Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

While you're still sober I have a little recipe for you to make as a special St. Paddy's treat! It's a semi-traditional recipe, with my own spin on it. I just can't stand the overly sweet, overly GREEN treats that usually grace tables for this holiday. So I searched for something special, and here's what I found...

Light, fluffy, delicately chocolate and perfumed with cinnamon. Delicious! Enjoy and have a safe St. Paddy's Day!

Chocolate Cinnamon Irish mini Bundt Cakes

• 1 cup butter
• 2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 1/2 ounces of baking chocolate, finely grated 
• 1 3/4 ounces wheat germ (originally the recipe called for an equal weight of ground almonds, but I'm allergic and the texture is similar)
• 1 cup sieved or riced cooked potato 
• 2 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 rounded tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cocoa

For the pan:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
• Shortening or cooking spray

Peel, dice and boil 3 small or 2 regular sized potatoes for 15 minutes, or until very tender. Drain and place back into the pot on very low heat, just until the steam dissipates, to dry the potatoes. Once dry, remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, push through a mesh sieve, or if you're fancy, use a potato ricer. Gently push into a cup, being sure not to pack. Be sure NOT to add the potatoes until they are very cool, or they will ruin the cake batter!

Preheat the oven to 350° F / 275° C. Prepare the mini bundt pans by greasing, then dusting with second amounts of flour and cocoa. Please note that one large bundt pan, or a springform pan are okay too. They will require a longer baking time though. (About an hour- 1hr 45mins.)

Grate the chocolate on a fine grater or crush with a mortar and pestle, until very fine. When this is done, sift the flour once by itself. Then sift it a second time with the cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and first amount of cocoa.

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs. Add the yolks, one at a time, to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Stir in the grated chocolate and wheat germ. Add the sieved potato and stir again.

Add the vanilla to the milk. Add the flour alternately with the milk mixture, beating gently until smooth after each addition. Finally, whip the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until stiff, be careful not to over whip and dry out the eggs. Fold the whipped egg whites carefully into the cake mixture.

Spoon the batter into mini bundt pans and tap once to settle. Bake for 45 mins, checking for doneness at 30. Mine only needed about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for at least twenty minutes before removing from the pan, then cool on wire racks.

Dust with icing sugar, serve with coffee, tea, or maybe even a pint. Enjoy!