HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
Chocolate and Baileys Irish Cream are a natural combo for St. Patrick’s Day food goodness. Wrap it all up into a biscotti and you have a little bit of Irish perfection.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and has been a cause for celebration each spring since the 17th century. Irish people have migrated worldwide, and wherever there’s an Irish community, you can count on a legendary St. Patrick’s Day celebration.
St. Patrick’s Day parades, dyed green rivers, overcrowded ‘taverns’, festive green drinks mark the March holiday. Many wear green and Irish imagery abounds. St. Patrick’s Day is also a great excuse to feast. While boiled bacon and cabbage may not be everyone’s favorite, desserts are always welcome.
Baileys is not just for St. Patrick’s Day. Speaking of, it’s also not just for mixing drinks either! You might be most familiar with the magical combo that is Baileys + chocolate. It took two years of trial and error but by 1974, the founders had added the finest spirits, rich chocolate and vanilla flavors along with a little magic, to create the famous Baileys recipe. The Irish have been distilling whiskey since somewhere around 1000 A.D., when Irish monks brought the technique home from their visits to Mediterranean countries. The word whiskey translates from the Irish language to ‘water of life’. Mixing the ‘water of life’ with other fine spirits and luscious cream, then adding rich chocolate & vanilla flavors with other flavors and ingredients made such an incredibly delicious treat.
Whether you dunk, drizzle, shake or bake. Adding some Baileys liqueur can be a total game-changer. These Irish Cream Biscotti served with some Irish coffee will be a perfect treat for the day.
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Baileys Irish Cream Cookies
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add eggs and 1/4 cup liqueur; mix well.
Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Place 2 pieces of dough on each baking sheet, leaving space between them. Form a slightly rounded 2-1/2- x 8-inch loaf that is about 1/2 inch thick.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow loaves to cool 5 minutes. Cut each loaf into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lay slices cut side down on baking sheets and bake an additional 15 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let cool.
In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, Irish cream liqueur, mix well. Take a small amount of the prepared icing, place in a cup & add food coloring, mix well.
When biscotti is cool, place white icing in a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a line about 1/8 in from edge of biscotti. Flood inside with white icing. With green icing make 3 shamrock designs on each biscotti on top of white icing.
Melt chocolate & place in a small piping bag with a round tip. Outline the edge of each biscotti with a line of chocolate. Set aside to dry before storing in an airtight container.
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HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
Although St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious feast holiday, celebrating the life of St Patrick, it has become kind of a mixture of non-religious celebrations steeped in Irish culture, folklore and superstition.
Each year on March 17th, we break out every piece of green clothing and jewelry, dye food green etc. … not quite the way it was celebrated in the 7th century. Green wasn’t even part of the equation. The original color associated with St. Patrick’s day was actually blue. One of the reason’s green replaced blue was because of Ireland’s nickname, The Emerald Isle.
For my food tribute to acknowledge St. Patrick’s day, I’m making some Bailey’s Irish Cream cheesecakes. This iconic liqueur came about when R & A Bailey found a way of bringing together the two great Irish traditions of distilling and dairy farming. Launched in 1975, Bailey’s Irish Cream can best be described as moderately sweet with roasted nut, maple sugar, spice and fig aromas. The liqueur is not only enjoyed on the rocks, in coffee or in cocktails but as a topping or baking ingredient.
These fuss-free chocolate cups work well with the unbaked Irish Cream cheesecake filling.
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Irish Cream Cheesecake in Chocolate Cups
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Ingredients
Irish Cream Cheesecake Filling
Ingredients
Irish Cream Cheesecake Filling
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Instructions
Chocolate Cups
Paper-line 8 muffin cups. In a microwave-safe bowl, place chocolate wafers. Microwave chocolate in short increments of time until chocolate is almost melted. Then stir until the chocolate is smooth.
With a pastry brush, thickly & evenly coat inside pleated surface & bottom of each paper cup with melted chocolate. Refrigerate coated cups for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from refrigerator, carefully peel paper from each cup. (Will keep for a good length of time in an airtight container in refrigerator.)
Irish Cream Cheesecake Filling
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the gelatin & 1/4 cup heavy cream. Set aside for 5 minutes.
