Southport Magazine

Ye Olde Irish Desserts to Warm Ye Belly

Is it the luck of the Irish? Or is it just a great cook in the kitchen needed to create these yummy treats? As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year, I found a couple of yummy recipes you might want to try. Forget the green beer, I think you’re going to enjoy these Irish inspired desserts instead.

BLUEBERRY SCONES INGREDIENTS 1¾ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into pats ½ cup dried blueberries 5 tablespoons milk 1 egg, plus 1 more beaten to brush on top DIRECTIONS Heat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingers until it’s all worked in. Mix in the blueberries. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk the milk and one egg together. Pour the milk mixture in with the dry ingredients and gently mix until the liquid is fully blended. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough a few times and pat it into a disc about ¾” thick. Divide the dough into 8 equal wedges — transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each scone. Bake the scones for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Serve warm with butter!

GUINNESS CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS 1 cup and 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 cup Guinness ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa sifted 2 + 1/4 cup all purpose flour, sifted 2 tsp. baking soda 2 cup sugar 2 medium eggs 2/3 cup sour cream 1 tbsp. good quality vanilla extract FROSTING 300 g (1 + 1/3 cup) cream cheese 150 g (1+1/2 c.) powdered sugar, sifted 150 ml (2/3 c.) cream, whipped Instructions Preheat oven to 180C/350F. DIRECTIONS Add butter, cocoa and Guinness to a saucepan. Warm over a medium heat and stir until melted. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly. Add flour, baking soda and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together well. Pour in the Guinness/cocoa/butter mixture, lightly combine, add the vanilla, eggs and sour cream and beat everything together until well combined. The batter should be thick and dark chocolate in color. Pour into a greased 10” angel food pan
(or another straight-sided tube pan) and cook in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from the center of the cake. *Note: This cake is very moist inside, so use your judgment regarding the skewer test. Do not leave in the oven until the cake has totally dried out. If you make this in a regular angel food cake pan, you should start checking for doneness at least 15 minutes early. Cool completely.

FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat on a low-medium speed using a whisk attachment (I find a paddle attachment tends to over-beat the cheese). Whisk until the cheese is smooth and there are no big lumps remaining. Gradually, using a large spoon, add in the sifted powdered sugar and beat gently to combine. After 2 to 3 minutes, stop the machine, scrape any excess frosting from the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed until lump free. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the whipped cream, mixing to fully combine. Place cooled cake on a cake stand and add the frosting, spreading out just to the edge without going over the side (never go over the sides of the cake) The idea is to capture the essence and simplicity of a pint of Guinness. Sláinte!