Guinness Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
with Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I actually made these amazing cupcakes last year for St. Paddy's day, but never got around to finishing this post until the holiday had long since past, so I was waiting until this year to share with everyone.  I am sure most of you have seen recipes like this circulating in the previous days and weeks on social media, and I am sure there are lots of different ways to make Irish liquor infused treats.  This recipe of course uses mostly organic ingredients, a lot of whole wheat flour, high protein Greek yogurt, and antioxidant rich dark cocoa powder.  Of course there is a ton of sugar in the frosting, which is honestly so good you could eat it with a spoon, but this is a dessert after all.  For a holiday.  And they go great with a strong beer, or an Irish coffee!  May the luck of the day be with you all!!

Blueberry Beer Biscuits

Blueberry Beer Biscuits

"We're eating beer?!"  My kids always think it's hilarious when I bake with beer.  I just think it's delicious.  Beer biscuits have become a weekend morning staple in my house because they are quick, easy, delicious and full of healthy fiber.  They taste great plain, with butter, jelly or as a base for a magnificent breakfast sandwich. But with all the choices of flavored beers available these days, I couldn't just stick to my basic recipe. I am not sure if the beer flavor actually adds a whole lot of difference to the recipe, but it is fun to use as inspiration. These would be even better in the summer with freshly picked blueberries, but frozen ones work just as well.  So pick up your favorite beer and get baking! (you should also try my Raspberry and Cocoa Beer Biscuits for an even sweeter treat!)

Raspberry and Cocoa Beer Biscuits

Raspberry and Cocoa Beer Biscuits

I couldn't stop with just one variation on my Beer Biscuits, so the weekend after I first made my Blueberry Beer Biscuits, I changed the recipe a little more and made these. They are so moist, and delicate, with a rich chocolate flavor, that I almost felt guilty eating them for breakfast, but not for long.  You could easily substitute the butter in any of these recipes for coconut oil for a different flavor and nutrient content, and as I stated with the blueberry ones, any type of beer and mix in would work as well.  My favorite part is that from start to finish, it only takes about 30 minutes and my family can enjoy a healthy, slightly indulgent, home baked breakfast.  And if you have left overs, they freeze great and are perfect to pack into a kids lunch for a treat all their friends, and teachers, will want to try!

Cherry Almond Beer Bread

Cherry Almond Beer Bread

It's another snowy day here in PA, and what better way to warm up than to bake a loaf of bread!  OK, I know it might be more fun to sit under a blanket with a good book or watch a movie while snuggling someone you love, but honestly, I don't think there is any better smell in the world than bread baking in the oven.  And when it only takes a couple of minutes to mix a dough from scratch, I swear the aroma is even sweeter.  This recipe is a simple twist on my original Beer Bread, with a few extra flavor enhancers added in.  The result is a bread with just enough sweetness to serve as a dessert, but not so much that you think it's a cake. I like using different flavors of beer as the inspiration and with all the varieties available today, the options are honestly endless.  So experiment with your favorite and get baking!

*I know I usually take a photo of the bread after cutting a few slices, but this bread was so delicious that as soon as I cut it and tried a piece, my kids and I devoured it. Sorry!

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

On a cold fall day, nothing smells better than bread baking in the oven.  But usually there is a lot of prep work involved in making a decent loaf of bread: hours waiting while the dough rises, kneading it until your forearms ache... etc... but not with this recipe.  Honestly you could prep this bread in under 5 minutes, or in the amount of time it takes your oven to heat up. And if you bake at all, and drink beer, I am pretty sure you have the ingredients in your kitchen right now.  I remember seeing gift sets and fundraiser deals for "Beer Bread Kits" that cost anywhere from $5 - 10. But once you know how simple it is to make your own dry mix for beer bread, you will never feel the need to buy one of those again.  This bread is so flavorful, hearty and easy to make that there is really no reason not to.  Pair it with a delicious homemade soup or simply serve it with some butter, jam and a side of cheese and fruit.  It is best warm from the oven, so get going and make some tonight!!!

Chocolate Stout Donuts

Chocolate Stout Donuts

I am sure there are very few guys in this world who do not love both beer and donuts.  I know my husband does, so to make this Father's Day special for him, I decided to combine the two and make donuts using beer.  Maybe that sounds crazy, but trust me, they were delicious.  The dark stout beer gives the chocolate flavor an extra depth and these whole wheat donuts puffed up beautifully and were light, fluffy, and quickly devoured by my hungry family. There is a large amount of organic canola oil in the recipe which gives the donuts that slightly greasy, indulgent flavor that you expect without the unhealthy side affects of deep frying. I especially liked the filled ones using homemade Nutella. I honestly didn't know if they would cook properly but they definitely did and if anything I will just use more filling next time.  And of course you could use store bought Nutella or any other nut butter you prefer.  And these can even be cooked in muffin tins if you don't have a donut pan, but I always find that making homemade donuts is such a great way to get my kids to eat something healthy while disguising it as a treat.  And of course "frosting" and sprinkles always helps it feel like a celebration... which in this case it was.  So plan ahead for next Father's Day and make these treats for all the special dads in your life.

Beer Biscuits

Beer Biscuits

I may be a health food nut, but my husband and I do love our beer.  But beer for breakfast?  Ok, not really, but my husband did get to drink the last 4 ounces out of the bottle, at 10am the other morning which was kind of funny.  I had heard of beer bread, so why not something even simpler that I could whip up on a Sunday morning?  I looked up a few different recipes for beer biscuits and settled on this combination which is truly amazing.  Very flaky and moist, these biscuits definitely smell and taste like the dark stout beer I used in them, but not so much so that my kids didn't enjoy them.  And they definitely got a kick out of knowing they were "eating beer!"