounds really good right about now! Can we just hit reset and have a do over sans deadly pandemic?

This Beltaine Spiced Honey Cake is quite tasty., filled with spices and incredibly moist with crispy chewy delicious caramelized crust. I used Irish Whiskey in the mix for my Beltaine nod to Ireland. This recipe does make quite a lot of cake. Although I baked it in cutesy little beehive pans, you should probably consider doing a big ole bundt! Happy Beltaine ya’ll!

• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe very slightly adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups (440 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•  teaspoons (about 8 grams) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup (235 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 cup (340 grams) honey
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (95 grams) brown sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 cup warm (235 ml) coffee or strong tea
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) Irish whiskey (I think Jack Daniels would work well too)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey, if using. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)

Mix on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.

Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly with the bottom baking faster than the cake interior and top).

Bake until cake tests done, that is, it springs back when you gently touch the cake center. For angel and tube cake pans, this will take 60 to 75 minutes, loaf cakes, about 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet style cakes, baking time is 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cake stand fifteen minutes before removing from pan.

Enjoy!

Beltaine Spiced Honey Cake brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Beltaine Spiced Honey Cake:

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Nordic Ware Bundt Pan

Nordic Ware Bee Hive Cakelet Pan – This is the pan I used for the cakes in my pictures. However, this pan only makes 6 cakes at a time and they are pretty small. With the amount of batter this recipe makes you will be baking these for hours with just the one pan! You might also want to use a bundt pan or 9″x13″ pan in addition to this pan.

The Call by Peadar O’Guilin – creepy modern day Irish fairy store I mentioned above. Technically you do not need this to make the Beltaine Spiced Honey Cake, but it really is a good read if you like scary fairy stories, Hunger Game, Game of Thrones type things.

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman – This recipe is not actually in the book, but I have never been disappointed in a Smitten Kitchen recipe, so you might want to get a copy!

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Bread Pudding

Mmmmmm. Did someone say Bread Pudding? Comfort food at its finest if you ask me. It is enjoyed all over the world with each country putting its own special spin on it. Like in Canada it is often made with maple syrup and in Puerto Rico you will find it with coconut milk and a rum guava sauce. So for St. Patrick’s Day I thought this Irish Whiskey Marmalade Bread Pudding would be perfection!

Bread Pudding started out as a pretty rustic dish and folks have been enjoying it for some time. It can be traced all the way back to the 11th century. It was a pretty frugal dish, made to use up bread that was going stale. In 13th century England it was referred to as ‘poor man’s pudding”. How far it has come. Not so humble anymore you can find it offered up in some of the most posh and trendy restaurants.

A couple of years ago I shared a recipe for Irish Whiskey Marmalade. I thought the bright  citrus goodness of that marmalade would be a perfect complement to my pudding. I originally got this award winning Irish Whiskey Marmalade recipe from my friend Theresa’s cookbook  Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen by Theresa Storey.

Theresa and I met in college when she was finishing up her degree in botany. After college, Theresa moved back to rural County Limerick and started her own business, The Green Apron, which is an artisan preserve company. Theresa grows much of the fruit and vegetables she uses in her preserves at her family’s orchards at Derryclough and in the walled vegetable garden at her parents 18th Century castle, Glenwilliam.

Her award-winning preserves are made in small batches by traditional methods using locally sourced, organic produce where possible and without artificial preservatives, colours or setting agents. The Green Apron has won 15 Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards, 7 International Great Taste awards and is listed not only in McKenna’s Guide, but also in Georgina Campbell’s Guide. The Green Apron is also now offering workshops on sustainable living, preserving and bee keeping.

But let me get back to today’s recipe. The Irish Whiskey Marmalade I made to brighten my bread pudding is a three fruit marmalade consisting of grapefruit, oranges and lemons and a good glug of Irish Whiskey. It is one of The Green Apron’s best-selling jams and won a bronze Blas na h’Eireann (Taste of Ireland Competition) in 2015. I have included the recipe for it which makes about 5 pints. That is quite a bit more than you need for this recipe. But I will say, it is amazing stuff. You will be delighted to have extra on hand. I have used  it to enhance other dishes in the past such as these Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts 

as well as this Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

And this scrumptious Batley Cake

Great recipes to be sure and this Bread Pudding is right at home with them. So warming, cozy and comforting and a bit boozy I must say with the whiskey in the marmalade and well as the pudding. The bright citrus flourish will remind you that Spring is right around the corner. Serve it warm with some whipped cream or ice cream. But I’ve got to tell you, this Irish Whiskey Marmalade Bread Pudding is so delicious it stands fine all on its own.

