Savory Potato Rosemary Cupcakes with Irish Cheddar Frosting for St. Patrick's Day

Sure, St. Patrick's Day makes people want to drink green beer (I've done a cupcake with that), have whiskey (there's a cupcake for that, too), and make wishes on clovers (yes, I've also done a cupcake with clovers).  But, there is something else that Ireland is known for and that should not be forgotten - potatoes!! 

This month, my guest contribution to Paula Deen's website is a savory potato rosemary St. Patrick's Day cupcake with Irish cheddar frosting that can be served as a stand-alone snack or as a unique, surprising dessert.  

Read more about this St. Patrick's day cupcake and get the recipe on Paula Deen's website.

Lucky Charms Cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day

Lucky Charms cupcakes feature a triple dose of luck: a Lucky Charms crust, Lucky Charms mixed into the cupcake batter, and Lucky Charms marshmallows on the frosting.

The pure sugar of the Lucky Charms cereal balances with a not-so-sweet cupcake to create a combination that is magically delicious and enjoyable for kids, adults, and leprechauns alike.

Irish Coffee Brownie Cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day

Irish coffee cupcakes are coffee-flavored cupcakes spiked with whiskey and topped with chocolate whiskey cream cheese frosting.  Irish coffee brownie cupcakes are the same thing, but with a surprise inside...

...a hidden brownie center!

I probably don't need to tell you how sensational these Irish coffee brownie cupcakes are, or how you need to make these cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day, or how these are a coffee-lover's dream.  Just go get the recipe on PaulaDeen.com* and get baking!

*For those of you who don't know, I regularly develop cupcake recipes for Paula Deen's website.  These St. Patrick's Day cupcakes are my March recipe.

The Ultimate St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Q. What makes these cupcakes the ultimate St. Patrick's Day cupcakes?

A. Lots of green and lots of booze!

They are green velvet cupcakes with Irish whiskey cream cheese frosting and a built-in chocolate cup filled with green beer.

Believe or not, prior to making these cupcakes, I had never made velvet cupcakes (red or otherwise). I don't get the appeal - especially given that most of the time the color comes from gobs of food coloring (with the rare exception of people who use beets for the red color). However, since Bride and Groom 3.0 requested red velvet as a possible wedding flavor, I decided to break down and try the elusive velvet cupcake (but, I had to be different and go for green).

How to Make the Ultimate St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

1. Make the Green Velvet Cupcakes

Because of my distaste for food coloring, I first tried to make my green velvet cupcakes with all-natural food colors. Sadly, after using two whole packages of all-natural yellow and blue coloring, the cupcakes still looked brown. The only way to make the cupcakes bright green was to break down and use Fakey McFake colors (at least St. Patrick's Day is only once a year).

Credits:
I got the recipe from Sarah of Daily Nibbles. Sarah tried three different red velvet recipes and decided that this one was the best.
Sarah got the recipe from The Way The Cookie Crumbles,
Who got it from Apple A Day,
Who adapted from Saveur,
Who got it from Cake Man Raven.

Yield: About 15 cupcakes

• 2 1/2 C cake flour
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 T cocoa powder
• 1 t salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 1 C buttermilk
• 2 T (1 oz.) green food coloring
  
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t white distilled vinegar

1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl.
2. Beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined.
   
3. Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with cupcake batter.
5. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cupcake bounces back when touched.
   

2. Fill the Cupcakes with the Chocolate Liqueur Cups

Wait for the cupcakes to cool completely (you don't want to melt the chocolate). Then, using a small paring knife, cut a chunk out of the top of the cupcake and slide the chocolate liqueur cup in.

These chocolate liqueur cups were compliments of Astor Chocolate. Check back soon for a chance to win some!

3. Frost With Irish Whiskey Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 C powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 T Irish whiskey

1. Mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.
3. Mix in whiskey.

4. Fill the Liqueur Cups With Green Beer

I recommend that you fill the liqueur cups with beer tableside. The easiest way to do this is to use a funnel or a turkey baster. Be careful not to overflow the beer onto the cupcake (although, if you do, your St. Patty's day revelers are not likely to notice or care).

Corned Beef and Cabbage Cupcakes: A Savory St. Patrick's Day Cupcake

Cupcake O'Project presents corned beef and cabbage St. Patrick's Day cupcakes. You have a few weeks before St. Patrick's Day to think about whether you would actually eat them.

