Guinness Brownies

St Patrick's Day is tomorrow and I need to share with you guys the awesomeness that is these brownies. A thick, dense brownie full of rich chocolate goodness, heightened with that beautiful Irish stout Guinness. And then I did something awful. And by awful I mean amazing. I took the Bailey's buttercream frosting from my Irish Triple Threat cupcakes and slathered it on top of these brownies. Irish dessert squared. I took these to a party over the weekend were they got rave reviews. I've never made a brownie quite like this. It's fudgy but not gooey and thick but not cakey. Seriously, these are so good I can hardly describe them. Just trust that you need to make these. Now.

Irish Triple Threat Cupcakes

Oh boy, are these the real deal. Amazing cupcakes. Really. They are all that is good for St. Patrick's Day and you have all weekend to make them. I made them when friends came over and several people tried to "just have half" only to immediately shove the other half in their (and my) face). Just don't even try. You'd be better off saying, "I'll have half...the recipe." Let me break it down for you: Guinness helps make a dark chocolate cupcake that is then stuffed with a Jameson whiskey ganache only to finally be topped with a Bailey's buttercream frosting. Yes, that'll do just fine. It covers all your Irish bases--three of the food groups (Guinness, Jameson and Bailey's) plus it's a cupcake plus it's awesome. You need these cupcakes in your life if you are Irish, like alcohol-infused treats, like cupcakes and/or are not completely insane (the last qualification is excluded for anyone with the first qualification see we Irish are a wee bit nuts at times). Seriously? Make these. Eat them all. Make them again.

Mini Margarita Cupcakes with Lime Buttercream Frosting

If you're looking for a party cupcake, look no further.  Seriously these mini cupcakes are like margarita shots, complete with tequila, salt and a lime chaser.  But sweet, fluffy and a perfect cake texture.  The frosting has a bit of tequila and lime and a pretty green shade letting you know these aren't just mini cupcakes.  Brushing the cupcakes with a touch of tequila before frosting really lets the flavors seep in since the batter itself only has a hint of tequila in addition to lime and zest.  These are perfect for a party, particularly because they lend a bit of sweetness to what might be an otherwise spicy spread for Cinco de Mayo, but also because the mini version is perfect for a buffet, letting guests take part in several options without feeling gluttonous.  Plus they're super cute.

Tequila Lime Marinated Chicken

I love grill season.  Well, for us grill season is year round or unless there's so much snow on the deck we can't find the grill. But there is something awesome about grilled meat in the summer.  Plus I feel like we use more marinades and made more interesting food on the grill in the summer than in the winter.  In the winter it's just throw some steaks on the grill and make sure they're cooked so you can get back in the house.  But this Tequila Lime Marinated Chicken is awesome.  Lots of flavor going on in that marinade and it all blends beautifully while it's cooked on the grill.  And to top it off, once you put the meat on the grill, you can cook the reserved marinade to make an awesome sauce like nothing else you've had before.  The tequila shines, but is still cut by the lime and the slight heat from the chili powder. It's quite a combination and we used the sauce as a vinaigrette for our salads.

For our wedding shower, my Mom bought Dave a couple of cookbooks. This recipe comes from Marinades and Rubs: 40 Tantalizing Recipes to Stimulate your Palette and Add Sparkle to Your Meals from the Love Food Collection.  It's easy and accessible, with ingredients you likely have on hand.  I whipped this up before work one morning and let it sit all day.  When I came home, Dave had the chicken grilled perfectly, boiled down the leftover marinade and together we built these killer salads.  We will certainly use this again--maybe this winter when we're in need of a little summer sunshine.

Chocolate Bailey's Cookies and Foodie Pen Pals

We've got a lot to cover today.  Let's start with these beautiful cookies.  First, they're pretty.  Second, they're chocolate.  And third, they're laced with booze.  Not many ways to top that.  The cookie is soft and chocolatey, but the Bailey's Irish Cream leaves an undertone of something different that pairs nicely with the white chocolate chips.  A perfectly chewy cookie with several layers of flavor, just asking to be paired with a glass of milk.  Yum.

I'd pinned this recipe around St. Patrick's Day when the Bailey's recipes started making the rounds.  Ali from Gimme Some Oven posted this lovely treat and I didn't care to wait a full year to make them.  I'm not even sure why I made them in the first place, but the recipe was so easy and the cookies taste so perfect, that I had to make them again. This time for sharing with my Foodie Pen Pal.

Chocolate Stout Whoopie Pies with Bailey's Buttercream Filling

If a holiday ever screamed, "Make a delicious dessert filled with booze!" it would be St. Patrick's Day.  So when the Irish in me saw this recipe, I knew I needed to make it immediately if not sooner.  The stout in the chocolate cake batter provides a subtle distinction in the flavor.  You don't taste beer, but the deep richness of the chocolate makes you think, "this is a little bit different."  The stout compliments the dark chocolate in a very good way without being intense.  Paired with a fluffy Bailey's flavored buttercream frosting and it's a match made in St. Patrick's treats heaven.  Since I'm not a huge Bailey's fan, I was hesitant about the filling.  But paired together, there is a balance that really makes you happy (or you're drunk, but probably not).  I took these in to work as a little treat for my coworkers and they raved.  At 10 am, most of them devoured them as soon as I came up to their desk.