Chocolate Mint Oreo Trifles

 

My initial plan was to make this as a dessert for St. Patrick’s Day, because it’s green. As usual, holidays just fly by, generally with me chasing after them, so it had come and gone before I even purchased a package of mint Oreos. But, because it’s spring, and everything is starting to turn green, I decided to make it and share it with my number one son and his family. I made a bit of a mistake by doing this. This serves four, and no more. I stretched this out to serve five, and that completely threw off the pudding-to-whipped-cream ratio. Don’t be tempted to do that; learn from my mistakes. This can be made up to 24 hours ahead of serving it, thanks to the stabilized whipped cream. If you prefer not to stabilize the whipped cream, as I have done here, you’re going to want to serve it fairly quickly.Chocolate Mint Oreo Trifles

Adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian

12 Oreo Mint Cookies, chopped

1 3.9-oz. pkg. Instant JELL-O Chocolate Pudding

2 c. whole milk

2 c. heavy whipping cream

2 t. unflavored gelatin (Knox recommended)

½ c. powdered sugar

1½ t. peppermint extract

6-8 drops green food coloring

20 Andes Mints, chopped

In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat  pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes until thickened. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Into a small bowl or ramekin, place 8 teaspoons of cold water. Sprinkle gelatin on top, and let it set on the counter until firm. Meanwhile whip heavy cream with an electric mixer. Start the mixer on low while you put the ramekin with the water and gel mixture into the microwave for 10 seconds to melt. As the cream is whipping, slowly add the melted gel mixture. Add powdered sugar, food coloring, and peppermint extract. Increase speed to high and whip cream until stiff peaks form. You have just stabilized your rib cream, so that it won’t collapse on itself while your trifles are in the refrigerator waiting to be served.

 To assemble: Add 1/4 of the Oreos to the bottom of each of the four individual trifle dishes. Spoon 1/4 of pudding directly on top of Oreos. Reserve a tablespoon of chopped mints. Add ¼ of remaining mints to trifle, directly on top of pudding. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with reserved mints. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with an Andes mint, if desired.

Serves 4.

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Leprechaun Lunch Table for Two

 Hands up if you refuse to believe that it’s March. I am in absolute shock! I don’t know about you, but the older I get, the faster time seems to hurtle by me at such a breakneck pace that it’s more frightening than I care to admit. It seems as though I was just setting up a Valentine’s Day table when all of a sudden St. Patrick’s Day is on the horizon.

I enjoy St. Patrick’s Day. For me, it is always the harbinger of spring. I love the colors (green in any form is my favorite), and I am a big fan of the food. I don’t think St. Patrick’s Day would be St. Patrick’s Day without my leprechaun pitcher at center. I have had this for a lot of years, and never grow tired of it. The shamrocks that I bought to put in it last year as a part of my centerpiece have long since overgrown it, so this year I decided to go with faux tulips in white and pale green.

 The runner (don’t you love this fabric?!) I got years ago on Etsy. I would love to have this pattern as a tablecloth, so I’m always on the lookout for yardage. Let me know if you find any.

 The salt and pepper shakers, like the pitcher, are by Fitz and Floyd, and in the same pattern. One of these years I’ll get a hold of the matching candlestick  holders and I’ll be all set.

 The tall, ample wine glasses I got years ago at Pier One.

 

 The green water glasses are from Villeroy and Boch, the Irish coffee cups were a gift.

The plate stack is a Bordallo Pinheiro sandwich of geranium leaf plates surrounding a salad plate in the Blanc Amelie pattern from Maison Versailles.

 

  The gold flatware (because leprechauns are always looking for that pot of gold.) I inherited from my mother.

 The yellow soup bowl with the handle is always a favorite. I have these in green as well. They are by Tender Heart. The stonewashed cloth dinner napkins in a pale sage complement nicely.

I always feel that St. Patrick’s Day calls for a bit of whimsy, so included a pair of leprechaun glasses and badges on the table. Both of these are from this wonderful assortment.

Enjoy this promising month!

 

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Irish Whiskey Cake

Last month I told you that I was searching for the perfect Irish whiskey cake to serve with my St. Patrick’s Day dinner. At that point I gave you a recipe that was good, but it wasn’t blow your skirt up, punch you in the face, clear your sinuses fantastic. This one is. It contains a good bit of whiskey, but do not cut back on any of it. It is the perfect blend of chocolate and whiskey that will make you more than aware that you are seriously enjoying both. I found that I liked it best the first day when the base of it was super moist from all of the whiskey. My son, and zealous recipe tester, liked it a couple of days hence, when the cake wasn’t quite as moist, but the whiskey had infused every morsel. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with this. Your guests will love you for it.

Irish Whiskey Cake

 Cake

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 c. flour

5 oz. unsweetened chocolate

¼ c. instant espresso powder

2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. Irish whiskey

½ t. kosher salt

2 c. sugar

3 large eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

1 t. baking soda

 Syrup

8 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. water

1 c. sugar

¼ t. kosher salt

½ c. Irish whiskey

 Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray the heck out of a 10-cup Bundt pan with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

  In a double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate. Let cool.

