Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

 There is nothing better than sinking your teeth into a delicious moist cupcake....oh wait there is! just add a little Guinness, whiskey and Baileys.  Hello you beautiful cupcake you.  Now I'm not a huge fan of the actual drink, anything that you have to gulp down in less than 3 seconds before it curdles doesn't sound so appealing to me.  But give it to me in a cupcake form and I'm down.

I made a batch of these bad boys for a house warming party the other night and they turned out great. Plus isn't fun to make cupcakes to share... sharing is caring right?

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Adapted From Brown Eyed Baker

Yields 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup Guinness
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, room temp
2/3 sour cream

Ganache

Ingredients
8 onces bittersweet dark chocolate
2/3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 table spoons whiskey

Baileys Frosting

Ingredients
2 cups unsalted butter
5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Baileys Liquor 

Directions 

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

-Line 2 cupcake pans with liners (24)

-Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

- In a separate large bowl, Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together and set aside.  Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. 

- Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. 

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a tooth inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean

Directions for Ganache 

- chop the chocolate and transfer it to a medium glass bowl. 

- In a small pot, Heat the cream on medium until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, combine it until smooth. 

- Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped. putting it in the fridge for about 15 minutes help.

- to fill the cupcakes, make a whole in the middle using a small spoon or apple corer.

- put your ganache into a pipping bag and pipe into your cupcakes

Directions for Frosting

- Using a electric mixer whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. 

- Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.

Japanese Curry

If you've ever had the privilege of eating Japanese curry, you know that it differs from Thai and Indian Curry.  Thai is usually made with coconut, its light and soupy and quite tasty, while Indian curry is fragrant and savory.  Japanese curry reminds me a lot like a spicy gravy, the texture is thick and the coloring is dark.  It pairs great with rice, but than again all curry does :)  When I first came to Japan 2 years ago, we ventured to a small restaurant in Misawa called Pizza Curry and had our first experience with Japanese curry.  I remember receiving a bowl of this gravy and rice and thinking to myself "this is curry?" Tho after my first bite of this rich, spicy gravy called "curry" we were hooked.

By the way just spent 12 hours baking cakes for the cub scouts to sell at our annual Air Show at Misawa this weekend.  Average of 100,000 Japanese nationals usually show up for the event. After today I don't ever want to smell strawberry cake mix again lol. I only have 25 more cakes to go and I can finally turn off my oven and let my house cool down.

Japanese Curry
By Oishii Treats
Yields 4 Servings

Ingredients
4 Small White Potatoes cubed or sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Green Pepper sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 small white onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
About 2-2 1/2 cups water
2 Cups cooked brown rice
1 box green curry








Directions

- Add Olive oil to a large saute pan on medium high heat.  Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes, add the onions and peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Place 2 cups water in the pan, add the cumin and turmeric. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes
- Remove the cover and add the curry blocks to the pan, stir until fully mixed in with the vegetables ( if too thick add some more water if necessary)
- Serve with brown rice or your favorite rice

I'm Back!!! with Ganache Filled Banana Cupcakes and Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

I know I've been MIA for a long 2 months, but I can now officially call myself a bona fide Paralegal!  (I have the badge and certificate to prove it ; ) I've spent most of the long hot summer in Montgomery Alabama, studying and pouring over legal books to finish my retraining in the Air Force.  Though it was nice to go back to the states for a little bit I'am finally back in Japan and happy to be cooking and baking in my kitchen once again.


Chocolate Ganche filled Banana Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted and inspired by Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication 2012

Banana Cupcake

Ingredients
3/4 cup Butter
3 Eggs
3 cups All purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
3/4 cup Mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium)
1/3 cup Almond Milk
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup Sugar

Directions

- Preheat your oven for 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with paper liners
- Allow butter and eggs to at room temperature for 30 minutes
- In a medium bowl combine your flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside
- In a small bowl combine the mashed bananas, almond milk, sour cream and vanilla
- In a large mixing bowl beat the butter for 30 seconds, gradually add the sugar about 1/4 at a time, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Alternately add your flour mixture and banana mixture to the mixing bowl, beating on low speed until just combined.
- Fill your paper liners till 3/4 full and bake for 17 minutes, immediately remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients
1 cup Whipping Cream
12 ounces bittersweet Dark Chocolate

Directions

- In a medium sauce pan bring whipping cream just to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate (no not stir) let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, cool for 15 minutes in the fridge
- Make a hole in the middle of your cupcakes (I used a 1/2 teaspoon to scoop out the inside of the cake)
- Fill a pipping bag with your ganche and fill your cupcakes


Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
6 oz Cream Cheese
5 cups Powder Sugar
1/4 teaspoons Coconut Extract
3/4 Tablespoon Coconut Milk

Directions

- In a electric mixer beat the butter and cream cheese together
- Add in the coconut milk and extract beat until combined
- Add the powder sugar 1/2 cup at a time until combined, scraping the side of the bowl when need.
- Fill a pipping bag and frost your cupcakes.

