Sweets for St. Paddy's

And some pics from Ireland

The old schoolhouse, now a summer getaway, on Inishlacken Island. There are only 4 o4 5 house left on this remote island near Roundstone in Connemara. We spent a day here eating and photographing (without electricity!) on our first workshop. It would be hard to imagine a more romantic atmosphere!

Every month, Molly and I sit down (OK, in separate states, on Zoom) and brainstorm ideas for the coming month’s newsletters. Sometimes I have lots of ideas, and other months, I need a little help. I welcome Molly’s ideas, because she often prompts me to think about things I may not have been thinking about, or reminds me of an upcoming holiday. Such was the case this month when she plugged in “St. Patrick’s Day” for March 17th.

Although it has become a somewhat secular tradition here in the U.S. (any excuse to drink green beer or Shamrock Shakes), it is of course a religious holiday for many, especially in Ireland. As the date for this newsletter approached, I realized I didn’t know that much about the food traditions for this holiday, especially those in the motherland, Ireland, so I called my friend Imen McDonnell. Imen, who is American by birth, has lived in Ireland since 2005. She used to write the blog Farmette, which sadly, I can’t link to here — because of an unfortunate GoDaddy incident, it is no longer accessible.

Imen’s blog and corresponding Instagram account was how I first came to know her, and, as has happened with so many people I’ve met on Instagram, we became friends IRL. The friendship began when she invited me to teach a workshop for a new series called Lens & Larder she had created in partnership with Cliodhna Prendergast in Ireland in 2014. The workshop took place in Western Ireland, in Connemara, where Cliodhna lives with her family. I had never been to Ireland before, and, for some strange reason, it was not at the top of my travel list. 

I immediately fell in love with the place. The people, the food, the sheep! If you have never been to this beautiful country, make sure to add it to your bucket list. I liked it so much that I went back the very next year to participate in another workshop with Imen and Cliodhna. 

This is the view from Cliodhna’s beautiful modern home. Imagine waking up to this every day!

The forest did not disappoint! I was expecting to see a leprechaun pop out from behind one of these moss-covered trees!

I have a feeling you might be asking me for a recipe for this Brown Soda Bread with fresh dillisk, AKA dulse, which is a local seaweed. Let me know in the comments and I will get it for you!

Although these experiences certainly gave me a taste for Irish food and culture, I’m no expert, so I decided to ask Imen what recipe I should share with my dear readers to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day (not St. Patty’s, she was careful to point out). After leafing through her cookbook, The Farmette Cookbook: Recipes and Adventures from My Life on an Irish Farm, I picked out a few things that sounded interesting, but, after talking on the phone, we zeroed in on two possibilities. I tinkered around with both of the recipes Imen gave me until I was happy with them (with Imen’s permission!). I was going to share the best one with you, but they both came out so well I decided to share them both!

Since today is St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to give you recipes you could make RIGHT NOW. The Fruity Dark Chocolate Guinness cake is normally a cake that improves over several days as the dried fruit lends its moisture to the surrounding crumb, but I made a few changes that make it just right for a same-day baking project. If you want to make this on another random day, I suggest wrapping the cake for a day or three and then adding the glaze an hour or two before serving. You can “feed” the cake by pouring some more Guinness over top each day to make it even more moist.

The other recipe is for Irish Stout Chocolate Brownies, and, I have to tell you, I think these are the best brownies I have ever tasted. The Guinness doesn’t necessarily jump out as a flavor on its own, but what it does do is deepen the chocolate flavor. They are without a doubt the chocolatiest, richest brownies ever. They are quite soft in the center, so if you like a cakier texture for your brownies, simply bake them a few minutes longer, or bake in a 9-inch pan and shorten the baking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

I hope you enjoy one, if not both, of these recipes!

Erin go Bragh!

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Cooking Class: How to Make Caramel Sauce

Last week I shared another “Cooking Class” video with my full-access subscribers, in which I show how to make an incredibly versatile caramel sauce that I always have stashed away in my fridge. It’s great to drizzle over ice cream, pancakes, cookies … you could even drizzle a bit over these brownies! Upgrade to a paid subscription for access to that and all future how-to videos. I’m just getting started, and am really enjoying the opportunity to show these techniques and recipes instead of just tell!

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Fruity Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake with Espresso Glaze

Makes 16 squares

This recipe is based on a traditional Irish recipe for porter cake, but since porter is hard, if not impossible, to find here, just use Guinness stout instead. The cake gets better and moister as it sits for 2 or 3 days, but is also delicious right away. Wait until the day you want to eat the cake to glaze it. This recipe will also work in a 9-inch pan for a lower-profile cake. Just reduce the baking time accordingly (to probably 25 to 30 minutes).

• 6 ounces Guinness stout (1/2 bottle)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/125g light brown sugar

• 1/2 cup/80g raisins

• 1/2 cup/80g golden raisins

• 1/4 cup/40g dried cherries

• Zest of 1 orange

• 1/4 cup molasses

• 2 ounces/56g bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 1/3 cups/175g all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

• 3 tablespoons/23g Dutch-process cocoa powder

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 large egg

• 1 large egg yolk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the glaze:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tablespoon melted butter

• 1 to 2 tablespoons espresso or strong coffee (or espresso powder dissolved in hot water)

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1. Heat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and line with a strip of parchment paper cut to fit the width of the pan, with plenty of overhang, adhering it to the bottom and sides.

2. Combine stout, butter, sugar, dried fruit, and orange zest in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the molasses and chocolate. Remove from heat. Stir as needed to completely melt the chocolate. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally.  

3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly.  

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Crack the whole egg into the bowl that you just poured the wet mixture out of, add the egg yolk, and beat thoroughly. Add the eggs to the large bowl, and use a rubber spatula to combine everything thoroughly.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

6. Place cake on a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, pour about 1/4 cup of Guinness over top of the cake to moisten it while still warm. The cake will get better as it sits over 2 or 3 days, but is still delicious served right away.

7. To make the glaze, place the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add the butter. Slowly add the espresso, stirring with a fork until smooth. Pour over the cooled cake, using a small offset spatula to spread it toward the edges.

Fruity Dark Chocolate Guinness Cake With Espresso Glaze

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Irish Stout Chocolate Brownies

Makes 16

If you want your brownies to have a shiny, crackly top, it helps to use chocolate chips rather than bars, though either will work. I found that Ghirardelli semisweet morsels worked the best.

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness stout

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons/1 ¾ sticks/200g unsalted butter, cut up

• 8 ounces/226g dark chocolate chips

• 1 1/3 cups/275g granulated sugar, divided

• 3 large eggs

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup/128g all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup/30g Dutch-process cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

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1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray and line with a strip of parchment paper cut to fit the width of the pan, with plenty of overhang, adhering it to the bottom and sides to form a sling. This will help you pull the brownies out later.

2. Pour the stout into a large saucepan and set over a high heat. Simmer briskly for 8 to 10 minutes until reduced to about 1/2 cup/100ml. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Return the saucepan to a low heat and add butter and chocolate chips. Cook gently, stirring, until chocolate is completely melted. Add half the sugar and whisk to combine. Remove from heat.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and then add the vanilla extract and remaining sugar. Beat by hand until foamy and pale. Add to the chocolate mixture along with the reduced stout, flour, cocoa and espresso powder. Whisk to combine thoroughly and scrape into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. If you like a cakier brownie, bake an extra 5 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.  

Irish Stout Chocolate Brownies

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Editor: Molly Ramsey