Being of Irish descent myself, I have always had a certain fascination with the Emerald Isle. I spent a week roaming the countryside in my early twenties, staying in a youth hostel that was inside a partially-ruined castle. The keep had not yet fallen into total disrepair, but the battlements and outlying buildings were crumbling. It was the middle of winter and the dormitory was barely warmer than the air outside. The castle was miles from the closest town, and the only other inhabitants were the hostel manager and his old cat. It was freezing, austere and perfect in every way.

From that week on, Ireland has always conjured images of icy winds, majestic (if slightly decrepit) castles, sudden snowstorms and hearty comfort food. This week’s dark chocolate and Guinness cakes are the ultimate in comfort food. They are smothered in a Baileys and cream-cheese icing, and sprinkled with crushed pistachio and candied orange peel. It is impossible to stop at just one. I must confess, that when our household ran out of the cakes themselves, I tucked into the leftover icing and my husband polished off the excess candied orange peel. Even my six-year old couldn’t get enough of them. In the interests of responsible parenting, we did not offer her the option of Baileys icing!

We based our mini chocolate and Guinness cakes upon Nigella Lawson’s fabulous recipe found here.

Happy St Patrick’s Day to you all!