It's like college all over again!

Remember that one night?

The one where I was feeling persnickety?

Well, the only thing I was missing that night was that one special

[[KEY]]

secret ingredient that I needed from a friend.

The one for that new cupcake recipe.

Remember?

Yeah, I thought you did.

Well, I GOT THE INGREDIENT:

{STOUT}

Strong, dark, robust, home-brewed 

stout.

Now, if you'll recall, I actually don't drink, so for me to really enjoy this beer and its bold, roasted malt flavor, I had to come up with some recipes that would showcase just that.

Thankfully, my husband joined in on the fun, too, and we've come up with a glorious week of  
[[stout-tastic]] bliss.

Let's start the fun then, shall we?

~•Recipe #1•~

♥STOUT CUPCAKES♥

From "Martha Stewart's Cupcakes"

Makes 24-30 cupcakes

Ingredients:

3 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. plus 1/8 t. baking soda

1 3/4 t. baking powder

1 1/4 t. salt

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 1/4 c. unsulfured molasses

1/2 c. plus 1 T. packed light-brown sugar

2 large whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1 T. plus 1 t. finely grated orange zest

1 1/4 c. (10 oz.) stout beer, such as Guinness, poured and settled

Stout Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. HEAT oven to 350°F and line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. WHISK together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. BEAT together oil, molasses, brown sugar, whole eggs, yolk, zest, and stout on medium-low speed until combined.
4. ADD flour mixture; beat until just combined.
5. DIVIDE batter among cups, filling each three-quarters full.  
6. BAKE, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean (about 20 minutes).
7. COOL on wire racks. 
   
   *TIP: Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers.
   
   
8.  To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; spoon glaze over cupcakes and let set.  Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

STOUT GLAZE: Whisk together 2 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted, and 1/4 c. stout beer, such as Guinness, poured and settled.  Use immediately.  **NOTE** I found that this was barely enough to drizzle over my cupcakes.  Maybe it's because I'm such a frosting nut anyway that glaze doesn't really do it for me, but I could barely get a full tablespoon on each cupcake, and I only made 24 cupcakes!  

Since I only had enough room for two cupcake tins in my oven, I filled those both and used the remaining batter to make a little double layer 6-inch round cake.  I iced it with a lemon buttercream on top and cream cheese frosting in the middle.  That way, I still got my frosting fix.  Silly glazes -- who uses those, anyway??  Pfft... glaze is like frosting for wimps.  If you can't stand the sugar, get out of the kitchen!*

This recipe is just great.  Those little cupcakes are packed with such a rich, spicy flavor that I had a hard time keeping Mr. Dot's grubby little mitts off 'em.  They taste like a spice cake -- a moist, dark, spice cake with a little zing of orange.  I definitely recommend you give this one a try!

*Just as a side note before I start getting hate mail, I am fully aware of the dangers associated with mass sugar consumption.  As the daughter of a diabetic father, niece of three diabetic uncles, and reformed overweight child myself, I genuinely appreciate the idea of sugar in moderation.  However, I also genuinely appreciate frosting.  It's a vicious life I lead.