People, People, People (yes, we are back to McClintock).
Let’s talk St. Patrick’s Day. Now, I don’t know much about what the rest of the world does for this holiday, but around here, no matter your heritage, you darn well better celebrate. Lucky for you little fellas, Cochrane is an Irish name, and boy do I have a treat for you.
Let’s get started. In order to do St. Pat’s right, one must start first thing in the morning.
Whoa whoa whoa… not what you’re thinking. Cochrane Corned Beef cooks in a crockpot…ALL…DAY…LONG.
Cochrane Corned Beef you ask? Yes, let’s chat about that. The best way to invent a family recipe is to call your friend who works at Harris Ranch Beef Company. You see, they have pre-seasoned corned beef. That my friends, is how we roll. Now, write this down (it’s important), make sure you request LESS THAN 10 lbs. If you don’t you will have to resort to two crock pots.
We covered each 5 lb. piece in water, then added a beer (using the one for you, one for me approach).
You tell those little fellas to sit there and think about what they did, on HIGH for 8-10 hours.
If you’re thinking along the lines I am, you’re wondering how corned beef alone is going to soak up your ‘festivities’. And to that I say to you: Irish Soda Bread. Serious.
This is where you recruit the free-loaders that all came over to chow down on this ‘family recipe’. Meet Anna (otherwise known as ‘Anna the Angel’…to NOBODY).
P.S. She is the female…the male provided the Corned Beef.
Ok ok, back to business. This Irish Soda Bread is legit. It’s the perfect marriage between buttermilk, raisins and excellence (recipe below). Put that sucker in the oven and tell him to stay put.
The outcome: B-E-A-YOU-TIFUL. Anna not only has her PhD, is hilarious, but (apparently) can cook too!
So…. you’ve met me. Me and my cavities. Me and my indulgent personality. Hence:
Whoops-wrong photo. Sneaky little bugger.
What I MEANT to say was: we made Bailey’s cupcakes with a caramel filling.
Did I mention the CHOCOLATE part (And the part that I am Susan’s daughter and sport aprons… like a CHAMP)?!
By now the sun and gone down and we couldn’t drive. Except for the 2 that were lost, who had no choice but to drive because Anna forgot to include the third ‘0’ in the address.
Here is the finished product:
And here are the most untalented people in the world, attempting to frost cupcakes. For real yo.
We had a few extra guests this time. Jocelyn (the Rodeo Queen), Darren (the Vandal) and Chris (everything I have to write here is just simply too offensive).
As always: here is our family photo.
We hope you had as wonderful of a St. Patty’s as we did. I swear on Brooke’s sense of humor that the below recipes will change your life.
Cheers!
Jane
P.S. Brooke STILL knows her role.
Irish Soda Bread (8 Servings)
4 c Flour
4 T Sugar
1 t Salt
1 t Baking Soda
4 T cold Butter
1 c Raisins
1 large Egg, lightly beaten
1 ¾ c Buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
Using pastry cutter, cut in the butter, until mixture looks like a coarse meal. Mix in the raisins.
Create a well in the mixture and pour in the the egg and buttermilk. Stir in the dry ingredients into the liquid slowly with a wooden spoon until it is solid enough to knead.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead into a ball, once you get a rough ball, don’t knead any further. Dough will look messy.
Transfer the dough into a cast iron skillet and use a knife to cut a large X into the dough about an inch deep.
Bake 50-55 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when tapped.
Remove to a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Bailey’s Chocolate & Caramel Irish Cream Cupcakes (24 cupcakes)
Ingredients
For the Cupcake
- 1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1/2 cup melted butter (butter not margarine)
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- For Chocolate-Caramel Ganache
- 10 ounces Bitterweet Chocolate, finely chopped
- 5 ounces caramels (about 10-12 candies unwrapped)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- For Bailey’s Buttercream
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/3-1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 1/4-1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- For Garnish
- Caramel Syrup
Instructions
- For the Bailey’s Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Using a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, eggs, butter, Bailey’s and milk and mix on low until combined. Then mix on high for 2 minutes.
- Pour batter into paper lined cupcake pans. Bake for 20 min.
- Cool completely.
- For Chocolate Caramel Ganache:
- Place chopped chocolate in medium bowl and set aside.
- Using a medium sauce pan, heat whipping cream and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted completely.
- Pour caramel cream over chocolate and stir until melted.
- For Bailey’s Buttercream
- In large mixing bowl, cream shortening and vanilla for 2-4 minutes.
- Add in powder sugar, one cup at a time
- Combine Bailey’s with cream in measuring cup and slowing add to sugar mixture, using more cream for a creamy consistency, use less milk for a stiff consistency.
- To Assemble:
- Using a sharp knife, cut out a cone shaped section of the cupcake and set it aside setting next to each cupcake.
- Fill Cupcake holes with ganache, and place cake back over hole.
- Top cupcakes with buttercream.
Garnish with remaining ganache and caramel syrup.