Got Guiness?

My in laws are visiting today and my mother-in law (Mary)  and I were discussing dinner and what we needed to go get at the store.  We decided she would make the main meal and I would do the dessert.  Mary asked if I had any Guinness and loved my response: "Asking me if we have Guinness is like I asking me if I have flour". 

For those of you who do not know us, we have a guest room that we call the "Guinness Room"  due to the many Guinness posters.  There is a Guinness light up sign in the garage.  I find any excuse to cook with it and my husband enjoys drinking a frothy pint. 

There are a couple of ways you can make this decadent dessert but here is mine.

• 8 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter (salted)
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 3/4 cup Guinness
• 3 large eggs separated
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Topping

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Create a double boiler (no need to buy one; if you have a pot, fill it with water and put it on the stove; place a glass dish on top to melt your chocolate)
In the glass dish chop up the chocolate and add the butter.  Allow to begin melting and add the sugar. 

While I am waiting for this to melt I start separating the eggs and whip the whites so that they form soft peaks (I find this takes a while so I use the Kitchen Aid mixer and walk away.) Keep an eye on it and turn off the mixer once soft peaks form.  

Once the chocolate/butter/sugar are fully melted, add the Guinness (it may look lumpy due to the temperature change but it un clumps after a few minutes if you keep stirring). 

Temper in the egg yolks. (Tempering is bringing the egg up to the temperature of the liquid by slowly adding the liquid to the egg and then adding the new mixture to the big batch.  This is done so you do not scramble the eggs). 

Once the egg yolks are incorporated, take the glass dish off the water pot.  BE CAREFUL; the glass is hot and the steam can burn you. 

While you are waiting for the chocolate to cool you can whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Once it is whipped, fold the cream and the egg whites into the chocolate.  Pour into serving dishes and chill for 3 to 24 hours.  The longer you chill the better it sets. 

Before you serve, whip up the remaining cream. Add the vanilla and sugar towards the end. 
Top with as much or as little cream as you like. 

ENJOY!