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

Ingredients:

• 6 – 8 slices of day old bread (I used challah, brioche would also be great, or plain white bread)
• 50 grams butter, room temperature
• 4 – 6 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey Marmalade (recipe noted below)
• 250 ml heavy cream
• 50 ml milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 4 Tablespoons demerara sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey
• Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting over top

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325° F (160° C)

Butter the bread on both sides. Spread half of the pieces with marmalade. Cover with the remaining slices of bread to make marmalade sandwiches. Cut the sandwiches into quarters or halves depending on the bread size and your chosen baking dish and arrange them in the dish. I used an oval casserole measuring about 10″ x 8″. A 9″x 9″ would also work well.

Combine the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and whiskey. Pour the mixture over the marmalade sandwiches. Set aside for 30 minutes or so to allow the bread to absorb all of that goodness.

Dot the remaining marmalade over the top of the bread. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until set. Remove from oven and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm with whipped cream, ice cream or simply plain.

For the Irish Whiskey Marmalade:

Ingredients:

• 1 ruby grapefruit
• 2 medium sweet oranges
• 4 lemons
• 3.4 kg (6 pints) water
• 2.7 kg (6 lbs) sugar
• 60 ml (2 fl. oz.) good Irish Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice (Please note, mixed spice is different from all-spice. Mixed spice, sometimes also called pudding spice is a British spice similar to pumpkin pie spice, containing cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. I have a link for it below, or hereis a recipe for it.)

Directions:

Place a saucer into the refrigerator to chill.

Wash the grapefruit, oranges and lemons. Remove any blemishes from the skin and cut them into quarters. Place in the food processor and process on high speed until the peel is reduced to 6-mm (1/4″) pieces. If you like a bigger peel in your marmalade, don’t process it for so long, and if you like very little peel, process it for longer.

Put the processed citrus in a preserving pot with the water, stir well and cook on a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the peel is cooked and smooshes to wee pieces between your fingers. This usually takes an hour.

Add the sugar, stir well and cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade reaches setting point, with a marmalade this usually takes 20 -40 minutes.

Spoon a little of the boiling preserve onto the cold saucer. Let it cool and then push it with your finger. If it has reached setting point, the top of the blob of marmalade will wrinkle. Marmalades should have wrinkles at least 2 -3 mm hight.

Remove from heat. Skim off any seeds and sugar foam.

Add 60 ml (2 fl oz) of good Irish Whiskey and 1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice.

Pour into warm sterilized jars to within 6 mm (1/4″) of the top. Wipe any drips off the rims of the jars to make sure there is a good seal between the jar and lid. A dampened paper towel works well for this. Place the lids on and seal.

Enjoy!

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Bread Pudding brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links for helpful kitchen tools & ingredients for Irish Whiskey Marmalade Bread Pudding:

Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Cuisinart Pro-Classic Food Processor

Kilner Stainless Steel Jam Pan

Ball Mason 4 oz quilted jelly jars

Canning Magnetic Lid Wand

Norpro 600 Jar Lifter

Ball Canning Funnel

Mixed Spice

Oxo Good Grips Baker’s Dusting Wand

Folláin Irish Whiskey Marmalade – If you don’t have the time to make up a batch of marmalade before St. Patrick’s Day, nor can you travel to the Limerick Milk Market to buy a jar from The Green Apron, here is an option for Irish Whiskey Marmalade that will show up on your doorstep!

 

Sticky Carrots with an Irish Whiskey & Ginger Glaze

If you’re looking for a side dish to serve at your upcoming St. Patrick’s Day feast – look no further. Folks will go mad for these Sticky Carrots with Irish Whiskey & Ginger Glaze. The carrots are lightly browned in butter and served in a sweet and spicy ginger glaze.

Oh, and don’t forget that Irish whiskey. There is a healthy glug of it added to give these carrots some Irish flare. Believe me, once you taste these little gems they won’t only be making an appearance on St. Patrick’s Day. You’ll be enjoying them year round!

