Whiskey Truffles

I think some celebrations should be extended. Like my birthday. One day is not enough. I need a week, at least. 

And St. Patrick's Day should be St. Patrick's month. Though if you're really Irish, you keep the spirit of the day in your heart all year. Or at least, you find ways to keep whiskey in your belly every day. 

Another thing I like to get in every day? Chocolate. Therefore, whiskey truffles help me to get my daily serving of both of these vital nutrients. I've added them to the "eat every day" list. I don't know how my doctor or my boyfriend will feel about this, but personally I think it's one of the greatest ideas I've ever had. 

Truffles usually are full of things that make my tummy say: "What the hell are you doing to me??" Cream. Lots of cream. And butter, sometimes. But not these truffles. They're vegan, you see. And full of whiskey, which makes my tongue and my tummy say, "Bless ye, ye lovely lass!" These statements are all FACTS. 

If you've been following along at home, you'll know that the CARBOMB cupcakes have a whiskey ganache filling. And these truffles are simply a whiskey ganache, rolled and covered in stuff. Therefore, if you were upset that I didn't post the recipe for those cupcakes, you now have the know-how to make a vital element. Though I'm not going to tell you for certain if this is the same ganache I used in the CARBOMBs. 'Cuz I'm slippery like that. 

Also, a word of caution: make sure your bowls are heat proof if you're going to try a poor-man's version of a double-boiler to melt your chocolate. Don't make my mistake and spend way-too-long chopping up yummy expensive chocolate and mix it with yummy expensive whiskey only to have one of your favorite bowls crack and the bottom fall out entirely and all of that beautiful yummy expensive ganache fall into the water and glass shards underneath. There was cursing that could've made a sailor blush. There were also some tears. (It was mostly for the whiskey). Don't be like me. Check your bowls. In related news, if anyone's thinking of buying me anything anytime soon, I could use a new small-ish glass bowl...

Whiskey Truffles

adapted from SK

4oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I also sometimes use vegan chocolate chips when I'm feeling lazy. Chopping chocolate is the worst!)

1/3 cup soy creamer (non-dairy creamer will work fine too, though I'm not so sure that it's vegan if that's a concern for you)

1 tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter stick

2 tsp whiskey (OK, OK, I didn't measure. I poured a capful, stirred it in, then kept adding till it tasted right for me. Which is most likely too much whiskey for you. 2 tsp is a safe bet)

Cocoa powder, crushed almonds, pistachios, etc for rolling

In a small sauce pan, heat the creamer over med-low heat and bring to a boil. Place chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Once creamer reaches a boil, pour over the chocolate and let sit for about a minute. Add butter and stir until smooth. If not all of the chocolate melts, microwave on high for 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. Pour in whiskey and stir. Cover, and refrigerate until firm. Once ganache is firm, set up stations with nuts and powders to roll in. Also have a pan or plate with waxed paper. Roll ganache into a small ball, roll in desired topping, and place on waxed paper. If ganache starts to stick, place back in fridge.* Place finished truffles back in fridge to set, and store in an air-tight container in fridge. 

*I'm sure there's some easier/better method that Alton Brown's come up with for rolling truffles, but I haven't seen that episode, and this works for me. If you know a better method, please share!

Also, I'm not sure how many truffles this makes, as I was busy sneaking tastes of chocolate, but it probably would have made at least 20 if I wasn't eating as I went along...

Whiskey, You're Me Darlin', Drunk or Sober

Oh Joy! St. Patrick's Day is finally here! As I sit here, glass of whiskey in hand, listening to the Dubliners, and covered in green from head to toe, I'm filled with such peace and contentment. Though maybe that's the whiskey talkin'. Regardless, I hope you're enjoying today as much as I am, however you decide to celebrate. And of course, I've got a little eye candy for you.

Now I ask you, what's one of the best ways to celebrate this most sacred of days? CARBOMBS. Irish carbombs of course. Just in case you don't know what i'm talking about, it's a drink where you fill a pint glass 1/2-3/4 full of stout (Guinness), then fill a shot glass 3/4 full of whiskey (Jameson) and top it off with Irish cream (Bailey's). Then, when you're ready, you drop the shot glass into the pint, and quickly drink it all down before it curdles. And it tastes like DELICIOUS. And it always seems with carbombs that once you've had one, another one (or two, or three...) seems like a great idea and before you know it you're waking up the next day feeling like maybe you got hit by a real carbomb. Of course, for my friends, Irish carbombs are pretty standard throughout the year, but they always seem to taste a little better on St. Paddy's. 

But let's face it, some of us are getting older, and have a harder time drinking like we used to (no one I know). So, how do you still celebrate properly without that nasty hangover? Cupcakes. CARBOMB cupcakes. No, I'm not kidding. Yes, they taste like DELICIOUS too. 

Chocolate stout cupcake. Whiskey ganache filling. Bailey's frosting. These cupcakes are serious. These cupcakes may look cute, but don't let them fool you. Don't even bother wearing socks if you're going to try them, because these cupcakes will KNOCK THEM OFF. I took them home with me for Parade Day, and passed them out to friends, bartenders and drunken strangers alike. If you were at the Bog in Scranton this past Saturday evening, there's a good chance you got to try one. (I'd like to give an extra shout-out here to all the awesome barkeeps at the Bog- youse guys are the BEST!!! And, should any of you dear readers find yourself in downtown Scranton, the Bog is the only place to be). They seemed to be a pretty big hit. I got some free beer and shots out of the deal too. Which, children, just proves the point that you should always tip your bartenders well, particularly in cupcakes if you've got 'em. 

I wish I could take total credit for these, but I can't. I got the idea from lurking around over at Smitten Kitchen, though I did not use her recipe. The cupcake recipe comes from my new favorite cookbook- Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. (Which, by the way, I squealed like a school girl when it arrived, and I genuinely feel that this may be the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship...) Oh yeah, did I mention these CARBOMB cupcakes are mostly vegan? I know, I know, don't give me that look. I realize that saying something is mostly vegan is like saying that someone is mostly pregnant. But except for the Baileys in the frosting, there's no other dairy or eggs. AND, after the fact, I realized there's such a thing as Irish creme flavored non-dairy creamer, so next time, there'll be no mostly about it. And oh, yes, there will be a next time. If I had it my way, I'd be making a batch of CARBOMB cupcakes every week. Or every other day. (Also, for the record, CARBOMB cupcakes can only be referred to in all caps. They're that intense.) Also, on a completely related note, these cupcake guts were the awesome, and i may or may not have drizzled the still-too-thin ganache on them and eaten them all up. There were no witnesses, so you can't prove anything. 

Now, don't get angry, but I'm not posting the recipe. Listen people, these cupcakes are so good, I'm pretty certain they can make me some money. However, I won't leave you completely hanging. If you're willing to do some work, you can figure out how to make your own. Like I said, there is a recipe over at Smitten Kitchen, but it's not what I used, and it's NOT vegan. You can find the cupcake recipe in VCTOTW, which I mostly followed. I tried a couple of different ganache recipes, but made some adjustments to each (I'll give you a hint, mine had a LOT more whiskey in them.) And the frosting is a basic vegan buttercream with bailey's instead of soy milk or creamer. 

Ok, I feel like I may be whiskey rambling. Not coincidentally, I've also reached the bottom of my glass. Anyway, I think these cupcakes were supreme. But many of you got to try them, so tell me, what did YOU think? 

I'll leave you for now since I've got some irish potato candy in the fridge that needs to be tended to. (More on that later, I promise!) And, obviously, I need a refill. Sláinte