St. Patrick's Day Dessert Recipes
Forget the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: the following collection of St. Patrick’s Day-inspired dessert recipes will certainly have you feeling lucky. Get a kickstart on St. Patrick’s Day celebrations by baking up tasty treats inspired by the cheerful holiday, featuring traditional Irish ingredients as well as signature spirited colors (i.e. bright green and rainbow). The only thing missing: the leprechaun himself...
Gluten-Free Irish Cream Cupcakes
By Maizy Boosin (Chopped Junior Season 4, Episode 1 Winner)
Ingredients for the cake (yields 12 servings):
1 ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (containing xanthan gum)
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
⅛ cup dark chocolate, melted
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ cup coconut oil
2 eggs, room temperature
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Irish cream liqueur
Ingredients for the ganache:
1 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy whipping cream
For the Irish cream frosting:
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups butter, room temperature
3 tbsp Irish cream liqueur, previously boiled to cook out the alcohol
¼ cup melted chocolate
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking soda.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add melted chocolate, butter, coconut oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. On a low speed, mix until wet ingredients are combined, then sift dry ingredients into bowl. (Boosin recommends using a paddle attachment on medium speed to combine the wet and dry ingredients.) Then, once combined, add liqueur and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.
Fill cupcake pan and bake for 15-18 minutes (time varies on the oven, so check every 5 minutes). When cupcakes are done, remove from oven and let cool.
In a double boiler, melt chocolate and heavy cream together. Once combined and fully melted together, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes while making the buttercream.
In an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, add butter and whisk on high to cream it. Then, add powdered sugar ½ cup at a time. Once all combined, leave mixer on high for 5+ minutes. After the mixture has essentially doubled in size, add Irish liqueur and melted chocolate. Whisk until combined.
Once the ganache has partially hardened, use a handheld whisk to partially whisk the mixture. Whisk until it has slightly lightened in color and is a homogenous texture.
Core the cupcakes and fill with ganache. Then, using a star piping attachment, pipe swirls onto the cupcakes and top with chocolate shavings.
Traditional Irish Soda Bread
By Neko Masi (Contestant on MasterChef Junior Season 7)
Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose or bread flour
4 tbsp granulated white sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
¾ Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter
1 ¼ cups buttermilk*
1 egg
Shortening, to taste
*You can substitute the buttermilk for 1 tbsp vinegar and enough milk to make 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and you’ll have buttermilk.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a baking sheet with shortening and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cut in ½ cup softened butter until mixture is crumbly and well-incorporated.
Add 1 cup buttermilk and egg. Mix until a thick dough is formed. Put dough on a lightly-floured surface and knead until it is no longer crumbly and dry. Form into a round, domed mound and place on greased baking sheet.
Melt remaining butter, and mix with remaining buttermilk. Brush generously over the surface of the dough. Using a sharp knife, cut a deep cross on the top.
Optional: To honor Irish tradition, poke a hole in each of the 4 corners of the top of the dough to let any fairies out that might have become trapped.
Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Start checking at the 30 minute mark--cooking time will depend on what you put in your soda bread. Enjoy with jam in the morning or stew in the evening.
Grasshopper Cheesecake
By Seth Garza (Winner of Chopped Junior Season 8, Episode 1)
Ingredients for the crust (yields 8 servings):
2 cups crushed chocolate graham crackers
2 ½ tbsp melted butter
Ingredients for the filling:
4 oz semisweet baking chocolate
3 8 oz packages (24 oz total) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
⅓ cup green creme de menthe liqueur
Ingredients for the decoration:
Whipped cream, to taste
1 package Airhead Xtremes Rainbow Berry Sweetly Sour Candy
1 package Rolo Chocolate Caramel Candy
Gold sprinkles, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Wrap foil on the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan.
In a large bowl, combine (with hands) crushed chocolate graham crackers and melted butter until the mixture can be pressed together easily. Press in bottom and 1 inch up the side of pan. Bake for 12 minutes, then let cool for at least 25 minutes.
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate on high for 30 seconds. Stir, then put in microwave for 30 more seconds or until melted. Stir again until smooth.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, stirring after every addition, then stir in liqueur. Pour half of the filling over crust.