• Servings: 2 -3
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• pinch of sea salt flakes
• 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 Tablespoons salted butter
• 4 large carrots (1 1b.) diagonally sliced into 1/2″ circles
• 1 Tablespoon ginger stir in paste (you could also use fresh ginger if you prefer, use about a 3/4″ piece and chop into matchstick size bits. Saute until tender after carrots have been removed from pan. Add ginger to carrots before making whiskey sauce.)
• 2 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

Combine the sugar, pepper and sea salt. Set aside

Heat the oil and half of the butter in a large skillet. Add the carrots in a single layer and sprinkle with the sugar mixture. Cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Turn the slices and reduce heat if necessary. Continue to cook until slightly browned on both sides and tender. Transfer the carrots to a plate.

Clean the skillet with paper towels. Add the remaining butter, the whiskey, stock and ginger paste. Bring to a boil and simmer for three minutes or until it becomes syrupy. Return the carrots to the skillet and swirl with the syrup for one minute. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Sticky Carrots with Irish Whiskey & Ginger Glaze brought to you today by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Sticky Carrots with Irish Whiskey & Ginger Glaze:

The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook

Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste – I could not find the ginger paste that I use on amazon, so I have provided this link here so you can see what I am talking about.

Crispy Irish Whiskey Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs

Here we are, with St. Patrick’s Day only 8 days away. That means it is time for me to start 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 Tuesday March 17th! Now I think managing to publish one recipe daily for eight days 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. I’m going to kick this whole thing off with this fantastic recipe for Crispy Irish Whiskey Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs. This recipe has got a lot going for it. First of all it tastes amazing! A crispy crunchy cornflake coating on the outside surrounds tender, juicy chicken which is flavored with tangy wholegrain mustard and Irish whiskey. What a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day dish! Not only does it taste great, but it is also actually very quick and easy to make. Perfect for a midweek dinner. And being baked, not fried, is certainly a plus.

The Irish Whiskey Mustard marinade that this chicken in basted in provides such a flavor explosion. It really kicks this chicken dish into high gear. So if you love wholegrainy/Dijon style mustard, this dish is definitely a must for you. And don’t forget, it is also spiked with a good glug of Irish Whiskey, so you just can’t go wrong!

The Irish Whiskey Mustard that I used in this recipe is from my friend Theresa’s company. I’ve told you a bit about her and her company on St. Patrick’s Days past. Theresa runs, The Green Apron, which is an artisan preserve company.

She grows much of the fruit and vegetables she uses in her preserves at her family’s orchards at Derryclough and in the walled vegetable garden at her parents 18th Century castle, Glenwilliam.

Her award-winning preserves are made in small batches by traditional methods using locally sourced, organic produce where possible and without artificial preservatives, colours or setting agents. Her award winning Irish Whiskey Mustard is superb and is simply made with Mustard Seed, Honey, Vinegar, Salt, Irish Whiskey and Spices.

It enhances everything you put it on, so I knew it’s wholegrainy, Whiskey goodness was just the thing to put this baked chicken over the top. And I wasn’t wrong – it was absolute perfection!

Now if you aren’t located in Ireland and can not get ahold of Theresa’s Irish Whiskey Mustard prior to St. Patrick’s Day, I have provided a link below for some Irish Whiskey Mustard which is sold on Amazon. In a pinch, you could also buy some whole grain dijon style mustard and stir a Tablespoon or so of Irish Whiskey into it. Though you should really consider a trip to Ireland as soon as you can. And make sure to stop by the Limerick Milk Market on your travels there to get some of the Green Apron’s Irish Whiskey Mustard as well as some of their amazing jams and chutneys.

So there you have it! One recipe down – seven more delicious Irish inspired recipes to go in this count down to St. Patrick’s Day. Remember to check back every day until the 17th for the latest!

• Servings: 4 thighs
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe: slightly adapted from Food & Wine Chefs’ Easy Weeknight Dinners

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey Mustard ( substitute = grainy mustard with 1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey added to the mix)
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F (230°C) Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil and set a wire rack over it.

In a large bowl, mix the mustards, Worcestershire sauce and garlic.

In a shallow dish, toss the cornflakes, salt and pepper with butter, parsley and lemon zest.

Roll each chicken thigh in the mustard mix and then dredge it in the panko mix. Transfer to the wire rack.

Bake the chicken for 30 minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown and it registers 165° F (74° C).

Enjoy!

