Sweet Irish Treats

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The Feast of St. Patrick's Day is always a big one to celebrate in our house. It's hardly possible to completely miss it with so many reminders in our culture. Secretly I always get a little giggle out of the fact that our secular world celebrates this great saint's day. Yesterday I was driving my son home from his drum lesson and a local elementary school was letting a huge sea of green out the front doors. Too funny! I just wish all those children really knew what a great saint they are celebrating!

Last night's dinner of Irish fish and chips and Fried Cabbage was a great way to celebrate this great saint, and our desserts, two new "recipes" offered a tasty ending to the day. We don't normally indulge in dessert during Lent, but St. Patrick's Day and St. Joseph's Day are two exceptions to the rule. There are an awful lot of Irish saints on the liturgical calendar, so you won't have to work too hard to come up with an excuse to celebrate with a yummy Irish dessert.

Both desserts are simple and should be assembled just before serving. The Irish Jig is a simple mix of whipping cream, sweeteners, whiskey and coconut cookies. The whiskey is really the flavor of the dessert, so if you don't like whiskey, you won't like it. I had some Southern Comfort on-hand and used it instead of whiskey. Southern Comfort is a fruit, spice and whiskey flavored liquer which was created by an Irish bartender -- so close enough for me.  The younger children enjoyed Shamrock Shakes instead -- a homemade take on that fast food treat.

Irish Jig

serves 4

2 cups cold whipping cream

2 T. sugar

1 T. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

2 T. Irish whiskey

1 cup crumbled coconut macaroons (I used Archway brand)

Whip cream in a mixer on high speed with sugars until thick and soft peaks form. Add whiskey and vanilla and finish beating until stiff. Fold in cookie crumbs. Serve in dessert glasses.

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Shamrock Shake

serves 2

3/4 cup milk

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1/2 t. peppermint flavoring

4 drops green food color

2 T. sugar

whipping cream (from the can) 

green sprinkles

In a blender, or large plastic glass for use with an immersion blender, combine all ingredients except whipped cream and sprinkles. Blend until thick and creamy. Pour into two fancy glasses and top with whipped cream and green sprinkles.

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Irish Beef and Guiness Stew

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For St. Patrick's Day dinner last week, I decided to try the Guinness Stew that Jessica posted at Catholic Cuisine. My family thanked me repeatedly, especially the kids. No surprise, the reason they loved it was the lack of many vegetables. Carrots they love; beef they love -- simple, simple. I questioned my husband as to whether or not I should add some more vegetables and he resoundingly said, "No!" Paired with just a lovely loaf of Irish Soda Bread, they were happy, happy with the St. Paddy's meal.

The stew has a rich, tasty gravy, but I would not say it actually tastes like the Guinness. It adds a depth of flavor along with the tomato paste, and the herbs and spices. I forgot to buy parsley, hence the absence of green in picture -- except for the Shamrock!

You don't need to wait for St. Patrick's Day to roll around to enjoy this yummy dish -- you could probably find an Irish Catholic saint almost any day of the year.

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew
6-8 servings

2 lb. lean beef stew meat
3 T. vegetable oil, divided
2 T. all-purpose flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 lrg. onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T. tomato paste
1½ c. Guinness stout beer (or other Irish Stout)
2 c. carrot, cut into chunks
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 T. fresh parsley (for garnish) chopped

Trim the meat of any fat, cut into 2 inch cubes, and toss them in a bowl with 1 tbs of the vegetable oil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss the meat in the mixture to coat.

Heat the remaining oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions and crushed garlic. Stir the tomato paste into a small amount of water (to dilute); pour into the pan, stir to blend, cover and cook gently (reduce heat if necessary) for about 5 minutes.

Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots and thyme. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley.


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Source: Catholic Cuisine

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Taste of Ireland Cupcakes

I apologize for posting the recipe for these yummy cupcakes the day after St. Patrick's Day. Mighty anticlimactic, eh? You certainly don't need to wait for an Irish holiday to celebrated with these lovely little chocolate gems, however.

I made them early in the week for a lunch I was catering at Doug's office, and then, the morning of the scheduled lunch, I woke up with vertigo. I was so very disappointed, and, of course, worried that the girls at Doug's office would be disappointed. I also had a refrigerator filled with ingredients for Mediterranean Veggie pitas, Greek salad and Fresh Fruit Kabobs, and would have been heartbroken had it all gone to waste. So I medicated myself enough to get there the next day (unfortunately the medication makes me sooooo sleepy), and I managed.

These cupcakes were a big hit (I don't think the girls were faking!), and there were enough left over for us to enjoy them for a St. Patrick's Day dessert. I wouldn't change a thing about this recipe. The only problem I had was with the frosting -- with 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons of Bailey's was not enough liquid to get the frosting to spreading consistency. I ended up adding about 5 tablespoons of heavy cream instead of extra Bailey's. After tasting them, I wouldn't add any more Bailey's to it -- the balance was just right as it was. Just use enough milk or cream to get the frosting to spreading consistency.

