Ireland

Where in the world is there an unwritten law that you should not order Scotch whiskey in a pub? What do you mean where? In Ireland. 🙂 Apart from whiskey production, Ireland is also known as the home of Guinness beer. In Dublin you can see the whole process of its production, and also drink one for free. An Irishman from Dublin consumes an average of 131.1 liters of beer per year – second only to Prague / Czech Republic. Another alcoholic delicacy is of Irish origin – Baileys liqueur. My dilemma was whether to make a cake with Baileys or Guinness. 😀 In the end, the Baileys prevailed. And mostly because of the rich chocolate taste of the dessert. As regular readers know, consumers of my creations are big fans of chocolate. Unlike me. 😉

The Irish call their country “Homeland of the rainbow, clover and music” or “emerald island” because the island is covered with greenery all year round. Ireland has been a British colony for seven centuries. At the beginning of the 20th century it was proclaimed a dominion, and in 1949 it left the British Commonwealth and became a republic. The island of Ireland is separated from Britain by the Strait of St. George. The coast is highly indented (fjord) and has many convenient places for ports. Although the natives are descendants of the Celts in the country, the number of people who speak Polish is eight times higher than those who speak Celtic. 😮 The country ranks one of the first places in the world in the extraction and use of peat for electricity production. Apparently the population loves mobility because there are more mobile phones than there are people. Ireland is homeland to Halloween. This is one of the most ancient holidays that are celebrated to this day. It is believed that the ghosts of the dead mingled with the living, and one of the customs was to leave food at the door to calm their spirits. Although it began as a pagan tradition and then associated with Catholic beliefs, very little religion remained in it. Nowadays, Halloween or the Celtic New Year (October 31) is just an occasion for fun, laughter and tricks. For centuries, the feast of All Saints has been celebrated with celebrations, and on this day the consumption of meat is forbidden. For this reason, traditional dishes do not include meat in their composition, but potatoes, cabbage, apples, blueberries and more. There is a custom (similar to the Bulgarian custom to put luck in the Christmas cake) to put luck in each dish – a wedding ring, a coin, a button and a thimble and they are used to predict luck throughout the year.

There are no snakes in Ireland. Due to its isolation from Europe, Ireland lacks some animal representatives that are typical of other European territories – mole, weasel, ferret, deer. Legend has it that St. Patrick removed all snakes from the island, but the truth is that there were never any snakes there. March 17 is celebrated every year as a national holiday on St. Patrick’s Day.

In addition to its wonderful whiskey, Ireland is very popular for its culinary delights. When visiting this country you must try stewed lamb with potatoes. This is the local specialty and the most popular dish in Eire. On the one hand, potatoes are the most common vegetable on the island, and on the other hand, lamb is the most popular. However, in addition to potatoes, lamb is often prepared with cabbage or other northern cold-loving vegetables. One of the main features of local cuisine is that it usually relies on the natural taste of food and uses very little spices or sauces. Traditionally, the combination of many and different-tasting ingredients is avoided. As Ireland is famous for its dairy products, it is advisable to try one of the local sheep cheeses, which have a strong and rich taste and aroma. An important place in the diet of the Irish is seafood. The main species of fish caught in Irish waters are herring, cod, salmon, mackerel, hake, pike, as well as mussels, crabs and oysters. Be sure to try the superb Irish salmon, which is known for its amazing taste. An important place in the daily menu is occupied by the consumption of oats and delicious berries, which are added to all kinds of cakes and pastries, including the preparation of a unique local fruit bread. This fruit bread has become a kind of culinary symbol of Ireland, and its name comes from the word breac, which means “colorful”. There are two main recipes: Barm Brack – which is prepared with yeast, and Tea Brack – which is prepared with baking powder. The pearl of Irish cuisine, however, is the pudding with whiskey and tempting egg custard. If you sit in a cafe in the center of Dublin, be sure to drink a cup of Irish coffee, which is made with whiskey and cream, or a glass of the famous Irish black beer. Irish coffee became famous in 1952 when bartender Joe Sheridan made whiskey coffee for a friend from San Francisco. The drink was liked exclusively by the American and thanks to him it became famous in America. However, not every whiskey is suitable to be mixed with coffee. Only Irish whiskey goes perfectly with the taste of coffee (what a surprise! 🙂 ). There are other versions of the appearance of this drink. It is believed that the recipe was known to monks in ancient Christian monasteries, and they in turn learned the secret of distillation from St. Patrick himself. Traditional for tourists to try is the Irish breakfast, which includes fried or roasted meat, bacon, egg, sausage, french fries and white or black pudding.

I love this Europe! At least when it comes to choosing cakes. 🙂 Now I am in a period with countries for which I wonder which of all the wonderful recipes to choose to cook. As I wrote above, I was hesitant between two traditional drinks for the country, but in the end I decided to make something favorite at home, but with an Irish flavor – “Baileys Brownies”. 🙂 Here’s what you need for it:

For cake base „Brownies“ :

80 grams of butter

180 grams of dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)

3 eggs

vanilla

250 grams of sugar (white or brown)

100 grams of flour

pinch of salt

150 grams of walnuts

For the butter cream:

3/4 tea cup butter at room temperature

3 tea cups powdered sugar (I gradually added the sugar and put 1 1/2 cups; it was enough)

1/3 tea cup of Baileys liqueur

For the chocolate sauce:

120 grams of dark chocolate

1/2 tea cup “Baileys”

2 tablespoons cream

Steps of preparation:

Start by melting the brownies butter and chocolate over low heat. When completely melted, set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they turn white and increase in volume. Then add the chocolate-butter mixture and beat until smooth at low speed with the mixer. Next is the flour sifted together with the salt.

Stir slowly and gently with a spatula from the bottom up so as not to lose the volume of the mixture. Finally add the vanilla and finely chopped walnuts.

Grease the walls and bottom of a rectangular baking dish with vegetable oil or butter. Place baking paper on the bottom and pour the mixture.

Bake in a preheated 180 degree oven for about 25 minutes. The base should have a crispy crust, but the inside should be sticky. At least they like her at home. If you bake longer, “Brownies” will become more like a biscuit. If you prefer it, there is no problem. Finally, allow to cool completely.

Make butter cream by first beating the butter with a cup of powdered sugar. Add the liqueur and beat again on low speed with the mixer. Start adding more sugar until the cream is thick enough to spread on the “Brownies”, but keep in mind that half the sugar in the recipe is quite sweet. At least for my taste.

Spread the cream on the completely cooled Brownies. Leave in the refrigerator to cool while you prepare the chocolate sauce for topping.

The chocolate finish is very easy to make by heating the cream and liqueur on a hot plate and pouring the mixture over the crushed dark chocolate. Stir until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

Pour the chocolate sauce over the cake and add to the fridge to cool for at least an hour.

Cut the cake into rectangular pieces measuring about 8 by 8 cm. I cut out the very final pieces and leave them for the impatient at home who want to try. 🙂

The cake has a very rich chocolate taste, between which the taste and aroma of the liqueur creeps in. I have made Brownies at home several times and each time my relatives have been happy to eat it. Personally, it is not one of my favorites precisely because of the chocolate taste. This is good for the waist and I like the people I like to be happy and I am the reason why I have prepared something favorite and tasty for them. 🙂 As for Ireland, I want to go there because of all the green that is promised as views. My favorite green. 🙂 One of my favorite books (“Gone with the Wind”) tells the story of Ireland and the O’Hara clan, and it’s as if Scarlett’s green eyes and lush blood speak to her emerald island roots. 🙂 I will go check if all this is true. I don’t know about you. 😀

Next destination – Iceland.