With a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar & salt until creamy & smooth. Slowly pour in the Irish cream & remaining heavy cream. Increase the speed to medium & beat until smooth & creamy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
After the gelatin has absorbed a good bit of the cream, microwave the gelatin mixture for 25 seconds to melt it. With the mixer on medium-low, slowly pour the melted gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Increase speed to medium-high & beat till fluffy & voluminous, about 2 minutes.
Pour mixture into chocolate cups & refrigerate for at least one hour. These cheesecakes are fine unadorned but nothing says you can't top them with a dollop of whipped cream & a few blueberries.
Although brussel sprouts fall in that ‘love to hate them’ category for many, not so for me. I remember my mother growing them in her garden. They just seemed so unique … little mini cabbages on a stem! The fact that we can buy them pretty much year round takes away from these Autumn jewels somewhat.
But, it seems more people have realized that soggy, boiled, overcooked sprouts are a thing of the past. These tasty little treats are often dressed up with salty bacon, sweet balsamic vinegar or nutty Parmesan cheese. The smaller the sprouts, the more tender they are and even more tender and sweet after a frost. I probably appreciate the texture as much as the flavor.
In this casserole they are paired with some very tender corned beef, potatoes and Parmesan cheese. In regards to the corned beef, the key is either to slow roast at a very low temperature or a long, slow simmer in a liquid infused with spices. The ‘corned’ part of the beef refers to the brining process. The meat is submerged in a brine mixture which is flavored with spices. This process usually takes about seven to ten days. At this point its ready to cook.
Most often you can buy a piece that is sold in a vacuum sealed pouch which is in a spiced ‘gel’ mixture. All you have to do is rinse it in cold water, place it in a baking dish with a bit of fresh water and roast at about 250 F. until it becomes ultra tender.
This was such a nice fall meal. The flavors came together so well.
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Pulled Corned Beef with Sprouts & Potatoes
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 250 F. Rinse spiced gel off of corned beef. Place in a shallow baking dish; add a small bit of water & roast until VERY tender. Remove from oven; using 2 forks, pull meat apart & set aside.
Peel & slice potatoes into 1/4-inches slices. Slice the shallots & Brussels sprouts thin; set aside
In a large saucepan, add the sliced potatoes & cover with milk & butter. Bring to a boil, lower heat & simmer 8 minutes. Remove from heat; lift potatoes from milk with a slotted spoon & reserve the milk & butter for sauce.
Adjust oven temperature to 375 F. Coat a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with oil or butter; layer the potato, then corned beef, shallots & Brussels sprouts. Repeat again using all the ingredients. Whisk the flour into the cooled milk/butter combo. Pour sauce over all; sprinkle with garlic powder & top with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil & bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven; cool for a few minutes & serve.
Today’s Irish legends are thought to stem from stories of real people. As the story goes, in 5th century BC, Gaelic invaders discovered a pre-Celtic race. Being only about five feet tall, the invaders called them ‘little people’, a name which eventually morphed into ‘leprechaun’. Because the little people buried their dead with valuables, it was thought to be gold. Unable to find these buried treasures, people spun tales that grew into legends. It become widely reported that you could find the burial locations at the end of the rainbow. This theory, of course, gives the sense of ‘it’s just out of reach because its an impossible place’.
The rainbow, depicted in St. Patrick’s Day themes, has seven easily distinguishable colors. Both the rainbow and the number seven, are symbols considered to be good luck.
Although St. Patrick’s Day started out as a religious feast holiday celebrating the life of St. Patrick, it has become kind of a mixture of non- religious celebrations steeped in Irish culture, folklore and superstition.
When I saw this dessert on the internet, it looked perfect for the occasion.
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!
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St. Patrick's Day Rainbow Parfaits
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Instructions
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Prepare instant pudding mix according to package directions. Separate pudding into 7 individual dishes.
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Place dishes in a line & add 2 drops of food coloring to each dish. The rainbow colors you need are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo & violet.
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Layer the pudding by adding about 2 Tbsp of each color to individual parfait glasses. Tap the bottom of the glass on the counter after each layer to make the layer flatten. Refrigerate until fully set. Top with a dollop of whip topping to represent a cloud.
HAPPY LABOUR DAY!
Once again, the last long week-end of summer has arrived. Here in Canada, families with school age children, take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer. Others enjoy the company of family and friends at barbecues, picnics, fairs, festivals and fireworks displays. Canadian football fans may spend a large portion of their week-end watching the Labour Day Classic matches live on television. Whatever your choice of relaxation is, you know good food will be a part of the holiday.
