Showing posts with label cupcake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cupcake. Show all posts
Monday, May 14, 2012
30th Birthday Cupcakes
As you may know, our baby was due on Saturday. Based on my last appointment I had a feeling she wasn't going to be making a move any time soon. For as long as I can remember, we had always planned on spending the weekend of May 12th in the hospital. It hadn't even crossed our minds that we might be home - without a new baby in tow.
As you also may know, this last weekend was Mothers Day. It was also my 30th birthday. When the prospect of having a free weekend suddenly came up I realized that - Hey! It's my birthday! Suddenly it wasn't all about the baby (well, OK - it was still 99% about the baby). As much as I wanted to usher in the next decade of my life with a new baby, I settled for a weekend at home with my husband and a batch of these delicious cupcakes.
It worked out pretty well if you ask me.
I knew I wanted to make something fabulous to celebrate the big 3-0. Funfetti cupcakes with tons of sprinkles (inside and out) screamed CELEBRATE to me. I knew right where to go for the perfect recipe - Sweetapolita. I absolutely adore her blog and have been a fan of hers for quite some time. She makes the yummiest looking treats and her little baking helpers are super adorable. Rosie, the genius behind Sweetapolita, is obsessed with sprinkles and isn't afraid to use them. When I read about this cake a couple months ago it instantly went on my "to-make" list.
As you can see, I decided to forgo the layer cake in favor of making cupcakes. Since it was just the two of us around to celebrate I decided it was a bad idea to have a full layer cake hanging around the house. At least with cupcakes we can give them away to friends and coworkers (keeping a few for us, of course!)
These cupcakes turned out to be everything they were promised to be. The cake was light and fluffy, filled with a rainbow of colors. And the frosting - ooohhh the frosting. It was sweet and sugary but light and airy at the same time. It was the perfect combination. I am filing this as my go-to white cake and vanilla frosting from now on, I don't see how it can get any better!
You can find the recipe for Sweetapolita's Funfetti Layer Cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting here. She also has a similar recipe (though slightly modified) for Super Duper Vanilla (or Funfetti) Cupcakes here. While you're there be sure to check out the rest of her site - you won't be disappointed!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
Do you ever go through spurts of extreme laziness and then extreme productivity?
When some days it doesn't feel like you can even get up to go to the bathroom - and then other days when you feel like you could run a marathon while tweeting / talking on the phone to your bff / painting your nails at the same time all with a great big smile on your face?
Yeah - that second one doesn't really happen to me either.
But...sometimes, I do get ambitious in the kitchen.
Like last night. I decided it would be a good idea to bake some bread, make stuffed peppers for dinner and then bake a cake. No biggie, just a random Tuesday night.
I needed to use up a surplus of carrots that I got last week in my fruit and veg box from Abel and Cole. Of course my first thought was carrot cake - there was no way I was letting those babies get turned into something savory.
I wanted to make something *slightly* less sweet than traditional carrot cake though and started thinking more in terms of a carrot "bread" - much like zucchini or banana bread - rather than a cake. And a lighter glaze rather than heavy whipped frosting. Three cheers for getting one of your five a day in your dessert!
In the end I found this great recipe from Bob's Red Mill that proved to be an excellent jumping off point. And the best thing about this recipe is that it is highly adaptable - as long as you get the dry to wet ratio right you can add lots of different goodies - think raisins, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips...the sky is the limit!
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze
You can omit the cream cheese icing if you want to make these a little healthier, though I really love the sweetness it adds to the bread/cake. Feel free to bake this in a regular loaf pan or as muffins, just adjust the baking time accordingly. The original recipe was found here from Bob's Red Mill. Make sure to add the correct amount of baking soda - I accidentally added 1 TBLSP instead of TSP and my coworker noticed green chunks of carrot in her piece of cake! Not attractive at all, but still perfectly safe to eat.
Carrot Cake
1 cup oats, not instant
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tblsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 - 2 1/2 cups of shredded carrots
3 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla (go on, use the good stuff!)
- In a medium bowl combine the oats and the milk and stir well. Leave to soak while you assemble the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine flour, brown sugar, shredded coconut, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir well and then add in carrots (you would also add the raisins, nuts or any other dry extra in now as well!)
- In the bowl with the oats and milk add the eggs, oil and vanilla and mix well. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until all ingredients are just incorporated - do not over mix. Pour in your prepared pan of choice (you can use a bundt pan like I did or a loaf pan or even a cupcake tray with liners).
