Celebrate St. Patty's Day with cupcakes!

I'm not a huge beer fan (yuck!), but to be true to my Irish heritage and celebrate St. Patty's Day I've found a way to get my Guinness fix without struggling through the obligatory pint...GUINNESS CUPCAKES WITH BAILEY'S FROSTING! These have become somewhat of a tradition in my house for St. Patrick's day, just as much as corned beef and cabbage :)

Ingredients:
1 1/2  cups Guinness stout
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Then beat in the eggs and mix in the sour cream.

In a separate mixing bowl combine the cocoa powder, sugar, flour and baking soda. I typically sift all of these ingredients together to ensure that they are thoroughly combined. Gradually mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture, making sure that the batter is completely smooth.

Line or grease your cupcake tins - whichever you prefer. I use the liners because it makes the cleanup a lot easier for Joe lol. This recipe yields 24 cupcakes, so you'll need 2 standard size cupcake pans, or you'll have to do them in a couple batches. Bake for 20 minutes or until they pass the toothpick test (poke a toothpick into the middle and it should come out clean).

Now for the frosting...

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese
1 lb confectioners sugar
1/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream (coffee is my fav)

Whip the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the Bailey's and once it's thoroughly combined, slowly mix in the confectioners sugar.

Top your cupcakes with a big dollop of frosting once they've cooled.

It's the best way to enjoy the traditional St. Patty's Day Guinness without the hangover! Be safe out there and enjoy!

Simple Shu Mai (steamed dumplings)

Every once in a while I'm not feeling a full blown Sunday dinner, so appetizers typically suffice. Instead of making nachos or pizza rolls or other frozen apps, I like to whip up something a little more healthy. One of my favorites (and Joe's - his record is 32 in one sitting!) is Shu Mai, Chinese steamed dumplings. In my interpretation, I use ground turkey instead of pork They're quick and easy to make and make great leftovers for snacking!

Little pouches of steamed goodness.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs of lean ground turkey
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp mirin
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp sriracha
1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb package wonton wrappers

In a large bowl, mix the turkey, corn starch (to thicken the mixture), garlic, ginger, vinegar, mirin, lemon juice, soy sauce, sriracha, onion, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Once the filling mixture has had a chance to marinate, place your wonton wrappers on a clean counter and spoon about a tbsp of filling onto each one (you'll probably need to do this in batches since there are about 50 wrappers in the package). Now comes the tricky - or not so tricky - part, depending on how you fold the wrappers. Dip your finger in a cup of water and wet the edges of each wrapper to ensure a good seal when you fold them.

Folded and ready for the steamer!

There are two ways that I typically fold them: classic wonton style or "x" shaped pouches. If you want to fold it like a regular wonton, start by pressing the opposite corners together, forming a triangle. Then bring the two bottom corners together (it should look like an oversized tortellini). The "x" shaped pouches are formed by bringing all of the corners up to the middle and pressing the edges to seal (featured in the photos).

When you're done filling and folding, it's time to steam! I use a standard veggie steamer to cook my dumplings, but if you have a bamboo steamer go ahead and use that (it's on my wish list lol). Place your steamer in a deep pot and fill with water until it reaches about 1/4 inch below the steamer. Spray the steamer with non-stick cooking spray and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, place your dumplings in the steamer and cook for 8-10 minutes (you'll have to do this in batches too depending on the size of your steamer). The dumplings should have a glossy look and the filling should be firm and fully cooked before serving.

Voila! Shu Mai in no time at all. I typically serve it with soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce for dipping. You can make them with pretty much any type of meat (pork is standard) and vary the spices/marinade to your taste. And like I mentioned before, they're great as an appetizer or a meal - just ask Joe!

- "Jess" a Pinch

Full Belly Boule

You want savory entrees, you got it, but ask me to bake...yikes! I've made cakes and quick bread before - my fav is Guiness cupcakes with Bailey's frosting on St. Patty's day (stay tuned!). I've never baked bread in my life up until recently. Something about the yeast and the whole process just seemed too overwhelming and time consuming, but man, I was missing out big time!


After lots of research and me finally throwing caution to the wind, here's my take on a rustic boule (it'll take a couple days but it's definitely worth the time and effort!):

Day 1
Sponge Ingredients:
1 cup of warm water
1/2 teaspoon of rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 cups of bread flour


Mix the warm water and yeast in a liquid measuring cup, then combine with the bread flour in a large bowl. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter at room temperature until the sponge has fallen (about 6 hours - but it can sit up to 24 hours before getting funky).


Making the sponge is an important part of the process, allowing for the yeast to work it's magic and help you turn out a chewy, yummy, rustic loaf.


Day 2
Dough Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups of warm water
2 tablespoons of Agave nectar
1 teaspoon of rapid rise yeast
3 1/2 cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons of salt
Vegetable Oil spray


Mix the warm water, nectar and yeast in a liquid measuring cup. Combine the bread flour and salt then slowly add the water mixture. Here's where a stand mixer would come in handy, but I don't have one so...I use a hand mixer with a dough hook attachment.


Mix for a couple minutes or until the dough starts to come together. At that point, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes. All this waiting will be worth it, I promise!


Remove the plastic wrap and add in the sponge from day 1. Use the mixer and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until it's smooth and stretchy. Once you've reached that point, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand and shape into a round ball. Spray a bowl with vegetable oil spray, place dough in and cover with plastic wrap. Now for more waiting...let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours or until it has doubled in size.


On to the the last rise, finally! Lay down a sizable sheet of parchment paper on the counter. On a clean, lightly floured section of counter, press your dough out into a square and dimple it with your knuckles. Then fold it in thirds, like a letter, and slowly form into a tight ball being careful not to tear the dough. place the dough onto the parchment paper and loosely cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise one final time for another 1 1/2 hours.


Now to prep the baking stone - necessary for a nice crispy crust. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees with the stone on the lowest rack. Cut an "X" in the top of your dough ball to allow it to breathe, avoiding blowouts while baking. Once the oven is up to temperature, remove the stone and carefully place the dough, parchment paper and all, onto the stone and place in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes.


Once you remove it from the oven, place your boule on a wire rack to cool for about 2 hours or until it's room temperature. 


And there you have it! A great rustic bread that is great with soup, salad, as grilled cheese, French toast, or just a vehicle to sop up extra gravy. Enjoy!

- "Jess" A Pinch