Do the Corned Beef and Cabbage Cupcakes Really Have Corned Beef and Cabbage in Them?

You bet they do! The cupcakes contain corned beef and the frosting has cabbage in it. They are topped with ground corned beef.

"Corned beef and cabbage cupcakes? Seriously? Umm... no thanks."

I was unable to get too many of my friends to even go near these cupcakes. It didn't help that I didn't love them so I couldn't sound convincing on the sell. (Groom 1.0 claims I love every cupcake I make, I cite this one as evidence to the contrary.)

Therefore, my husband's coworkers became the guinea pigs. He sent me the following corned beef and cabbage cupcake reviews:

• "It was not what I expected when I bit into it." (This could be a good or bad thing. It depends on what this person expected.)
• "Pushing your taste buds" (This is not a complete thought. I like to have my taste buds pushed. I assume it's a good thing.)
• "Tell Stef to keep them coming." (Clearly the cupcakes didn't make the taster gag or they would not have requested more.)

Should You Try Corned Beef and Cabbage Cupcakes?

Some people liked these corned beef and cabbage cupcakes and you might be one of them. If you want to try some totally different St. Patrick's day cupcakes, give them a go. In terms of unique cupcake flavors, they didn't compare to my beer cheese bacon Super Bowl cupcakes, but they were decent.

The Corned Beef Cake Recipe

For the cake, I took the flavors typically found in a corned beef and cabbage recipe and added them into basic cake recipe. I used beer in the cake since many corned beef and cabbage recipes use beer as a base - and why not have another beer cupcake recipe?

• 1 C Beer (I used an Irish stout)
• 1 t malt vinegar
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/3 C Canola oil
• 1/4 t allspice
• 1/4 coriander
• 1/4 t ground mustard
• 1 1/3 C flour
• 3/4 t baking soda
• 3/4 C ground corned beef (I bought some deli slices and used my electric chopper to grind it up.)

Combine the beer and the malt vinegar. Add in the sugar and oil, whisking vigorously until slightly frothy. Add allspice, coriander, and mustard. Gently introduce the flour along with the baking soda, being careful not to over mix. Fill 24 cupcake tins half full and bake at 350 degrees for 20 min.

The Candied Cabbage

Take about a cup of raw grated cabbage and place it on a toaster oven (or full-sized oven) tray lined with foil. Completely cover the cabbage with brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Warning: This will smell like sauerkraut.

The Malt Vinegar Cabbage Frosting

• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
• 1/4 C butter
• 3 C powdered sugar
• 1 t malt vinegar
• 1 C candied cabbage

Mix butter and cream cheese. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Add malt vinegar and stir in cabbage.

The Corned Beef Topping

Who needs a cherry when you can top your cupcake with some grated corned beef?

Happy St. Patrick's Day to You and the Luck o' the Irish!

Corned Beef and Cabbage is Not Irish and Other St. Patrick's Day Myths

I was doing some research on corned beef and cabbage and I came across some surprising myths about St. Patrick's day that are definitely worth sharing!

St. Patrick's Day Myths

1. Green is the color of St. Patrick's Day.
   
   • Not Corned Beef tells us that the color most often associated with Patrick was blue which was also the color of the old Irish flag.
2. St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.
• According to History Network News, Ireland never had any snakes to drive away. "Separated from England (where snakes of all sorts abound) and the Continent thousands of years ago, Ireland emerged from the Ice Age snake-free.
3. Corned beef and cabbage is an Irish dish for St. Patrick's Day.
• In Ireland, the closest traditional dish to corned beef and cabbage is bacon (like Canadian style bacon or ham) and cabbage. According to Irish Cultures and Custums, "The truth is, that for many Irish people, Corned Beef is too 'poor' or plain to eat on a holiday: they'd sooner make something more festive." Eating corned beef and cabbage seems to have been developed when Irish immigrants in the eastern United States used corned beef instead of pork in their traditional dish since beef was cheap and readily available.

A Corned Beef Poem

The site, Not Corned Beef, features a noteworthy poem that reminds people about the Irish preference for pork over beef. Here's the start of it:

I just want to put something straight
About what should be on your plate,
If it's corned beef you're makin'
You're sadly mistaken,
That isn't what Irishmen ate.

Will I Still Make Corned Beef and Cabbage?

Do not fear, corned beef and cabbage cupcakes are coming soon. Actually, be very, very scared.