Beer Cupcakes Yes Really Recipes

BEER CUPCAKES (YES REALLY !)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F; butter a muffin tin.
• Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into muffin molds and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack.
• Using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth, sift in sugar, and beat. Add milk, and beat until smooth. Spread glaze over cooled cupcakes.
• Note: make the glaze thicker or thinner by adding or subtracting milk.

BEER BELLIES CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the cupcakes:
• Line mini cupcake pans with mini paper liners and set aside.
• Sift together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
• In a saucepan bring stout to a boil and continue boiling for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut butter to melt. Add lemon juice and allow to cool slightly, until mixture is lukewarm. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and whisk in the lightly beaten egg. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
• Distribute batter among the lined mini cupcake pans, filling each about 1/2 full. Stand a chocolate shard directly in the center of each cup. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove cupcakes from the pan and set on a cooling rack to cool completely.
• For the pretzel crumbles:
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the flour, sugar, cayenne pepper, and salt. Using fingers, work in butter and then the crushed pretzels to create a coarse crumble. Spread the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. And bake for 12-14 minutes, gently stirring once halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• For the frosting:
• In a double boiler or a heat proof bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the butter and sugar. Melt the mixture, stirring continuously until very thick, about 12 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain through a sieve to remove any lumps. Cool completely. Once the malt mixture has cooled, cream together with the butter. Incorporate the sugar and whip thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you add the sugar.
• To assemble: Using a 3/8 inch pastry tip, pipe a "donut" of frosting encircling the "belly button" of the cupcake. Top each cupcake with the spicy pretzel crumbles and serve.

CELEBRATORY CHOCOLATE BEER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the cupcake pans with 24 liners. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
• In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the milk, butter, vanilla extract and eggs and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Whisk in 1 cup boiling water last. Batter will be very thin. Pour evenly into the prepared cupcake pans until about two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 21 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks. Place the cupcakes in the freezer to speed up the cooling process.
• For the beer flavored ganache: In microwave-safe bowl, heat the cream on high until it begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add the cold butter and stir until butter is combined; this will cool the ganache. Then, add the beer and stir until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to dip the cupcakes. (If it hardens too much before you are able to dip the cupcakes, reheat slightly in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir well.)
• For the chocolate beer frosting: Dissolve the salt in the beer and set aside. In a 5-quart mixing bowl, cream the shortening until very creamy, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and the cocoa powder to the bowl and mix well. Pour the salt and beer mixture into the bowl and mix until combined. Then add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
• To assemble: Dip the cooled chocolate cupcakes into the beer flavored ganache. Then pipe chocolate beer frosting on top of the ganache layer using a 1M Wilton tip, or any tip that will create ridges. Drizzle the cooled Beer Drizzle over the frosting.
• Pour the beer into small saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat. Continue to stir to avoid burning. Reduce the beer and sugar until it begins to thicken slightly and resemble syrup, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.