Pots O' Gold

Well, they say March comes in like a lion, and it sure does! That Nor'easter hit Boston hard.  We didn't get any snow here, but we got a lot of rain and wind and there was a lot of flooding.  I'm holding out hope that it only goes up from here.  March means it's almost spring. March also means it's time to start thinking about St. Patrick's Day and I'm super excited about this recipe. This is a super easy recipe for Pots o' Gold.

The "pots" are Guinness brownies and the "gold" is a caramel Irish whiskey mousse.  So really, this recipe is like 3 recipes in one.  You could simply make the brownies or the mousse on its own, but it's super fun to make both and create these adorable Pots o' Gold for your St. Patrick's Day celebrations!

I had a number of ideas for the "pots" but I wanted to keep this recipe simple and easy, and brownies seemed to be the easiest way to make these "pots".  I had a number of ideas for how to turn the brownies into "pots" but ultimately settled on a suggested method from Abeer at Cakewhiz.

This method uses a small glass or measuring cup to press in the center of the brownies.  I used a tasting glass from one of my Sam Adams Brewery tours.  Those tasting glasses have really come in handy! Pressing the centers in seemed better than removing the centers so that no food goes to waste. Also, be sure to remove the brownies from the pan before pressing the centers in.  I learned the hard way that it's much harder to remove them from the pan once they've been turned into "pots".

Have fun this St. Patricks Day, stay safe, and indulge in these super easy, super fun Pot O' Gold treats!

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Pots o' Gold

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings: 12 pots o' gold

Ingredients

Brownie Pots

• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 1 stick butter melted
• ½ cup Guinness
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal

Gold Mousse

• 4 egg yolks
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
• 1 can dulce de leche
• 1 cup whipping cream

Instructions

Brownie Pots

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Spray a cupcake tin with non-stick spray. You don't want to use liners.
• Stir together melted butter and cocoa powder.
• Stir in Guinness.
• Mix in eggs and egg yolks.
• Stir in sugar.
• Add in flour and salt and mix until combined.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, filling each cup about ¾ full.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, until cool enough to easily remove each brownie.
• While still warm, use a small glass or measuring cup to press down the centers of each brownie, forming a "pot".
• Allow to cool completely.

Gold Mousse

• Beat the egg yolks on high speed for about 3 minutes until pale and thick.
• Gradually add in brown sugar till combined, then set aside.
• Heat 1 cup of the whipping cream and the whiskey over medium heat till the mixture is hot, but not boiling. You may be able to see steam rising from the surface of the liquid.
• Stir some of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then pour the egg yolk mixture back into the pot.
• Heat over low, stirring constantly.
• When mixture thickens, add in dulce de leche and continue stirring until smooth and combined.
• Remove from heat, cover, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
• When ready to fill the "pots", beat the second 1 cup of whipping cream until whipped cream is formed.
• Fold the refrigerated caramel mix into whipped cream, until well combined.
• Pour mousse into a pastry bag or large Ziplock bag, cutting off the bottom corner, and pipe mousse into the opening of each brownie.
• Add festive decor and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.