With a spoon, add half of melted chocolate over the surface of cheesecake filling. Then, use a toothpick to swirl chocolate into a marble design. Pour the rest of filling, add remaining melted chocolate, and swirl with the toothpick again.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until set 2 inches from edge of pan. Remove from oven and glide knife around the inside edge of the cheesecake. Turn oven off.
Put cheesecake back into oven with oven slightly opened. Let rest inside for 1 hour.
Remove from oven then let cool on cooling rack for 1 hour or until cool to touch. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
Remove side of pan and cut into 8 slices.
Pipe whipped cream in a scallop shape on the edge closest to the crust on each slice. Add Rolo and gold sprinkles. Place an Airhead Xtreme in the shape of a rainbow over Rolo.
Irish Cream Chocolate Mousse
By Gabriel Lewis (MasterChef Season 8 Contestant)
Ingredients (yields 4-6 servings):
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup irish cream
1 cup powdered sugar
2 ½ tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp cocoa powder (for garnish)
¼ cup shaved chocolate (for garnish)
1 tbsp fresh mint, shredded (for garnish)
Directions:
Place a metal bowl and mixing utensils in freezer.
Heat ½ cup heavy cream and irish cream over medium heat, watching and stirring occasionally until hot (steam should start to develop). Remove from heat.
Place semisweet chocolate into the bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside.
Remove bowl from freezer and pour remaining heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar in bowl. Whip until firm. If using a mixer, set to medium speed and whip until stiff. Taste and add more sugar if not as sweet as you’d like.
Using a rubber spatula, fold heavy cream into chocolate in thirds until fully incorporated. Place in serving vessels.
Leave in fridge for one hour. Garnish with cocoa powder, cocoa powder, and fresh mint.
Note: You can add a few tablespoons of whiskey if you wish.
Lucky Charms Rice Krispies
By Seth Garza (Winner of Chopped Junior Season 8, Episode 1)
Ingredients (yields 12 servings):
4 tbsp butter
5 cups mini marshmallows
5 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups Lucky Charms marshmallows
Directions:
In a large saucepan at low heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until completely smooth and melted.
Remove from heat and add Rice Krispies and Lucky Charm marshmallows.
Spray a 13 by 9 inch pan with cooking spray. Press mixture evenly into pan and let cool for 5 minutes or until hardened.
Non-Alcoholic Green Butterscotch Beer
By Neko Masi (Contestant on MasterChef Junior Season 7)
Ingredients (yields 2 servings):
1 liter or 3 cans chilled cream soda
1 pump caramel syrup (i.e. Torani Sugar-Free Classic Caramel Syrup)
¼ tsp butter flavoring
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup butterscotch ice cream topping
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Green food coloring, to taste
Directions:
For the foam, whip cream on high until soft peaks form. Slowly add powdered sugar, continuing to mix at a low speed. Add butterscotch and turn speed up, whipping on high until stiff peaks form.
For the drink, mix cream soda, caramel syrup, butter flavoring, and a few drops of green food coloring in a pitcher. Pour into mugs and top with foam. Serve cold.
Lucky Green Vanilla Cupcakes
By Seth Garza (Winner of Chopped Junior Season 8, Episode 1)
Ingredients for the cake (yields 12 cupcakes):
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
½ cup sour cream
3 drops green gel food coloring
Ingredients for the frosting:
1 cup butter softened
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp heavy cream
3 drops green gel food coloring
Ingredients for the decoration:
1 package Rolos Chocolate Caramel Candy
1 package Airhead Xtremes Rainbow Berry Sweetly Sour Candy
Directions:
Line a 12-count muffin pan with (preferably green) cupcake liners. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in eggs one at a time, add vanilla and sour cream, and mix until fully combined.
Slowly add dry ingredients into wet ingredient mixture. Mix until fully combined. Add in food coloring, and continue to mix until combined.
Scoop batter into cupcake liners (about ¾ of the way filled). Bake for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Take cupcakes out of pan and onto cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Make frosting by creaming butter, then adding powdered sugar, vanilla, and food gel until fluffy and light.
Use a star piping tip to pipe the frosting onto your cupcake. Add an upside down Rolo and an Airhead Xtreme in an arch over the Rolo.