Crispy Irish Whiskey Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Crispy Irish Whiskey Mustard Baked Chicken Thighs:

Progressive Hand Grater/zester

Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer by Thermoworks

Lakeshore Wholegrain Mustard with Irish Whiskey– If you can not get to the Limerick Milk Market to buy some Irish Whiskey Mustard from The Green Apron, you can buy this  whiskey mustard

Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen You won’t find the recipe for Theresa’s Irish Whiskey Mustard in this book, but there are over 100 other delicious seasonal fruit recipes to be found within, not to mention her recipes for cocktails, snacks , mains and going all the way through to desserts. And it doesn’t stop with the mouthwateringly delicious recipes, Fruit on the Table also gives you the low down on growing your own fruit, the ins and outs of preserving, tips on foraging as well as drying fruit. You simply must get yourself a copy of this essential cookbook!

 

 

 

Irish Coffee Cupcakes

Oh my gawd! It’s here, it’s here!! Today is St. Patrick’s Day!!! And as per usual, my last post of my St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon features cupcakes. And today I’ve got not just any old cupcake…no siree! What I’ve got here are Irish Coffee Cupcakes. Can’t get much more St. Patrick’s Day than that!

So obviously, I’m giving you that classic Irish cocktail in cupcake form. It is surprising that the Irish Coffee is fairly young when one considers coffee cocktails. It was invented in 1943. Way back in 19th century France,  folks were already quaffing “Glorias” which were a mixture of “coffee & strong spirits”. And Viennese Coffee Houses had been serving Pharisäers, sweetened coffee, rum & whipped cream, for quite some time at that point. So fast forward to 1943, Joe Sheridan was the chef at Foynes Port in Limerick when he invented this warming drink and served it to a gaggle of cold and wet tourists. Eventually Stanton Delaplane, an american travel writer, encountered the drink at Shannon airport and brought it back to the US, writing about it extensively. And what do you know, it caught on. Folks loved it then, and still love it now.

The classic Irish Coffee consists of hot coffee, Irish Whiskey and sugar and is topped with thick cream which is floated on top of the coffee/whiskey mixture. Soothing, warming and utterly decadent, you just can’t go wrong with this elixir. Serve it on a luxurious holiday morning or as a lovely nightcap – perfect every time. And these cupcakes…yeah, they’re worthy of their namesake.

Tender, moist coffee flavored chocolate cake – filled with a creamy dark and decadent whiskey chocolate ganache and then frosted with a light and airy Irish Whiskey Whipped Cream and topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean…

 

Dear Lawd! This is not only perfect on St. Patrick’s Day, but awesome year round. So what are you waiting for, you can have these ready for tonight’s shindig in two shakes of a lambs tail.

Now me, I’ve gotta get going…my blogging is done for a while. I’ve got some Patrick’s Day festivities to attend to. So see you in a week or so, Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daiobh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day)!

• Difficulty: easy
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Recipe from: Wife in Progress

Ingredients:

For the Cakes:

• 3/4 cups Guinness
• 1/4 cup strong black coffee (or King Arthur Espresso Powder works well here)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sour cream

For the Whiskey Ganache Filling:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 1 Tablespoon Jameson Whiskey

For the Whipped Cream Topping:

• 1 small carton of whipping cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey

Espresso powder (I used King Arthur Espresso Powder, but you could also use cocoa powder or even freshly ground nutmeg in a pinch) and chocolate covered espresso beans to garnish

Directions:

For the Cakes:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

Line 2 cupcake tins with liners.

In a large saucepan heat Guinness, coffee and butter together until it comes to a gentle simmer.

Add cocoa powder while whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Mix until smooth. Place in refrigerator to cool.

Place flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in bowl. Set aside

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs vanilla and sour cream.

Once the Guinness/cocoa mixture has cooled, add it to the egg/sour cream mixture. Mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, mixing on low speed until just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup scoop, fill the lined cupcake tins.

Bake for 25 minutes

Cool completely on wire rack.

For the Whiskey Ganache:

Heat heavy cream until just shy of boiling.

Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Do not mix. Cover with lid and let sit for 5 minutes.

Stir the mixture starting from the inside and working to the edges. Add the whiskey and mix until incorporated

Let sit for 10 minutes or so at room temperature. The ganache should thicken a bit. You can pop it into the fridge for a bit to speed this process up.

For the Whipped Cream Frosting:

Pour cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until Cream forms stiff peaks. Add Irish Whiskey to taste.

For Assembly: 

Once the cupcakes have cooled, cut out the center of each cake with an apple corer, knife or special cupcake corer tool, taking care not to cut all the way through the cake.

