So Much To Do...So Little Time!

I feel like I have been running in circles here lately! The kids and all of their activities, revamping my Tastefully Simple business and of course there is my baking not leaving much time for blogging!  Oh and then there is that little garden project that I have decided to undertake....more on that later but I have managed to whip up a few treats here and there over the past few months and have decided to take the time to post a few of them :) 

Ahh we recently had a Green potluck at work and I made Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes (it was in March) St. Patrick's Day! These babies were Yummy!

Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream

Filling
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Baileys

Baileys Buttercream
4 cups confections sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperatue
5 tablespoons Baileys (add a little milk if you want less or no alchohol)

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F.  Bring 1 cup Guinness and 1 cup butter to simmer in  large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add Guinness-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and lightly beat . Add flour mixture and beat briefly on low speed. Completely combine using a rubber spatula. Divide batter into cupcake liners, filling them 3/4 full. Bake cake until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely.

Make the filling: Place chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth.  Add the butter and Baileys and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (you can pop it into the fridge to speed up this process). Meanwhile, using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, (or that neat little tool that I posted to this blog some time ago) cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. Go deep but don't cut through the bottom about 2/3 of the way. Pipe in the ganache to fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Add butter and powdered sugar to your mixing bowl and combine on the cream setting. You want light and fluffy frosting. Add the Bailey's or milk a little at a time to get the consistency and flavor you want! 

Cheers!