First Daring Baker Entry!

Well ya'll, I feel like a true internet baking geek now! I've joined the Daring Bakers Blog. If you don't know what that is, check it out. People all over the world band together once a month to all make the same thing. Then they are all able to compare and contrast experiences and learn from the masses mistakes and successes.
To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the subject. Probably because eclairs are one of my least favorite tasks at work. I pretty much always avoid making them in hopes some other sorry sucker will get signed up for it. It's just such a long and messy process... That and I rarely have time to do much that isn't cake/cupcake related these days. The recipe we use is quite large, 32 eggs large if my memory is right. Piping out that many eclairs takes forever, and gets you and everything around you quite sticky. And while it may be fun to get sticky in certain situations, this is most definantly not one of them.
So I dragged my feet about making these. Then on my day off when I decided it was time to finish this challenge, I woke to discover we were out of milk and eggs! So, I finally got around to this at about midnight last night.
The dough was quite soft compared to normal. I perhaps should have cooked it longer or added one less egg. But I was trying to ignore my normal habit of altering recipes in an attempt to be obedient to the challenge. The baking temperature seemed quite low, but I also resisted my impulse to turn up the oven. It therefor took an eternity for them to bake. But in the end they were decent looking little buggers.
I opted to fill them with chocolate caramel mousse instead of the pastry cream, because I've been in a crazy mousse mood lately. Just can't get enough of the stuff. Which is probably not a good thing for my waist line...
I was a little too tired to be patient, so the mousse was soft and the glaze thin. All of which made them less than spectacular to look upon. But tasty non the less. Hopefully next month I'll get a little more into it. But then, next month I'm getting married and school has just started. So in reality, I'll probably be too busy until midnight the night before it's due, once again.

Irish Car Bomb

Car bombs are one of my favorite drinks. Many months ago I found a guinness cupcake recipe on the food network site and knew I had to try it. I've seem many variations on this theme, but I've been so happy with this recipe I haven't tried any others. I made them a few times and added amarena cherries and topped them with cherry buttercream. Heavenly! They got rave reviews from all. But then I decided to add some baileys for a little variety. It was an A+ as well. Ah, the joys of boozy deserts....

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

3/4 c cocoa powder
2 c sugar
1 Tbs baking soda
pinch salt
2 c all purpose flour

1 bottle stout
1/2 c melted butter
1 Tbs vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 c sour cream

Have stout, eggs, and sour cream at room temperature.
Sift together dry ingredients.
In separate bowl combine stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk in sour cream. Gradually add the wet mix to the dry. Mix just until smooth and lump free.
Makes enough for two dozen cupcakes. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, rotate pans at halfway mark.

I used the swiss meringue buttercream recipe from How To Eat A Cupcake. It's by far the tastiest around, and she has a wonderful little how to video for those new to this initially daunting form of frosting.
I can't really say how much balieys I used, I just kept adding it until it tasted yummy.

Enjoy!

Ginger Limeade

I recently stumbled upon what may be the greatest achievement of my life. Franklin had the lightning rod, Pythagorean has his theorem, and I have my ginger limeade.
Now you may say to yourself, no drink could be so momentous. And while cherubs may not have descended rays of light to sing hymns of praise at this drink inception as they must surely have done at the creation of beer, it's still a pretty damn good drink. And as is the case in many great inventions, it was merely a whim and a chance.
While at work one day my niece complained of feeling ill, which prompted a coworker to buy her some fresh ginger from Trader Joes. We all found this to be an odd attempt to aide her discomfort at work, but his heart was in the right place. A few days later my fiance was suffering a sore through. It was suggested ginger may aide him as well, so I thought to create a home brewed sort of fresh ginger tea. As I was stirring about my little concoction I thought of the age old honey and lemon remedy for throat ails. As I had no lemon in the house I substituted juice from some of the limes that had been rolling about my vegetable drawer devoid of purpose.
I poured a hot cup of this elixir for the scratchy throated man, and put the rest on ice for my niece and I. All three declared it the most amazing drink we'd had in ages, and I have since then been requested to make it many a time. I tried to turn it into a cupcake but only partially succeeded. The frosting was fantastically gingery, but the lime flavor was lacking. I shall have to try again.

Ginger Limeade for Two
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 inch section of ginger, peeled and sliced
juice of one lime

Place first three ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to boil them simmer for five minutes. Strain ginger and add lime. Serve hot or cold.

I hope you all enjoy this lovely summery fresh treat. I'll be making it in mass in a few weeks for my wedding. Lets hope I get the portions right on a large scale!