Irish Car-Bomb Cupcakes

Chocolate Guinness Cupcake (makes about 24)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup room temp Guinness

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract, and the water; beat until smooth and combined.

Spoon the batter into liners about two-thirds full. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Transfer tins to wire racks and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes; turn cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes, going about two-thirds of the way down. Now you are ready for the ganache.

Irish Whiskey Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey

Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.

Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1 cup plus 2tbsp sugar
5 large egg whites
pinch salt
1lb room temperature butter, cut into 1tbsp sized pieces
1/4 cup Irish cream

Put sugar, egg whites, and salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, and set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved (the mixture will feel slippery between your fingers with no trace of the grainy sugar.)

Transfer bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes. Add the cubed butter about 3tbsp at a time making sure it is fully incorporated after each addition. You may notice it does appear to look curdled after you have added in all butter but keep mixing it will come together. once it is fully mixed switch to the paddle attachment and slowly beat in the Irish cream.

Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Red Lentil Coconut Soup

I made a batch of this amazing soup a few weeks ago for a vegan friend who had just had a baby. It was so good I decided to post the recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups red split lentils
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup tomato paste
7 cups water
1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Method:

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant. Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes adding the lime juice at the end of cooking. Taste and adjust with more salt or more lime juice if desired. Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.