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Monday, March 11, 2024

CHOCOLATE IRISH SODA BREAD PUDDING with GUINNESS ICE CREAM: St. Patrick's Day!


Travel websites are a good resource for local recipes. This Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding may not be served in any pub in Ireland, but it is served at my house! Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding! I love this vintage advertisement for Guinness.

This great recipe for Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding comes from www.karott.com. Their site is all about the Irish: Guinness, Gaelic Language, Travel. I've never made the Guinness Ice Cream. I've always just added Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream to this Soda Bread Pudding, but the Guinness Ice Cream sounds great. I've included the ice cream recipe in case you have the time and inclination. This is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

Chocolate Irish Soda Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
2 loaves of Irish soda bread
4 ounces butter, melted
6 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1 quart heavy cream
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

Directions:
Cut 1 loaf or half of the bread in cubes. Process the remaining half in a food processor.
Place bread cubes and crumbs in a bowl and cover with melted butter, toss and set aside.
Place cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Place chopped chocolate in a bowl and set on top of the cream and let it act as a double-boiler to melt the chocolate.
In another bowl beat eggs and sugar until pale and thick.
When the cream comes to a boil pour it over the chocolate whisking quickly. Then temper the chocolate-cream mixture into the egg mixture. this isn't as difficult as you think :-)
Mix in the raisins.
Pour this mixture over the bread, mix well, and let it soak overnight or at least 2 hours. There should be a sense of moistness. If the mixture looks dry add another 1/2 cup of heavy cream.

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.
Butter a 9 inch cake pan. Pour mixture into pan. Place in a hotel pan and fill 3/4 up the sides of cake pan with cold water.
Bake at 375 for 1/2 hour. Turn pan, reduce heat to 325 F and bake for another 1/2 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.

Top with Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipping Cream or Guinness Ice Cream

Guinness Ice Cream

Ingredients:
12 ounces Guinness
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks

Directions
In a large saucepan, simmer the Guinness until reduced by 3/4 in volume, about 8 minutes. Combine the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks. Gradually add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, to the hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator and add the Guinness reduction, whisking until well blended. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

GUINNESS CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES: St. Patrick's Day


St. Patrick's Day is coming up!
Time to bring out the Guinness.  Here's a great and easy recipe for Guinness Chocolate Truffles. You can really taste the Guinness in these truffles. Hoist a few of these on St. Patrick's Day!

GUINNESS CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Ingredients
3/4 cup Guinness
1 pound dark chocolate  (65-75% cacao), chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Cocoa
Optional: chopped nuts

Directions
Melt chocolate in top of a double boiler or saucepan over another saucepan over simmering water.
Gradually stir in cream.
Gradually add Guinness, stirring gently to blend.
Cover and chill overnight.
Shape mixture into 3/4 inch balls, using about a tablespoon for each.
Roll in cocoa (optional: then roll in nuts)


Saturday, March 9, 2024

CHOCOLATE COVERED POPCORN: A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS!

The Academy Awards are tomorrow night. For "A Night at the Movies" or a Night About the Movies, one must have Popcorn -- dressed appropriately for the occasion. Here's a simple recipe worthy of Oscar viewing: Chocolate Covered Popcorn. 

You can use dark or white chocolate -- or both. Just drizzle some great melted chocolate over your air-popped Popcorn. Drizzle sparingly. Less is more!

CHOCOLATE COVERED POPCORN


Make a bag of popcorn (buttered or plain) and pop it according to the directions.


Put popped popcorn into large bowl or flat baking pan (for more even distribution).

Melt dark or white chocolate or both (in separate bowls) in top of double boiler (or in microwave).

Drizzle chocolate on popcorn. You can always add more chocolate, but you can't remove it, so use sparingly.


Friday, March 8, 2024

GIRL SCOUT COOKIE WINE, BEER, AND SPIRIT PAIRINGS!

In my 'real' life, I often facilitate chocolate pairings -- with wine or with beer - and sometimes with Scotch and other Spirits. So since it's Girl Scout Cookie Time, I thought I'd do a mini-round-up of Girl Scout Cookie/ alcohol pairings, focusing on my favorite Girl Scout Cookie - Thin Mints.

Vivino is a wine app that allows users (over 13 million members) to snap a shot of a wine label or list and receive ratings and reviews. They've also put together a guide to pairing wine with other Girl Scout cookies. How awesome is this? Since my favorite Girl Scout Cookies are Thin Mints, I immediately checked that one out. Be sure and look at the entire list or get the app. Quite fun! You can do a pairing at home! Invite friends.

Babble has an infograph (on the right)

So maybe you're not a wine drinker. You're more of a stout or ale type of person? Beer & Brewing has a great pairing for you. Once again, there are several pairings, but I'm sticking with Thin Mints. Recommendation from Beer & Brewing consists of several stouts and ales.

Perennial Artisan Ales 17
Alesmith Speedway Stout
Shipyard Mint Chocolate Stout
Epic Big Bad Baptist
Hardywood Sidamo Coffee Stout

I would add Speakeasy Chocolate Stout, and be sure and put the Thin Mints in the Freezer before your pairing. I think it enhances the tasting flavors. Check out other Girl Scout Cookie/Beer pairings here.

O.K. So maybe you're a Bourbon drinker? The Bourbon Review suggests Thin Mints & Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Be sure and go to Bourbon Review if you're partial to another cookie.

Scotch? Lagavulin goes well with Thin Mints.