- In an oven preheated to 350*F bake your cake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I needed 45 minutes in the bundt pan, I expect a loaf pan would take a similar (if not slightly longer) baking time. Cupcakes/Muffins would probably take closer to 15-20 minutes. Adjust as needed according to your pan and check that it doesn't over cook.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled frost with Cream Cheese Glaze (recipe below).
Cream Cheese Glaze
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 tblsp powdered sugar
2 tblsp milk (to start, see notes below)
- In a medium size bowl combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk and stir until combined. Depending on the consistency that you want on your cake you might want to add more milk to make it thinner. I ended up using about 3.5 tblsp for my glaze.
- Drizzle over cooled cake and leave to set. Serve extra cream cheese icing on the side in case people want more sugary sweetness!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The One: Yellow Cupcakes and Chocolate Buttercream
After my disastrous attempt at making red velvet cupcakes last weekend my craving for cupcakes was still around. I needed to get back on that horse and try, try again! I am fully aware that there is a red velvet curse on me, so I decided to go back to the basics and try a simple yellow cake and chocolate frosting combo. I have been forever looking for a yellow cake and chocolate buttercream recipe that is "the one". The recipes needed to be easy and straightforward, nothing too fussy or complicated. They needed to be reliable and trustworthy, something I could depend on each and every time I made them. I needed some stability to my ever-rotating recipe list, and I think I have finally found them. These are just that - simple and delicious, but not boring or flat.
Betty Crocker eat your heart out.
I did a little searchin' around my favorite blogs to find these recipes, and in the end I had a little mix and match from Smitten Kitchen and Joy the Baker.
The yellow cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen is rich and delicious - the perfect vanilla cake. It is light but solid and has a perfect crumb. It would be wonderful with any number of fillings and frostings. And really, to me at least, that is the definition of a go-to cake. Easily adaptable for any type of occasion and perfectly wonderful all on its own.
The chocolate frosting from Joy the Baker is hands-down one of the best chocolate frostings I have ever had. Its not too sugary and the chocolate is not too rich. It is pretty thick but tastes light on your tongue. The real kicker here is the addition of Ovaltine - stay with me, I promise it's worth it - yes, Ovaltine. The malted chocolate adds another layer to this frosting, a little something extra that you can't quite put your finger on.
"the one" Yellow Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Makes two 9" cakes or 24 cupcakes. This cake is a great base for endless combinations of fillings and frostings. So easy to make your own, go on and experiment!
4 cups + 2 tblsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla (go on, use the good stuff!)
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups buttermilk, well shaken
- Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease cake pans or line muffin tin with liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. In a separate large bowl beat together the butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy. Add vanilla then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Turn the electric mixer to slow and beat in buttermilk until just combined. If the mixture looks curdled thats ok, I promise it will get better. Add in the flour mixture in three parts, mixing just to combine after each addition.
- To make cakes: spread the batter into your greased pans and tap against the counter a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- To make cupcakes: Fill the cupcake liners until two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan half way through the cooking time to ensure even baking. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted to the middle of the cupcakes. Cool in the pan for 2-3 minutes and then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cool cakes/cupcakes thoroughly before frosting.
"the one" Chocolate Buttercream
Adapted from Joy the Baker. This recipe makes enough frosting for a 9" layer cake or 24 cupcakes (see above recipe - do it!!)
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted (go on, take the extra step, it makes the frosting super light and smooth)
1 tsp vanilla extract (go on, use the good stuff!)
2 tblsp milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Ovaltine
- Cream together the butter, cocoa powder and salt. It might taken them a few minutes to come together and then the mixture will be thick. Add the powdered sugar and turn the mixer on low. While the powdered sugar is being mixed in add the milk and vanilla extract, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all of the sugar is incorporated turn the mixer up to medium and beat the frosting to make it light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl mix together the heavy cream and Ovaltine. Slowly pour the mixture into the frosting until you reach your desired consistency. You might night need all of the mix, although I did.
- Try not to eat all of the frosting before frosting your cake/cupcakes. It will take will power but I know you can do it. Also, try not to make this at night as I did - otherwise you will stay awake all night from a sugar rush and resisting the urge to get out of bed and eat more frosting.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Weekend Recap
It's been a busy weekend here in London - half of which included getting out of London! Yesterday we took a little road trip (and by little I mean a three hour car ride) to Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. I'm going to tell you aaaalllll about our trip soon (it involved a seven mile hike, picnic fried chicken and a mexican chip butty) but here's a sneak peak -
There has been a flurry of summer recipes on twitter this past week that have caught my eye. The weather is still pretending to be summery so I took full advantage of an empty house this afternoon and spent a few hours cooking up a storm.
