Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day.

So I found a recipe for Guinness cupcakes over at Smitten Kitchen , and decided that a St. Pat's potluck was the perfect excuse to make this decadent little treat. Three words can describe these cupcakes : Oh My God.

The cupcake itself is flavored with Guinness and cocoa powder. Very soft and delectable. Then you hollow out the middle ( I used the Jameson lid and a melon baller) and fill that space with an Irish whiskey ganache. I love this process because, well, do you see that little pile of cake forming in the back of the image above? Guess who got to eat it! Waste not, want not and all that stuff.
The recipe also includes a Bailey's Irish Cream icing. I went with a run of the mill vanilla with green sugar to make it all purty. I was afraid the Bailey's icing wold be too much. I don't know if I will do icing at all next time. Don't get me wrong - I love icing - but it pretty much took over. I loved the delicate flavor balance of this cupcake before it was iced and I think it got a bit lost. I also really like how the cupcakes look pre-iced as well. They are as pretty as a thumprint cookie.