St. Patty's Day Recipes (yes, in November!) Browned Beef Stew & Chocolate Guinness Cake

Originally posted March 19, 2011 :)

I made a couple of delicious things on St. Patrick's Day, and wanted to be sure to share the recipes. I don't have my own pictures, but I'll try to find some on the internet that look similar to what I made! :) So dinner was Browned Beef Stew with Dumplings and dessert (which I took to life group) was Chocolate Guinness Cake! SO YUMMY!!! My tummy and taste buds were VERY happy!! I'd also made Rainbow Cupcakes for my class! I'll share the recipe for those as well!!

I grew up with my mom making Browned Beef Stew with Dumplings, and it's still one of my favorite meals!! The stew is thick and doesn't have a bunch of random vegetables in it, which appeals to me. (I'm not a huge fan of green beans or peas in soup!!) And the dumplings, YUM!!

Browned Beef Stew

2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 beef-bouillon cubes*
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
5 medium potatoes, cubed
1 16-0z. bag of carrots, sliced
4 cups water*

*Note - I used a 16 oz. container of beef broth instead of beef bouillon and water.

Coat stew meat in flour, reserve leftover flour. Brown meat in 6 qt. Dutch oven in oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until onion is almost tender. Stir in reserved flour until blended. Gradually stir in water, bouillon, salt, Worcestershire and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until done. *see below for adding dumplings to stew*

Dumplings for Stew

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon chopped parsley or 1/8 teaspoon thyme leaves or savory (optional - I don't use this)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil

About 30 minutes before serving:
In large bowl, with fork, stir flour and next 3 ingredients until mixed. In cup, combine milk with oil; slowly stir into flour mixture just until mixture forms soft dough. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons into stew.
Cook dumplings 10 minutes uncovered; then cover and cook 10 minutes more.




Chocolate Guinness Cake (recipe and picture from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Guinness (dark beer)
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 
  TOPPING:
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Grease a 9-in. springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat beer and butter until butter is melted. Remove from the heat; whisk in sugar and cocoa until blended. Combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla; whisk into beer mixture. Combine flour and baking soda; whisk into beer mixture until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Remove sides of pan.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and cream; beat until smooth (do not overbeat). Remove cake from the pan and place on a platter or cake stand. Ice top of cake so that it resembles a frothy pint of beer. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.