Strawberries + vodka = perfect summery drink! This time next week I'll be sipping on a cool cocktail made with some of this lovely pink stuff (and it's so easy you won't believe it)
A refreshing non-alcoholic option for these hot, humid days (I'm still waiting for some of those, but I'll drink this anyway - try adding some sparkling water for a little fizz).
This went PERFECT with our grilled BBQ chicken tonight. Anything with tomatoes, baby mozzarella and basil is a winner in my book. The basil olive oil in the recipe is amazing, and it's so easy to make - I can tell it's going to be a big hit in this house all through the summer!
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| Rosemary simple syrup (L) and Basil Olive Oil (R) |
I also spent an enormous amount of time trying to make these lovely red velvet cupcakes by Pinch my Salt. I think there is a curse on me that prohibits me from being able to make red velvet cupcakes, because these did not turn out at all. The recipe is totally fine, I was just being a complete spaz by the time it came to make these. The batter came together nicely and then I was too busy dancing around my kitchen to notice that I filled the cupcake liners all the way to the top, so when they were baking in the oven they totally spilled out of the liner and all over the top of the pan. Then I decided to make cake pops out of them and that was such an epic fail I won't divulge in the details for fear of making you close your browser in disgust. The last time I tried to make red velvet cupcakes was a couple of years ago for Valentine's Day. Lets just say that I used two bags of powdered sugar and all I could get the frosting to do was curdle. So, it looks like it will be another couple of years before I try making these again!
I hope you all have a wonderful July 4th holiday if you celebrate that kind of thing. July 4th actually might be one of my favorite holidays, and one that I miss the most living in London - BBQs, fireworks, hot summer weather, small towns dressed up in red, white and blue, cold drinks, spending time with friends and family - yeah, that sounds like a pretty good holiday to me!
How are you celebrating this holiday weekend? Drop me a line in the comments section or send me a note on twitter (@trvlngcupcake) - I love hearing what my readers are up to! Have a happy and safe fourth of July!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Project 52 - week 21, 22 and 23
I've been a little slack on posting my Project 52 photos over the last few weeks...I blame the lack of internet while in NYC.
And the sun in NYC...that always distracts me.
But, now that I am back in rainy London and have round the clock access to internet - I guess I've run out of excuses.
Its the rain - I can always blame it on the rain.
Another iphone beauty. I actually really like this shot because there is so much going on in the photo, its almost hard to tell what its supposed to be. And then suddenly, you see it.
Like one of those Magic Eye posters that they used to sell at the mall way back in the day.
HELLO flash back to the mid-90's!
Speaking of which, I went for an eye test while I was back in the good ol' US of A and they made me look at one of those things to test my depth perception or some crap. Thats two Magic Eye/1990's flashbacks in two weeks. Clearly, it's a sign.
Not sure what its a sign of, but I'll let you know once I figure it out.
Shall we...?
Week 22 - Enchantment
This photo was taken at my good friends wedding reception in Connecticut last week - which I still need to tell you about! It's coming, I promise!! They had the most beautiful summer weather and the venue was amazing. The whole day was...enchanting.
Clearly this assignment was made just for me. In case you didn't notice, I LOVE to bake. And I LOVE to take pictures of said baked goods. Ironically enough, I didn't make a single thing in this weeks photo. My in-laws graciously hosted a BBQ for our family and friends while we were in NY. Nearly everyone brought a treat for dessert AND my mother in-law got some amazing cupcakes and CHOCOLATE COVERED MARSHMALLOWS (i.die.) It was super sugar overload-slash-heaven. The little girl in the photo, our good friends daughter, told her mom that it was the best day of her life. I'd like to think it had something to do with me being there, but in reality its probably because there were cookies and cupcakes and marshmallows and pizza. The girls got good taste.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sweet Revenge
While I was in NYC last week I had the chance to go to a place I have been hearing about for some time now.
A place that serves wine and cupcakes and beer. And even has beer and cupcake pairings.
Genius.
I met a friend for dinner* at Sweet Revenge over on Carmine St in the West Village. Founder, Marlo Scott, opened Sweet Revenge a few years ago after being laid off by the corporate empire she was slaving for (see - every cloud!). She had been toiling in her kitchen for almost two years developing recipes and a business plan. When she found herself jobless - she knew what to do!
In a word - INSPIRATION
In another word - DELICIOUS
*And by dinner I mean two pitchers of sangria and cupcakes. I love being an adult.
