Ohhhhhhhhh gee. 2016. There is so much to say, yet hard to find the words. And then came 2017. Where someone arrived uninvited to my party. For four years, supposedly. But, we are going to swallow all of that for now (this blog has never been about the real, serious issues in life) in order to talk about a wee little holiday - St. Patrick's Day. My mom, who has been quite the family genealogist for the past decade, informed me that our Irish roots stem from the: Rafferty, McCartney, Fitzgerald, Farrell, Ryan, Barry, Budd and Taylor clans. (Did you just find out you are related to me?) A few of those lads and lassies made a new life for themselves in the expansive Midwest of the United States. You know, immigrants. Oof, there we go with the current complicated life problems that I'm trying to avoid...back to silly, fun, observations and frippery. Like alcohol! And chocolate! Everything is OK!
Mmmmm
Is there any dessert more comforting than pudding? I'm not sure if it is the texture or the name or the fact that you eat it with a spoon, but I don't know one person who doesn't release a little bit of stress when they hear pudding is in their future. In case there is still some tension hanging on, let's add some adult beverages to the mix. Ahh...now we are feeling all is good, right?
Friends
I had seen some version of this recipe floating around every year and finally had the resolve (and the ingredients) to make it.
The stout brings out the depths of chocolate and will cook off enough not to make any under-aged partakers loopy. You can substitute plain whipped or chantilly cream for those young folk, but for the elders, you are in for a treat with this addition! I will give you fair warning: the Bailey's-laced whipped cream is so addictive. You will want to dollop it on anything you ever put into your pie hole from this day forth.
You can serve this dessert via any vessel, but my favorite for the occasion were these mini pint glasses - shout out to North River Hops & Brewing! The pudding is so decadent and rich, that the small portion tends to be just the right amount for a special lucky treat. You can find similar tasting glasses on Amazon.
I used THIS simple recipe for the pudding and THIS (with the addition of vanilla) for the whipped cream "foam". Finished them off with some chocolate shavings, but I imagine green sprinkles or decorative sugar would be even more festive. Cheers, my friends!