Place the whiskey ganache into a pastry bag and pipe into the cored cupcake to fill.

Spoon the whipped whiskey filling into a pastry bag and frost cupcakes.

Dust with espresso powder and top with chocolate covered bean.

Enjoy!

Irish Coffee Cupcakes brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Irish Coffee Cupcakes:

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Oxo Good Grips Ice Cream Scoop

Cuisipro Cupcake Corer or you can just use a plain Oxo Good Grips Apple Corer

Cuckoo Luckoo Gourmet Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans – This link is for a 1 pound box of these beans. To be honest, I got mine at my local Starbucks. They sell them in little 1/75 oz snack packs!

King Arthur Espresso Powder

 

 

Boozy Irish Brownie Bites

Boozy Irish Brownie Bites?!! Now we’re talking! These rich, decadent little gems are chock full of Irish Whiskey and frosted with a white chocolate, Baileys and Whiskey Ganache! I’m telling you, there is no way you could go wrong here. And just a warning, these guys are indeed boozy. I took care to add those spirits after the ganache was removed from heat, so there is no “oh the alcohol cooked off” with these darling treats. It is all there. Another thing that is absolutely great about these little guys is their diminutive size. You can literally just grab one and pop the whole thing right into your mouth.

You know, just a small bite, a wee taste if you will, just in case you don’t really want to commit to eating a whole big honking brownie.

Now, I’m sure that sounds good in theory and I know there are folks out there that have that kind of “I’ll just take a taste” self-restraint. I’m not really one of them. I just end up eating a plate of these irresistible little devils over the span of the evening. But hey, no regrets. St. Patrick’s Day only comes once a year. You should definitely enjoy it!

 

• Servings: 32- 34 Brownie Bites or 16 Regular sized Brownies
• Difficulty: easy
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recipe slightly adapted from: Vintage Kitty

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

• 1 vanilla bean
• 9 Tablespoons salted butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Irish Whiskey
• 3/4 Cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour

For the Ganache:

• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• pinch of salt
• 8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey

Directions:

For the Brownies:

Preheat oven to 325° F and line a 8″ square pan with parchment paper.

Slice the vanilla bean and scrape the seed outs.

Place the seeds and the pod in a medium sized dutch oven.

Add the butter and sugar to the pan and melt over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Once sugar has melted, remove vanilla bean pod.

Sift cocoa into the butter mixture and stir to combine.

Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool a minute or two. Add whiskey and stir to combine.

Add the flour and stir just until it is incorporated.

Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 -25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean.

Set brownies to cool on a metal rack.

For the Ganache:

While the brownies are cooling, combine sugar, butter, heavy cream and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Let the mixture boil for 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat and slowly add the white chocolate, stirring until it is completely melted and smooth.

Slowly add the Baileys and Irish Whiskey, stirring until combined.

Pour the ganache over the warm brownies and spread with a spatula.

Allow ganache to harden over an hour or so.

If you wish to serve regular brownies, go ahead and slice them and enjoy. If you wish to make smaller brownie bites as I did here, use whatever shaped small cookie cutter to cut the brownies. I used a 1 1/2″ circle cutter.

Enjoy!

Boozy Irish Brownie Bites brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

 

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail – how’s that for a fantastic St. Patrick’s Day offering. Now I know a bunch of folks are going to be guzzling big honking pints of Guinness or even more scary pints of that suspicious looking lager with a green hue. I don’t know about you, but as much as I like the taste of Guinness, I can’t manage more than one pint of the stuff. Not because I’m a light weight…give me some credit please! It’s because Guinness is so filling I feel as though I’ve eaten an entire loaf of bread. I’m ready to roll on home after one measly pint. Where’s the fun in that?!! So this Irish Whiskey Marmalade sounds pretty dang refreshing to me!

Jammy cocktails have been all the rage now for a couple of years. Adding a quality artisan jam to your favorite liquor is a really easy way to achieve a drink with wonderfully complex fruit flavors. The recipe for this particular tipple can be found in my friend Theresa’s debut cookbook: Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen.

I told you all about her and her award winning artisan preserve company, The Green Apron, in my last blog about Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts. And yes, you guessed it….that batch of Irish Whiskey Marmalade that I made up for the tarts…I’m also using it in these cocktails. See, I told you The Green Apron jams were very versatile!  Theresa’s Blas na hEireann (Taste of Ireland) award winning Irish Whiskey Marmalade is a perfect choice for this libation.