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| apologies for the poor picture quality in this post - the thunderstorm outside stole my good lighting! |
One of the most fun parts about this place is reading about all of the delicious wine and beer pairings that go with the cupcakes on offer. Who knew beer went so well with cupcakes?? In the end though, we couldn't resist the happy hour special of a pitcher of sangria for $15, so thats what we went with.
The place was slammed with people - groups of friends, first dates (at least I hope it was a first date, it looked slightly awkward) and young parents. Clearly this place caters to all types! After hearing the cupcakes of the day we made our decision...
The signature Sweet Revenge cupcake for my friend A.
And one of the flavors of the day - Bird of Paradise - for me
In another word - RIDICULOUS
There was an excellent frosting-to-cake ratio, and while both cupcakes were very sweet you didn't feel like you needed five fillings at your next dentist appointment. I would like to say that comparing the two flavors would be impossible since they were so different, but that would be a lie (because my cupcake lost). The Bird of Paradise cupcake was amazing - a light lime cake with mango buttercream and lime zest. Perfect for a hot summer day. However. The Sweet Revenge was the perfect combination of peanut butter cake with a thick ganache filling and was piled high with peanut butter fudge frosting. I can't even write that without salivating. Seriously, I'm drooling. Thank god I'm already married - drooling is not cute.
Now, get your butt down to Sweet Revenge and grab yourself a cupcake! Better yet - try it with one of the beer pairings and let me know how it is.
Bring a date - just don't drool in front of them.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Cupcake Class Fail
This little girl (really not so little considering she is about to turn 29) loves cupcakes.
She loves to make them, eat them, decorate them, eat them some more.
One day the little girl saw an offer on Groupon - Cupcake Decorating Class.
"HOORAY!" the little girl thought, "now I can finally learn how to decorate cupcakes so they don't look like a 5 year old frosted them". And so, she bought the deal.
Fast forward two months and the big day was finally here! The little girl was excited and a little nervous (and probably a little hung over since it was early on a Saturday morning).
Monday, April 25, 2011
I interrupt these Vietnam recaps...
Lemon Curd Cupcakes to be exact.
You might remember a couple months ago when I made this Lemon Curd Cake. There's a birthday coming up this week and the birthday girl is a BIG fan of lemon cake. She's actually a fan of anything lemon, but really, does it get any better than lemon curd cake?
I decided to use the same Martha Stewart Lemon Curd Cake recipe but turn it in to cupcakes. The result was mediocre. Sure, the cupcakes tasted alright, but they didn't stay as fluffy and light as other cupcake recipes I have. Add a lemon curd center and cream cheese frosting though and they went from OK to AWESOME in a matter of seconds.
I found these super cute Cath Kidson cupcake liners too - they screamed SPRING to me.
In goes the batter
When cool, take an apple corer and take out the center. Eat the little bits while filling the middle with lemon curd
I switched up the frosting this time. When I made this as a cake I used the recommended meringue frosting. This time I wanted something that packed a little more punch, so I used Nigella's cream cheese frosting recipe. The tangy frosting went well with the sour lemon curd, and both were balanced by the mellow flavor of the white base cake.
Lemon Curd Cake
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook
I only used one type of flour (all-pourpose) which I think is why I got a denser cake. I suggest using half and half as the recipe calls for.
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup)
1 1/2 cups all-pourpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Lemon Curd (homemade or store bought - I used Dutchy Originals Organic Lemon Curd)
- Preheat the oven to 350* F (about 170* C), line cupcake pan and set aside. Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream, lemon zest and lemon juice.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
- Turn the mixer down to low, and slowly add in the flour mixture in four parts. Alternate adding the flour and sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mix. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
- Divide batter between cupcake liners and bake for 16-18 minutes, rotating half way through to ensure even baking. Let the cupcakes rest for a couple of minutes in the pan before removing and cooling on a wire rack.
- Once the cupcakes are cool, remove the center of the cupcake with the apple corer - be careful not to go all the way to the bottom, try to leave a small amount of cake on the liner. Use a small spoon to drop in the lemon curd until it reaches the top. Leave to set.
- Frost with cream cheese buttercream and enjoy!
Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Nigella's Kitchen cookbook
I added about 1 tsp vanilla extract to help round out the flavors. Feel free to add if you like or make without per the original recipe. I love using Nigella's recipes as the directions are no fuss and super easy, it doesn't get much easier than this!
500g powdered sugar
125g cream cheese
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp lemon juice (or cider vinegar)
- Mix powdered sugar, cream cheese and butter until incorporated.
- Add lemon juice (and vanilla, if using) and mix again to combine until smooth and glossy.