For some reason, the classic Reuben sandwich came into my thoughts for a tasty choice. If you’re barbecuing, it can be wrapped in foil and heated on the grill. If a picnic is your preference, add a nice potato salad and of course, a beer. Perfect, easy and delicious!
I can’t quite remember when my love for sandwiches began. I have memories of my brother and I having cold, leftover mashed potato sandwiches with my mother’s homemade bread after school.
The Reuben sandwich turns 104 this year. Its origin has definitely be contested, but it is universally acknowledged as an American invention. It brings together Irish corned beef, Jewish rye bread, German sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing to create the perfect balance of interesting flavors and textures.
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Classic Reuben Sandwich on Swirl Bread
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Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 Reuben sandwiches
Ingredients
Ingredients for 4 Reuben sandwiches
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Votes: 6
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Instructions
Sauerkraut
In a colander, rinse & drain sauerkraut. In a large skillet, melt butter; stir in caraway seeds, salt & pepper. Add diced onion & saute for 3 minutes; add sauerkraut & combine well. Continue to saute, stirring frequently for 6 minutes; remove from heat & set aside.
Assembly
Butter one side each of 8 slices of bread. Divide shredded cheese, corned beef & sauerkraut between 4 of the slices (on the unbuttered side) Top with remaining 4 slices. Heat an electric griddle to 350 F. Transfer sandwiches to griddle & grill until cheese is melted. Remove from griddle on to serving plates; lift top slice of bread from each sandwich & drizzle with Russian dressing. Close Reuben & slice. Serve with pickles & potato fries or chips.
Recipe Notes
- Thousand Island & Russian dressings are similar. If you want to make your own Russian dressing just add 1/2 cup chili sauce to 3/4 cup Thousand Island dressing for a simple fix.
Traditions are always an interesting subject to me and as we acknowledge St. Patrick’s Day it seems a good time to check out a few. Corned beef and cabbage is hardly an Irish tradition. While the Irish certainly cooked corned beef, it was actually bacon (more like ham) and cabbage that was the yearly tradition. The unpopularity of corned beef in Ireland comes from its relationship with beef in general. From early on, cattle in Ireland were not used for their meat but for their strength in the fields, their milk and the dairy products produced. In Gaelic Ireland, cows were a symbol of wealth and a sacred animal. Because of their sacred association, cows were only killed for their meat if they became too old to work or produce milk. Beef was not even a part of the diet of the majority of the population.
However, the move to America changed that for many Irish immigrants. Corned beef was made popular in New York bars at lunchtime. The bars offered a ‘free lunch’ to the Irish construction workers who were building NYC in the early part of the 20th century. The catch was that you had to buy a couple of beers or shots of whiskey to get the free lunch. This is how corned beef became known as an ‘Irish’ food.
The Irish Americans transformed St. Patrick’s Day from a religious feast day to a celebration of their heritage and homeland. The popularity of corned beef and cabbage never crossed the Atlantic to the homeland. Instead the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal eaten in Ireland is either lamb or bacon.
While on the subject of traditions, it brings me to Irish Soda Bread. Contrary to belief, soda bread did not originate with the Irish but instead with Native Americans before European colonization. At that time soda bread was made by using pearl-ash or potash (a natural soda in wood ashes) to make the bread rise. This became the forerunner to baking soda.
In the early and mid 1800’s, Ireland adopted this soda bread which is most often identified with them. Because it required so few ingredients, soda bread was an economic choice for staple breads. Irish families generally had kitchens with open hearths instead of ovens with breads being baked on griddles or in iron pots. This resulted in a loaf that was dense, slightly sour and with a hard crust. The original recipe contained nothing more than flour, buttermilk, baking soda and salt. The buttermilk was leftover from the butter making process. Irish Soda Bread pairs well with soups, stews and meat dishes.
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Irish Soda Bread
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly flour a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, caraway seeds, baking soda & salt. Stir in buttermilk to form moist clumps. Gather dough into a ball. On a lightly floured work surface, knead dough until it holds together, about 1 minute.
Shape dough into a 6-inch diameter by 2-inch high round. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cut a 1-inch deep X across the top of bread, extending almost to the edges. Bake until bread is golden brown about 35 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely on a wire rack.