As far as which Irish Whiskey you should use…well I think that is definitely a personal preference. There is always Jameson, though I have a few friends that swear by Black Bush. The husband is a fan of Red Breast. I’ll leave the choice up to you, but I should say you’ve gotta like Irish Whiskey to drink this creation. In fact, it could be called an Irish Whiskey Marmalade Whiskey Cocktail, come to think of it. Double Whiskey?!! Yup…perfect for St. Patrick’s Day!

• Servings: 1 cocktail
• Difficulty: easy
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recipe from: Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen by Theresa Storey

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons marmalade
• 2 – 3 dashes of Angostura bitters
• 60 ml (2 fl. oz.) Irish whiskey
• 1 Tablespoon simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• sparkling water

Directions:

Muddle the marmalade, bitters and whiskey together until the marmalade starts to dissolve. (I know I have a spoon of the jam sitting by the cocktails in the pictures above, so it looks like I’m just going to stir it into the cocktail when I’m ready to imbibe. However, you really should either muddle it with the whiskey and bitters or shake them in shaker ahead of time though, otherwise it is difficult to incorporate into the already mixed cocktail.)

Add the simple syrup. (To make simple syrup, mix equal amounts of water and sugar and heat until he sugar dissolves. Allow to cool completely and keep in the fridge. Use within a few weeks.)

Drink neat over ice or add sparkling water.

Sláinte!

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail brought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links to helpful kitchen tools and ingredients for Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail:

Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen by Theresa Storey

Angostura Orange bitters

Irish Whiskey MarmaladeTarts

I can’t believe it! Here it is, March already. And St. Patrick’s Day is a mere 17 days away! That means it is time to start my annual St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon. In the days leading up to March 17th I will be sharing a delicious assortment of Irish-y recipes. I’ve been doing this for several years now, so I’ve collected over 80 St. Patrick’s Days recipes at this point and that doesn’t take into account all the delicious dishes coming your way this year. 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. I am very excited to kick off this year’s series of Irish recipes  with these fantastic Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts. Yup…what I’m talking about here is flaky, buttery shortcrust pastry which has been filled with a delicious homemade Irish Whiskey Marmalade laced batter. Sweet, bright  and citrus-y, it is like eating a burst of sunshine with every bite.

And I am so happy to tell you where you can find this recipe, as well as over one hundred other amazing seasonal fruit recipes. It can all be found in my good friend Theresa’s debut book: Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen by Theresa Storey. Theresa and I met in college when she was finishing up her degree in botany. I can tell you first hand that she is an amazing cook, full stop. But fruit is by far her specialty.

After college, Theresa moved back to rural County Limerick and started her own business, The Green Apron, which is an artisan preserve company. Theresa grows much of the fruit and vegetables she uses in her preserves at her family’s orchards at Derryclough and in the walled vegetable garden at her parents 18th Century castle, Glenwilliam.

Her award-winning preserves are made in small batches by traditional methods using locally sourced, organic produce where possible and without artificial preservatives, colours or setting agents. The Green Apron has won 12 Blas na hEireann Irish Food Awards, 7 International Great Taste awards and is listed not only in McKenna’s Guide, but also in Georgina Campbell’s Guide. The Green Apron is also now offering workshops on sustainable living, preserving and bee keeping.

Theresa’s book, Fruit on the Table is a top 10 best selling cookbook in Ireland , has won a Gourmond award there and has been selected to compete for an International Gourmond award. In her book, Theresa follows the seasons and tells you how best to keep fruit on your table all year round. It is an absolute treasure trove, filled not only with her family recipes for jams, jellies and chutneys but it also runs the full gambit of meals, including recipes for cocktails, snacks , mains and going all the way through to desserts. And it doesn’t stop with the mouthwateringly delicious recipes, Fruit on the Table also gives you the low down on growing your own fruit, the ins and outs of preserving, tips on foraging as well as drying fruit. I’m proud to be sharing several different recipes from her book this year, but I’m telling you, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. You’ve just gotta get ahold of this essential cookbook. And if you find yourself in Limerick, you simply must stop by the Limerick Milk Market and pay the Green Apron shop a visit!

Now back to these yummy Irish Whiskey Marmalade tarts. My first task here was to make up a batch of the marmalade. This Irish Whiskey Marmalade is a three fruit marmalade consisting of grapefruit, oranges and lemons and a good glug of Irish Whiskey. It is one of The Green Apron’s best-selling jams and won a bronze Blas na h’Eireann in 2015.