- Decorate as needed, try to get some on the cupcakes and not just in your mouth (I always have trouble with this step).
mix - bake - fill - frost - unwrap - ENJOY
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Guinness Cupcakes with Whiskey Ganache and Baileys Frosting
This little gem came to me by way of Miss Maggie Stumpf. She found it on SmittenKitchen.com.
I decided to make them as an early Valentines Day gift for Brian. He cleaned the bathroom for my Valentines Day gift. I think thats a pretty good deal for both of us.
These are a little more labor intensive than regular cupcakes, but they are so worth the extra effort.
First, chocolate and Guinness cupcakes are baked. The Guinness makes the cupcakes so light and fluffy, I was amazed. MMmmm foamy beer goodness.
While the cupcakes are baking you can make and cool the Whiskey ganache. This was actually my first time making ganache, and now its my favorite word. I didn't have an apple corer or a round cookie cutter, so I used a liquid injector. Not as easy as it sounds since ganache is not actually a liquid. But thats what I have a big, strong husband for.
And yes, he did help make his own cupcakes. Shush.
Once the cupcakes are filled its time to make the frosting!
Butter. Powdered Sugar. Baileys.
Heaven.
Go ahead - try them for yourself!
Adopted from Smitten Kitchen
Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
1 cup Guinness (or other stout beer)
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup sour cream
Ganache Filling
8 ounces dark chocolate (I used a mix of milk and dark chocolate)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey
Baileys Frosting
3-4 cups confections sugar (I used 3 cups)
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys
Extras
1-inch round cookie cutter, an apple corer or liquid injector (not recommended, but it gets the job done)
To make the cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
- Bring 1 cup Guinness and 1 cup butter to a simmer in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth, cool slightly.
- Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend.
- Add Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine.
- Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat briefly on a slow speed.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in batter until completely combined.
- Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way.
- Bake cupcakes until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes.
- Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.
Make the ganache
- Chop up the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate.
- Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth (you can melt it further in the microwave for 15-20 seconds at a time if the chocolate isn't completely melted).
- Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.
Fill the cupcakes:
- Let the ganache cool until it is thick but still soft enough to be piped
- Meanwhile, cut out the centers of the cooled cupcakes with your 1-inch round cookie cutter or apple corer. Make sure you don't cut all the way down to the bottom of the cupcake.
- Put the cooled ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
- If you are using a liquid injector, fill the cupcakes until you can see the top pop up a bit, trying not to burst open the cupcake.
Make the frosting:
- Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want it to be very light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar, a quarter cup at a time.
- When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys and whip it until combined.
- Frost and decorate the cupcakes until your little heart is content
Happy Valentine's Day!
Brians Birthday Weekend
Immediately upon arrival we headed to the Guinness factory. Ok fine, we checked in to the hotel first, but Brian was literally tapping his foot with one hand on the door ready to go. If you'll remember Brian also went to Dublin on his birthday last year - yes folks this seems to becoming a tradition.
The Guinness factory was actually really cool. Its a self guided tour so you can take as little or much time as you like learning all about Guinness, they give you a free taste (or 6) of Guinness and a full pint in the sky bar is included in the ticket! And they have the biggest gift store ever, which explains why Brian came home with an armful of Guinness goodies last year.
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| barley for the beer |
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| thats a lot of barley! |
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| water to make the beer |
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| getting our free sample |
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| more free samples... |
After we were done with the tour we headed up to the Brewery Bar for some grub. As you would guess a lot of the items on the menu are made with Guinness, which I have learned is pretty genius. Take for example my Beef and Guinness stew...
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| you can see Brians stew in the back! |
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| umm ridiculous |
After a couple more hours up at the sky bar (with amazing views of the city of Dublin, except not when we were there because obviously it was grey and rainy) we decided it was time to move on. To another pub.
The next morning we had a delicious breakfast at Queen of Tarts, which Brians brothers girlfriend recommended to us as she still dreams about their chocolate pear tart (which I took back to London with me and now I also have said dreams). We only had a little time left before our flight so obviously we booked it to the Jameson distillery. We didn't actually have enough time to take the tour, but we managed to indulge in some Jameson hot chocolate and irish coffee before it was time to head out.
And then we were at the airport.
And that is where I discovered the best.place.ever.
I think it was called something like Chocolate World (I made that up, I don't remember what it was called, as clearly I was too distracted by what my eyes were seeing to pay attention to the name). And it had cupcakes, treats and champagne on a conveyor belt for you to pick and chose as you wish.
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| ummm, seriously?? |
Wha-wha-whaaatttt??
And on that note,
The End
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