Guinness Chocolate Cake

I have yet to try this recipe yet, but it is next on my short list! Beer and chocolate may seem like an odd combo, but this isn't just any beer, it's Guinness stout—from roasted barley—adding smoky notes to complement chocolate perfectly.

Guinness Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup Guinness (or other stout)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted Butter
• ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa powder
• 2¼ cups all-purpose Flour (King Arthur, preferred)
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1½ tsp Baking Soda (preferably less than 6 mos. old)
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 2 large Eggs
• 2/3 cup Sour Cream

Icing

• 8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup Confectioners' Sugar
• ½ cup Heavy Cream
• ½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, place a round of parchment paper on the bottom and butter it, then flour the pan.

Cake

1. Place the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
2. Whisk in cocoa powder until mixture is smooth.
3. Thoroughly combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
4. In another bowl, beat together eggs and sour cream until well-blended.
5. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed.
6. Finish mixing by folding batter with a spatula until completely combined.
7. Pour batter in the springform pan and bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
8. Place cake on a rack and cool for 10 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and cool completely.

Icing

1. Beat together the cream cheese and sugar.
2. Add cream and vanilla and mix.
3. Spread icing on top of cake to echo the appearance of a glass of Guinness and its head of foam.

Recipe and photo courtesy of NPR

Adrienne's Brownies

My mother-in-law left a brownie recipe behind that only listed ingredients and an oven temperature. I hope I've filled in all the right details to replicate her wonderful brownies.

Adrienne's Brownies

Ingredients

• ½ cup Butter, melted
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 2 squares baking Chocolate melted (or ½ cup Cocoa)
• ¾ cup Flour
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ¾ cup chopped Walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon.
3. Stir in chocolate (if melted) now, or if cocoa powder, see next step.
4. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt (and cocoa powder if used); gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended.
5. Stir in nuts, if desired.
6. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan.
8. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

cc image courtesy of Terriko

Banana-Cherry-Chocolate Muffins

I was inspired to find/create this recipe when I noticed our bananas were brown next to the cherries in our fruit basket.

Dried cherries or cranberries can be substituted for the fresh cherries out of season.

Banana-Cherry-Chocolate Muffins

Wet ingredients

• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/3 cup (or more) Vermont maple syrup
• 2-3 large, rip bananas
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Dry Ingredients

• 2/3 cup cherries, pitted and chopped
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tsbp chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (King Arthur Flour recommended)
• 1 tsp. backing soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (fresh if possible)

Directions

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees F.
2. Grease muffin tin.
3. Combine wet ingredients; letting butter cool before mixing it with beaten egg. Set aside.
4. Chop cherries and nuts. 
5. Combine all dry ingredients (except cherries, chocolate & nuts.) Then add excepted ingredients and toss to coat.
6. Add wet to dry ingredients. Combine just enough to moisten. Do not overwork.
7. Spoon into greased muffin tin.
8. Put in oven, and lower heat to 350 degrees F. Cook for 20 minutes.
9. Cool muffins on a wire rack.

cc2.0 image courtesy of jessicafm, and see her associated vegan muffin recipe.

Oven-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

A tasty and easy accompaniment to Pepper-encrusted Steak. I prefer to use Garlic Maple Pepper, in place of the ground black pepper, for that special Vermont touch.

Oven-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients

• 18 fingerling potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Cut into 1 inch pieces to ensure even cooking.
3. Place potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet. Coat with remaining ingredients.
4. Stir once during cooking. Cook until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.
5. Allow potatoes to cool 5 minutes before serving.

cc2.0 image courtesy of Furey and the Feast, and see her recipe here.