Withdrawals!

I'm still here, just unfortunately not sharing a recipe today.
I finished my first full week of paralegal school at Maxwell AFB and my head hurts! Lots of information to learn in such a short period of time, not to mention a progress check and test each week to make anyones anxiety about failing go through the roof.  But I think I'm doing well and understanding the law.

Alabama State Capitol 

BUT I want to COOK or at least bake something!  I'm starting to have cooking withdrawals, you know the shakes, eye twitching withdrawals.  With only a small fridge and a microwave theres not a whole lot of cooking going on in my hotel room.  Its so hot in Alabama I considered frying an egg on the sidewalk, I think 100 degree weather could fry it up in no time :)   Oh yeah and the chow hall is just how I remember it...Terrible :P

Hopefully sometime this weekend I can think up of a dessert or treat that I can share with you all, maybe create some recipes on how to survive living in a hotel room.  I am enjoying my time back in the states and enjoying the food again (off base), dont get me wrong I love sushi and ramen but I've been craving some good ole american food lol.  I did take some pics of historic downtown Montgomery Alabama that I thought I would share with you all.

Forget the name of the boat

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was the pastor at this church

Trolly tour through town

First Confederate White House

White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Swirls

I hate flying! oh I see the irony in it. How can I be in the AirForce for almost 9 years and can't stand to fly? I think its because I've worked around the flight line for too long and have seen the maintenance on aircrafts.   Any kind of turbulence freaks me out! I just flew from Misawa Japan to Seattle yesterday and was so exhausted from my anxiousness (is that a word?) I couldn't sleep and since I left late afternoon on a Tuesday, I arrived early morning on a Tuesday, basically resetting my whole day again.  Can you say exhausting! But I am excited to see my family for a few days in Portland before flying...EEK again to Maxwell AFB for training.  The only thing I'm worried about is if they will have any place for me to cook something or will i be subjected to chow hall food for the next 2 months ick. 

I made this creamy and delicious or should I say Oishii ;) mousse for the very first Blue Ribbon Challenge over on Ana's. Crunchy Creamy Sweet Blog.  She has begun a new and fun challenge where each month there is a themed dessert and you can add your own twist.  This month was Mousse and I'm bringing to the challenge this yummy white chocolate mousse with raspberry swirls. I love how the tart raspberry swirls complement the sweet white chocolate mousse. I made this right before leaving Japan so my husband could have a little dessert saved in the fridge just for him. 

White Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Swirls

Adapted from Claire Robinson Food Network 

Yields 4 Servings 

Ingredients 

7 ounces White Chocolate (I used white chocolate chips)

2 Egg Yolks

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 1/4 Cup Heavy cream

1 Cup Frozen Raspberries thawed

Directions

Using a fine mesh strainer, place over a medium glass bowl. Add the thawed raspberries to the strainer and mash with the back of a large spoon until you get about 1 cup of just raspberry puree.  the seeds should not be able to make it through the mesh screen.  set aside.

In a large glass bowl place in your white chocolate chips or broken chocolate bar and set aside.

Add the egg yolks and sugar into a small bowl and whisk until pale in color. 

In a sauce pan over low heat bring 1/4 cup on the heavy cream to a simmer, and slowly add the cream to the yolk and sugar mixture to temper, keep whisking the yolk mixture while your adding the hot cream. 

Pour the mixture back into the pan and simmer, stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. (about 5 min)

While the mixture is heating up add the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream to a electric mixer and beat on high until stiff peaks form making your whipped cream.

Pour the hot mixture over the white chocolate and stir until smooth.

Fold in half of your whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten and fold in the remaning whipped cream until combined. 

Using 4 small serving bowls, spoon in about a table spoon of raspberry puree to the bottom of the bowl add a couple large spoon fulls of the white chocolate mousse, add another tablespoon or 2 of the puree to the top of the white chocolate. Spoon in more white chocolate mousse till your almost to the top of the bowl, add another couple of table spoons of raspberry puree and using a skewer make swirl patterns in your mousse. refrigerate for about 1 hour.