Chocolate Guinness Layer Cake with Baileys Buttercream Frosting


How do you make things interesting when a once a year holiday rolls around that is based around the same menu of food? This dilemma has sprung up for the last 4 years every thanksgiving and now there is a new culprit…St. Patricks day.

The problem really comes down to a battle to the death between craving traditional favorites and an inner desire to switch things up and try new recipes.  I’ve come to a nice compromise with thanksgiving but St. Patricks day is a little harder.  With a meal where the traditional favorites are limited to a few dishes at most not to mention doesn’t lend itself to a multiple course execution it really comes down to one option….dessert.

I’ve come to my senses and decided to stop claiming that I am not a baker.  It is true, I am not a great baker and I don’t find myself dreaming up dessert recipes but when it comes to planning a themed meal dessert is always the missing link.  When cooking for a group of people, including a dessert at least half made from scratch always wows the crowd.

Now back to St. Patricks day.  The staples can’t and wont change; Corned beed, Cabbage, and Potatoes (Give or take irish soda bread).  Now as much as you can switch up your method for cooking cabbage and potatoes in the end a new recipe will not blow your mind.  This year we chose to go big, the fact that it was just myself and my roommate for dinner did not stop us from deciding on making a cake.  But not just any cake, a Chocolate Guinness Layer cake with Baileys Buttercream frosting to be exact.

Don’t let the long name fool you, it is actually a simple recipe; the hardest part is applying the frosting. (If you want to write anything or draw a design my tip for you is to sketch it out first with a toothpick or similar tool so that you only have to trace it with the darker frosting)

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{Peek-A-Boo}

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Skewered Appetizers

Pinterest has infiltrated the minds of so many women ages 20-35 it’s almost scary.  I have even found the term pinteresting or pinterest-y come out of my mouth in reference to something in a mason jar, a chalkboard, or for example these two appetizers.  I have found the pinterest is both a really amazing revolution and also the most obnoxious site to waste time on, there are so many crafting, food, or outfit ideas that it can really be a great way to get ideas for a party but I also have realized that I don’t want to walk into a party and have the first person’s comment on my food be “oh did you get that from pinterest!?”

With all of that off my chest I really enjoyed making these, Watermelon feta skewer with a lemon mint dressing and a caprese skewer.  It started last January when I cooking all the food for my dad’s birthday, I made a mediterranean skewer that was quite enjoyable.  So when it came down to choosing something to bring to a graduation party I was going to with a friend, there was no question…it had to be skewers.  My favorite was definitely the watermelon feta combo, and since making it as a skewer, I have made it as a mixed serve yourself salad and it was just as much of a hit so tailor the presentation to your needs as you see fit.

I got the recipe for the Caprese Skewers from THIS blog and used the same concept for the watermelon combo.

Watermelon Feta Skewer 

Ingredients (makes about 40-50 skewers)

  • 1 medium watermelon cut into bite size (skewer size) squares, Cut as many squares as skewers you are making
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1 bunch of mint
  • olive oil
  • 1 block of feta (crumbles will work if you are mixing it, but you need the block for the skewers)
  • toothpicks

Recipe 

  1. In a blender or food processer blend the mint, lemon juice and about 2 tbl olive oil until it is blended well.  Place about 1/4 c of the vinaigrette in a large bowl
  2. Add the watermelon squares to the
  3. If you are making the skewers, cut the feta into small cubes (smaller than the watermelon squares) Feta is pretty strong so a little square is plenty
  4. Assemble the skewers by stabbing a piece of feta and a piece of watermelon.  (you might have to figure out what works best for you, if the feta seems to be crumbling too much I would stab the watermelon first)

{The fixin’s}

{Not the prettiest picture but damn they tasted good}

Pan Seared Scallops with a Fava Bean Pesto Risotto

The first time I ever tried scallops I think I was about 19 years old and with a newfound interest in food but barely cooking myself.  I was at a restaurant, actually to be honest I think it was Macaroni Grill which is funny to me now since I would probably never order scallops from a macaroni grill, mimis cafe, chilis or the like at this point in my life.  I ordered a salad with scallops on it I remember and really had very little idea what scallops were or how they tasted, and remembering it now I think I forced my way through that first taste test.  There was nothing dramatically offensive about them, but the texture was slightly slimy however there was zero fish taste and in fact it is a notoriously sweeter taste.  I’ve posted one other recipe with scallops and it was a salad with sliced strawberries and seared scallops and because of the sweetness of the scallops the pairing with the strawberries was fantastic.

This time, I chose a more savory approach but one which I had at a restaurant shortly before I made this recipe.  I found that the risotto was a perfect pairing because of the creamy texture of risotto and the smooth texture of the scallops .  Overall this was not the most difficult thing I have attempted to make but it does take a bit of dedication, a moderate amount of planning, and a step by step adherence to the recipe.

I chose to add the fava beans mainly because they are in season but also because they seemed like a fun ingredient that I had seen at the farmers market.  Which is honestly how I choose the recipes I make.  Something seems fun, and there ya go.  Fava beans are not much different than cooking other fresh beans, but the thing to remember about favas is that they are double shelled, meaning there is the outer shell that holds the individual beans and then each bean has a softer shell that also needs to be removed. HERE is a good step by step of how to cook them.

For anyone who thinks scallops are beyond their skill, they are wrong and anyone who things scallops are too expensive is misadvised.  Granted, you will get a better quality scallop from a fish market but you can get some just fine from most supermarkets these days.

I found the risotto recipe HERE , and the seared scallop recipe HERE.

{The second shell coming off}

{And then, the risotto.  As long as you stay close to the stove you shouldn’t have too many issues with the risotto}

{As the rice absorbs the chicken stock, the rice will cook and the mixture will get slightly thicker and will develop the notorious creamy consistency of risotto}

{So at this point is where there should be pictures of scallops being cooked, however, I feel like raw scallops are not that pretty so I didn’t take any.  But the recipe I linked has great step by steps}

{The finished plate!}