 Put espresso and cocoa powders in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Add whiskey and salt; let cool.

 Using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar and beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda, and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

 On low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake tests done, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

 While the cake is baking, make the syrup.

  Transfer cake to a rack. Use a long skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Keep the cake in the pan and slowly drizzle the syrup over the cake (still in the pan). Do this in increments in order to allow the syrup to soak in.

 Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the cake to sit overnight at room temperature to soak in all of that luscious syrup. When ready to serve, loosen the edges of the cake and invert onto your serving plate. If the cake won’t release, don't force it. Place it in the oven, turn the oven to 350°F, and warm for about 10 minutes, to soften the sticky syrup. Remove the cake from the oven, and tip it onto the serving plate.

 To make the syrup:

In a medium-sized saucepan combine the syrup ingredients, except almond extract. Bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer and cook, without stirring, for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

Store at room temperature, covered, for several days. Freezes well.

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New York Times’ Chocolate Whiskey Cake

My search has begun for the perfect whiskey cake to serve at my annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner. I started with this one, a recipe from the New York Times. My interest is in chocolate, and whiskey, in cake form. This cake was deeply flavored, densely chocolate, and very good, but with only a whisper of whiskey. So, while I liked it, that whisper of whiskey wasn’t the kick in the face that I was looking for, so I will press on. If you like a relatively easy recipe for a scratch chocolate cake unlike any other, you’ll certainly enjoy this one. It’s particularly good when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of fudge sauce.

New York Times’ Chocolate Whiskey Cake

 12 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1” pieces
¾ c. +2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ c. brewed strong coffee
½ c. Irish whiskey
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
2 c. flour
½ t. baking soda
¾ t. fine sea salt
¼ t. black pepper
 1/8 t. ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 c. mini semi sweet chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Heat oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with Baker’s Joy. Dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; set aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm coffee, whiskey, butter, and remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. Whisk in sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Slowly whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then remove sides of the pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

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Colcannon

One of the things that I really like about St. Patrick’s Day is not what you might expect. I am not talking about the corned beef here, although I dearly love it, no, I am talking about colcannon. What is colcannon you may ask? It is a delicious cabbage, leek, and potato side dish that, along with the corned beef, covers all of your Saint Patrick’s Day bases. It is simple to prepare, and so good that you will wonder why you haven’t made it in the past.

Colcannon

4 slices bacon, chopped
4 T. butter, divided
1 6-oz. pkg. Melissa’s cleaned and sliced leeks
1 small head Melissa’s organic cabbage
1 1.5-lb. bag Melissa’s Baby Dutch yellow potatoes

In a 12-inch skillet, cook the bacon until done, but not crisp. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the package of leeks. Continue sautéing, over medium heat, until the leeks are limp. Add cabbage and remaining butter. Continue to cook over medium low heat until cabbage is limp.

While leeks and cabbage are cooking, bring a large saucepan with salted water to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and cook until fork tender 20 to 25 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to pan, and place pan on top of warm burner with flame turned off to allow steam to evaporate. Mash potatoes the way that you normally would (hand mixer, potato ricer, whisk, you get the picture). Fold ¾ of the leek/cabbage mixture into mashed potatoes, blending thoroughly. Serve immediately, topped with the extra leek and cabbage mixture.

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Irish Pimiento Cheese

I am Irish and I love pimiento cheese, and, in thinking about these two facts, I decided it was time to make an Irish version of pimiento cheese. There’s nothing wrong with being a purist, but this is really delicious. Considering it contains whiskey, I would say this is for adults only. As with all pimiento cheese, this is excellent on crackers, with crudites, or mounded on top of a burger.

Irish Pimiento Cheese

 8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

¼ c. cream cheese (2 ounces), softened, diced

1/3 c. finely diced Melissa’s roasted red peppers

3 T. Duke’s mayonnaise

2 T. Irish whiskey

2 T. minced scallions, green parts only (natch)

¼ t. smoked paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using a spatula, fold and mix until it is smooth and spreadable, about one and a half minutes. Transfer to a plastic or glass container, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

 

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Pistachio Dream Pie

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When I first set up housekeeping, straight out of college, I got my first job as a lowly file clerk. The department was made up primarily of women, all of them older than my parents. An only child, raised around adults, I tended to gravitate toward older people, and really enjoyed talking to these women from whom I learned a great deal. They had a vast amount of experience in cooking and baking, and would often share simple recipes with me. One woman in particular, Genevieve Dienstbach (now long gone), gave me this easy, but crowd pleasing dessert. I made it a lot in the 70s and 80s, and then forgot about it until I was rummaging around in my old recipe box, and found it at the bottom in a crumpled wad. I smoothed it out as well as I could and made it. It’s not fancy, but it is good, simple, comforting, and brought back a lot of memories.