You will end up with much more of the marmalade than you require to make the tarts, but as you will see with some of my later posts, this marmalade is very versatile and you will be over the moon to have it around. Don’t forget to check back with me next week and see what else can be done with this scrumptious Irish Whiskey marmalade…besides eating it slathered over fresh-baked bread and scones. No brainer there…but believe me…there’s more!

Now once you have that delectable boozy marmalade, the tarts come together in a flash and would be wonderful to have on hand on St. Patrick’s Day. Perfect with a cup of tea, these tarts are slightly sweet and wonderfully fragrant. Ordinary tea time will become extra special with these irrisistible Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts on the table!

• Servings: 12 Tarts, 5 pints of Marmalade
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recipe from: Fruit on the Table: Seasonal recipes from the Green Apron kitchen by Theresa Storey

For the Irish Whiskey Marmalade:

Ingredients:

• 1 ruby grapefruit
• 2 medium sweet oranges
• 4 lemons
• 3.4 l (6 pints) water
• 2.7 kg (6 lbs) sugar
• 60 ml (2 fl. oz.) good Irish Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice (Please note, mixed spice is different from all-spice. Mixed spice, sometimes also called pudding spice is a British spice similar to pumpkin pie spice, containing cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. I have a link for it below, or here is a recipe for it.)

Directions:

Place a saucer into the refrigerator to chill.

Wash the grapefruit, oranges and lemons. Remove any blemishes from the skin and cut them into quarters. Place in the food processor and process on high speed until the peel is reduced to 6-mm (1/4″) pieces. If you like a bigger peel in your marmalade, don’t process it for so long, and if you like very little peel, process it for longer.

Put the processed citrus in a preserving pot with the water, stir well and cook on a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the peel is cooked and smooshes to wee pieces between your fingers. This usually takes an hour.

Add the sugar, stir well and cook over a high heat, stirring occasionally, until the marmalade reaches setting point, with a marmalade this usually takes 20 -40 minutes.

Spoon a little of the boiling preserve onto the cold saucer. Let it cool and then push it with your finger. If it has reached setting point, the top of the blob of marmalade will wrinkle. Marmalades should have wrinkles at least 2 -3 mm hight.

Remove from heat. Skim off any seeds and sugar foam.

Add 60 ml (2 fl oz) of good Irish Whiskey and 1 teaspoon of ground mixed spice.

Pour into warm sterilized jars to within 6 mm (1/4″) of the top. Wipe any drips off the rims of the jars to make sure there is a good seal between the jar and lid. A dampened paper towel works well for this. Place the lids on and seal.

For the Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts:

*These tarts are baked in a bun tin rather than a muffin tin. Bun tins are similar to muffin tins but are much more shallow. If you don’t have bun tin, (there is an amazon prime link for one below – you could have it tomorrow :)) you could try filling a muffin tin half way, though I haven’t tried that and can’t speak to the results.

Ingredients:

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 110 grams (4 oz.) butter (chopped)
• 225 grams (8 oz.) plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons cold water

For the batter:

• 75 grams (2 1/2 oz) all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 60 grams (2 oz) butter (chopped)
• 60 grams ( 2 oz.) sugar
• 1 large egg – beaten
• 1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey Marmalade

Directions:

Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs and then mix in the salt. Add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition until the pastry holds together. You may not need to use it all. Knead it a few times until it is smooth and then cover it and put it in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6).

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface until it is about 3 mm ( 1/8″) thick. Cut out circles slightly bigger that the size of the bun hole and put them into the tin.

Mix the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar and egg together until smooth. I do this in my food processor.

Fold in the Irish Whiskey Marmalade.

Put 1 teaspoon of the batter into each pastry case.

Bake the tarts for 18 – 20 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the bun tin from the oven. Let the tarts cool in the tin for a few minutes and then carefully take them out and place them on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts bought to you by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links for helpful kitchen tools & ingredients for Irish Whiskey Marmalade Tarts:

Fruit on the Table: Seasonal Recipes from the Green Apron Kitchen

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Cuisinart Pro-Classic Food Processor

Kilner Stainless Steel Jam Pan

Ball Mason 4 oz quilted jelly jars

Canning Magnetic Lid Wand

Norpro 600 Jar Lifter

Ball Canning Funnel

Nonstick Twelve Hole Shallow Bun Tin

Mixed Spice