I’ve never been enticed by Guinness – maybe because of it’s dark colour and malty reputation. However, when I think of St. Patrick’s Day, Guiness is the first thing that pops into my head and so I thought I would try my hand at using it in some sorta way. What better way then doughnuts? No better way.

And, since these doughnuts do not require an entire can, I was forced to drink the rest of it, and may I say, it’s not too shabby. I actually kind of enjoyed it. One thing to note if you are new to this particular stout as I am – they put a little plastic ball inside the can, called a “widget.” The widget is filled with nitrogen, and when the can is opened, it releases bubbles to give it more of a draught-like experience. When I had finished the can and heard something shaking around in there, I was extremely perplexed. I had to contact all of my stout-drinking friends to ask them if something was slipped into my drink, or if this was normal. Luckily, I have a friend in Dublin, who told me all about the widget…and who would know better than him?! In summation, Guinness is good. Doughnuts are amazing. Drink beer, eat doughnuts, thank St. Patrick.

I originally made vanilla doughnuts for this recipe and, although they were tasty, they weren’t exactly what I was looking for. I wanted something darker and more decadent, to match the beer. So I revamped the recipe and made chocolate doughnuts instead. I think it pairs better with the coffee notes of the Guinness and they also imitate that dark colour of the stout. In the vanilla doughnut, I only used 1/4 cup of Guinness and then when I was taste-testing them, I thought, “These are Guinness doughnuts…I need to be more aggressive with the Guinness!” And that I did. With this recipe, I doubled the amount of beer and you can definitely taste it. What’s the point of having a Guinness doughnut if you aren’t going to taste the beer? Amirite?!?

The glaze – Because St. Patrick’s Day is known for green ‘errr thang, I wanted to make a green glaze. And if you follow my blog, you know I don’t love using food colouring, but am more of a get-colour-from-natural-things-kinda-girl. Therefore, I used spirulina to get that forest-green kind of hue. You can definitely use food colouring though. Your doughnuts, your call.

When considering flavourings for the glaze, I thought about the colour green and thought about green foods and obviously limes were the first to pop up in my head. Immediately, I knew I had to make a lime glaze because I thought the acidity would play well with the creaminess of the stout. And then I thought…HONEY LIME. Just another wanted dimension that bumps these babies up to the next level. This doughnut is not for the basic.

Well my dudes, I know you all have the 20 minutes it takes to make this recipe, so use your quarantine time wisely and celebrate St. Paddy’s day in the most appropriate way possible! With Guinness doughnuts. You won’t regret it. And even if you do, isn’t that what this day is about…all the regrets?! Only the morning will tell.

Well that brings me to the end of this blog post, so here’s health to your enemies’ enemies! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Chocolate Guinness Doughnuts with a Honey Lime Glaze

Serving size: Makes 10 doughnuts

Prep time: 8-10 minutes

Cook time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup Guinness (or another dark stout beer)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp spirulina powder (or a few drops of food colouring)
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• water
• lime zest (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit and spray a doughnut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix the coconut milk and vinegar together and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, vanilla, Guinness and the coconut milk/vinegar mixture until combined. Slowly drizzle in the melted coconut oil while whisking at the same time.
5. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the wet ingredients into it. Using a spatula, carefully fold together the ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
6. Add your ingredients to a piping bag and pipe into the doughnut pan, filling about 3/4 of the way up each mold. You can also use a spoon to scoop the batter in, or fill a Ziploc Bag and cut the tip off and pipe.
7. Bake for 7 minutes, or until the doughnut springs back when you touch it with your finger. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for two minutes. Turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

For the glaze:

1. Whisk the powdered sugar, spirulina (or food colouring), lime juice and honey together. Slowly (1/2 tsp at a time), add water until consistency is thin enough to drizzle over the doughnuts. You may also dip the doughnuts into the glaze to coat one side. Sprinkle some lime zest on top of each doughnut to finish. Leave the doughnuts to absorb the glaze for about ten minutes before eating.

TIP: If you would like a thicker, more opaque glaze, double the glaze recipe, dip once, let harden/dry, and then dip again.

The post Chocolate Guinness Doughnuts with a Honey Lime Glaze appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..