Pistachio Dream Pie

Crust
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. flour
½ c. chopped pecans

Bottom layer
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 8-oz. container Cool Whip, thawed

Middle Layer
2 3.4-oz. pkgs. instant pistachio pudding
2 ½ c. milk

Top Layer
1 8-oz. container Cool Whip, thawed
1/3 c. chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a medium-size bowl, beat together all of the crust ingredients until a smooth dough forms. Spread into the bottom of a 9” x 9” glass baking dish. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely.

Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture until combined; spread over cooled crust.

In another bowl, beat the milk and pudding on low speed for 30 seconds, and then increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating for 2 additional minutes. Spread the pudding mixture over the cream cheese layer.

Spread the Cool Whip over the pudding layer and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Cranberry Walnut Irish Soda Bread Muffins

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Oh my goodness, these are so good! I was perusing the Guinness website because I had bought a six-pack, but only had firm plans for two bottles (one for my traditional corned beef, the other for Irish Guinness Brown Bread), and was wondering what to do with all of the rest. (I am not a beer drinker. No.) When I came across this recipe, I had to try it. This recipe also included another recipe for what they referred to as maple butter, although instead of using maple syrup, they used honey. Umm, that would be honey butter, not maple butter, but I digress. So, I adapted that to use real bourbon-aged maple syrup, and it is phenomenal on pretty much anything in the baked good category.

I am not a baker, as you all know, it irritates me. This recipe, however, didn’t irritate me as much as some. You don’t need any special equipment to make it, and I didn’t have to drag out the mixer. That pleased me. These are good at any time of the day. I can’t speak for how well they freeze, but my hope is that they will because they’re going into the freezer until I serve my St. Patrick’s Day dinner au deux on the 20th.

 Cranberry Walnut Irish Soda Bread Muffins

(with Whipped Maple Butter)

Slightly adapted from Guinness.com

 ½ c. dried cranberries*

1 c. Guinness® Extra Stout

2¼ c. flour

2 t. baking powder

¼ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 c. buttermilk

6 T. melted Irish butter

½ c. chopped walnuts

Flaky sea salt**

Demerara sugar

 Preheat oven to 400°F.

 Combine cranberries and Guinness® Extra Stout. Microwave on high for 45 seconds and let it steep and cool, to allow those cranberries to saturate with all that lovely beer flavor. Strain and set aside.

 Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk and melted butter. Combine the dry and wet ingredients until just mixed. Do not over mix, you just want all the dry ingredients hydrated.

 Gently fold in cranberries and walnuts.

 Fill muffin tin with tulip liners (or spray muffin tin with a liberal amount of non-stick cooking spray). Fill each section about ¾ of the way up. Top with a pinch flaky sea salt and Demerara. Bake for about 18-25 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

 Cool for 5 minutes and quickly remove each muffin from the tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.

 Whipped Maple Cinnamon Butter

 2 Sticks Irish Butter, room temperature

¼ c. pure maple syrup

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. kosher salt

 Using a whisk, whip butter until everything is combined. Season to taste. Use on everything!

 *I used Melissa’s dried tart cherries. I think they are much more flavorful, and because of their larger size tend to hydrate better, holding more of that Guinness goodness.

**I used Fleur de Sel.

 

Leek and Cabbage Pasta with Mushrooms & Bacon

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I was wondering how I could incorporate a little Saint Pat’s into a pasta dish. and here it is. Cabbage and leeks are common ingredients in Irish cooking, so I decided to use both of those as well as mushrooms, and tossed bacon in for good measure because everything is better with bacon. This creamy and delicious pasta dish is light because it gets its creaminess from cream cheese rather than loads of heavy cream. It is satisfying and delicious, gives you one of your daily portions of vegetables, but doesn’t weigh you down. Because there’s no cream to separate in reheating, this can be warmed successfully in the microwave the next day.

Leek and Cabbage Pasta with Mushrooms & Bacon

4 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
8 oz. uncooked linguine
8 oz. Cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 t. kosher salt
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
2 c. shredded Napa cabbage
2 c. Melissa’s cleaned and sliced leeks
3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
¼ c. shredded Parmesan cheese 

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, while pasta is cooking, in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate; reserve drippings

Add mushrooms to skillet, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add cabbage and leeks, and cook until they wilt and have begun to caramelize, 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and all of the pasta water, and stir until smooth. Stir in bacon. Carefully stir in cooked pasta and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately. Makes two main dish servings or 4 side dish servings.

 

St. Patrick's Day Cards

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 I just put this year’s St. Patrick’s Day cards into the mail, via Saint Patrick, Missouri, in order to obtain their special postmark, available for the entire month of March. This has become somewhat of a tradition with me. I don’t go crazy embellishing the envelopes, because their lovely postmark and accompanying cachet (in green ink, no less) is nice enough on its own. If you would like to do the same, address your envelopes, stamp them, package them up, and mail to:

 Postmaster (Special Postmark Request)
Saint Patrick Post Office
Two Erin Circle
Saint Patrick, MO 63466

 

 It is probably too late to get cards for this year, but you can get some lovely cards from Amazon here, here, and here. So, plan ahead for next year. It is really great fun! This one is a real wowzer.

I’ll post a picture of what the postmark looks like when my card is received. Yes, I always send one to myself as well.