I also did not bother with the piping bag to fill the cupcakes. I just used an infant feeding spoon to fill the little holes. I don't own an apple corer or a 1-inch cutter, so I used a v-shaped garnishing tool (I use it to turn a watermelon into a pretty serving dish or garnishing vegetables) to make a diamond shaped hole -- it worked fine -- you can use a pairing knife as well.

Taste of Ireland Cupcakes

makes 24

Cupcakes:
1 c. stout (Guinness)
16 T. unsalted butter
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1½ t. baking soda
¾ t. salt
2 large eggs
⅔ c. sour cream

Ganache:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
⅔ c. heavy cream
2 T. butter, at room temperature
2 t. Bailey's Irish cream

Frosting:
8 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 - 4 c. confectioners sugar, sifted
4 T. Bailey's Irish cream
4 - 6 T. milk or cream

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.
Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until very hot (not boiling) in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Pour cream over chocolate and allow to sit for several minutes. With a whisk, stir until chocolate is melted. If necessary, heat for about 30 seconds until chocolate is completely melted. Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick -- it will sit in a "blob, " not puddle. (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.) Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the top of each cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes (or using a small spoon, fill the holes).

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth. Add as much milk or cream as is necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Sprinkle with green sugar, if desired.

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Source: adapted from Annie's Eats

Shepherd Pie

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A few years ago, a dear young woman (who I met online, and never in person) inspired me with her Irish cuisine. She had a food blog (though it has been removed since) and made the most wonderful dishes, many of which were inspired by her heritage. She had spent time in the U.S., however, and had a lovely knack for combining American and Irish.

This recipe is the perfect example. This is a beef-based Shepherd pie (though you could sub lamb if you like it) with a rich, tasty gravy, tender veggies, and topped with a pile of soft mashed potatoes -- perfect comfort food.

I like to make them in ramekins -- everyone gets their own little serving. But, if you don't have ramekins, or 6 oz. custard dishes, you can just as easily bake and serve this dish in an oval or rectangular baker.

When I took these pictures, I omitted the peas from the recipe because I intended to serve Peas and Bacon on the side. However, I later realized I was out of peas and that's why there is a side of Bacon Corn on the plate. ;-)

Shepherd Pie

olive oil
salt and black pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef (or lamb)
1 cup onion, finely diced (or grated if you have onion detectives among you)
3 - 4 large carrots, finely diced
1 c. frozen peas (optional)
3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped (or 3/4 t. dried thyme)
2 T. flour
1 T. butter
1/4 c. red wine
2 T. tomato paste or 3 T. ketchup (I use ketchup)
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chicken stock (beef could also be used)
large quantity mashed potatoes (about 5 cups)*
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)


Preheat oven to 400F.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Heat about 1 T. olive oil in pan. Add carrots and cook until they start to get tender. Add onions and saute for a minute or two then add the meat. Season with black pepper and thyme. Cook until browned then drain any fat. Add the butter and peas (if using). Sprinkle with flour and stir through. Add tomato paste (or ketchup), wine and Worcestershire sauce. Let this reduce slightly then add the chicken stock. Allow to reduce down until you have a thick meaty gravy. Season to taste.

Remove from heat. Evenly divide meat mixture among ramekins or pour into casserole.



Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if using.



Bake for about 20 minutes or until the potato is nice and browned on top.

* For a low fat dish, mash your potatoes with low fat milk and salt -- no butter. You'll be surprised that they are just as good with no butter.

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Irish Shepherd Pie

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No awards for presentation here, but what can you do when the kids don't like their foods to touch?

For future reference I am posting here what I did on St. Patrick's Day --it's a good idea to keep in mind for other Irish saint feast days. I used this Shepherd Pie recipe (sans peas because I was preparing peas on the side) but because I was a little short on time, I put the prepared meat and vegetables in ramekins and topped them with little individual mounds of potatoes. I think the children enjoyed having their own little serving, and those few members of my clan who have "issues" with casserole type meals really liked it. I think they must have a problem with the visual effect of a casserole -- all the food all mixed together, and using the ramekins resolved that problem. The food cooked very quickly too, so I'll keep this method in mind for future pot pies and other casseroles that might lend themselves to individual portions.

I also used Deborah's recipe for Peas and Bacon (sans onion), which is very yummy -- Peach ate several servings, but then she's a veggie girl (she pushed the bacon to the side -- crazy kid!). The Irish Soda Bread is my own recipe (and is apparently not really soda bread at all, but soda cake). The green beverage is lemonade with food coloring.

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Irish Soda Bread

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If you're planning ahead for our beloved St. Patrick's Feast Day next week, check out my Irish Soda Bread recipe at Catholic Cuisine.


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