This pie recipe is simple, quick and easy. One day I was loungin’ and needed something sweet to eat and I took a peak in my fridge and used what I had on hand. It turned out to be a keeper and that’s proof that this recipe is so simple and easy.

WHAT ARE APPLE CARDAMOM HAND PIES?

They are a classic American dessert transformed into a little handheld present that won’t disappoint. Tender, spiced apples wrapped in a flaky, golden brown pastry, topped with an adult-only rum glaze. I mean….come onnnn! You must.

THE PASTRY

The puff pastry is really what makes this recipe so easy. No fussy pie dough to deal with, just crispy, flaky pillows of amazingness. And all you need is one sheet! Roll it out nice and thin, cut into 8 equal rectangles and fill them up with the tastiest little apples.

You can also make smaller hand pies if you have more control over your portion size than I do. Just cut your puff pastry into 16 squares instead!

THE FILLING

I tend to migrate toward using Honeycrisp apples for my apple-forward baking recipes because they are my absolute favourite. Crispy and sweet, yet tart, they beat out every other apple. You can also use the classic Granny Smith, or whatever you have in your fridge, and they will still be tasty and flavourful!

To prepare the apples, add them to a large skillet with all the cinnamon, cardamom, salt, maple syrup and brown sugar and cook until tender and they begin to release their juices. This stuff is honestly gold – I could just eat it with a spoon.

MAKING THE APPLE CARDAMOM HAND PIES

Divide your apples between the four puff pastry rectangles and top with the remaining pastry. Crimp the edges so it looks super cute, and pierce a couple of holes in the top to allow the steam to escape. It is important to let them chill in the fridge for at least half hour at this point. This allows the butter in the dough to firm up again after being handled, and thus, it will melt slower once you bake it. Once chilled, pop them in the oven and watch them transform into the most delicious little treat!

While the pies are baking, make your luscious glaze. Add powdered sugar, rum, vanilla, cinnamon and non-dairy (or regular) milk to a bowl and whisk until smooth. It’s your choice how you want to apply this glaze – you can just pile it on, drizzle it, or spoon it as you go. There’s no judgement here.

I think that’s all I need to tell you about this recipe. Does anyone actually read this part of the post anyways???

MORE FRUIT-FORWARD RECIPES

5-Ingredient Peach Crisp (a summer must-have)

Strawberry Honey Ginger Galette (a dessert with a little sha-bang!)

Tropical Banana Flambe (take me down south)

Grilled Pina Colada French Toast (a heavenly breakfast idea)

TOOLS I USED TO MAKE THESE APPLE CARDAMOM HAND PIES

Click on the images below to see what I use for this recipe.

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when purchases are made after clicking the links, at no cost to you. Thank you!

APPLE CARDAMOM HAND PIES WITH A RUM GLAZE

Servings: Makes 4 large hand pies

Prep time: 15 minutes (active), 30 minutes (inactive)

Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 large apples, small dice (I like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• a quarter tsp cardamom
• 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want them, I do 1 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water
• a half tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• an egg
• 1 tbsp water
• Raw turbinado sugar for topping (optional)

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp dark spiced rum
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1-3 tsp non-dairy milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, cinnamon, cardamom, maple syrup, brown sugar and salt. Cook until apples begin to soften (8-10 minutes), stirring often.
2. While the apples are cooking, prepare your puff pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your puff pastry until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 8 rectangles (see photo above) and place four of the rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Whisking the cornstarch and water together. Add to the apples, stir and remove skillet from heat. Add in the lemon juice and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Use a spoon to scoop the apples into the centre of the four puff pastry rectangles that were placed on the baking sheet. Leave a half-inch border all the way around. Place the other four pastries on top and crimp the edges with a fork. Cut a few slits into the top of each so the steam can escape. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Beat the egg and water together to make an egg wash. Remove pies from fridge and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with the turbinado sugar. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes before serving.

For the glaze:

1. Add the powdered sugar, rum, vanilla, cinnamon and one teaspoon of milk to a bowl and whisk. If it is too thick, continue to add more milk, one teaspoon at a time until you reach a drizzle-able consistency.
2. Drizzle the hand pies with the glaze and serve warm. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

The post Apple Cardamom Hand Pies with a Rum Glaze appeared first on Never. Not. Eating..