St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, a day to celebrate Irish traditions.

The color green has become synonymous with this holiday as it symbolizes Spring and the prospering of crops. It is a holiday for all ages to enjoy.

Get in the Green
Add a few drops of edible green food coloring to just about anything you want green, even a mug of beer!

Authentic Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients:

Corned beef brisket, about 4 lbs.
18 to 20 whole cloves
1 tsp. whole yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp. whole coriander
1 orange, juiced
3 lbs. small potatoes, peeled
2 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 medium head cabbage, quartered

Directions:

Put brisket into large cooking pot. Insert cloves into brisket and sprinkle with remaining spices and juice. Cover brisket with water, bring to a boil on stovetop, then simmer until tender, about 3 hours.

About 40 minutes before beef is finished, if you don’t have room to add vegetables to the beef pot, boil another large pot of water. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until almost done. Add cabbage and cook for approximately 15 minutes. Drain, and arrange meat and vegetables on a platter and serve with your favorite mustards.

Easy Hot Whiskey Punch

Ingredients:

1 measure of whiskey
2 tsp. white sugar
2 slices of fresh lemon
4 to 6 cloves
7 oz. boiling water

Directions:

Put whiskey, sugar, and clove-studded lemon slices into a heat-safe mug. Pour in the boiling water until the sugar has dissolved. Makes 1 serving.

Irish Scones

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
Raisins, dates or other dried fruits, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425° F. In a large bowl, combine butter and flour until crumbly. Add baking powder, salt and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat egg and milk. Mix into dry ingredients to make dough. Turn dough onto floured surface and roll out to 1" thickness. With a cookie cutter, cut dough into 2" rounds. Place on greased cookie sheet, about 1" apart, and bake for 15 minutes. Makes about 18 scones.

St. Patrick’s Day Cookie Pops

Ingredients:

Box of vanilla wafer cookies
Box of Popsicle sticks
Vanilla or chocolate frosting; or peanut butter

Various decorations – miniature chocolate chips, icing packs, assorted green candies, green sugar sprinkles, etc.

Directions:

Spread out half of the vanilla wafers, flat sides up on a plate. Take the frosting or peanut butter and spread it across flat side of each cookie. Next, take a Popsicle stick and lay one down with the end in the middle of each cookie. Top each one with another vanilla wafer to make a “sandwich.”

Now the kids can get creative! They can draw a shamrock with green icing on the outside of the cookie pops; make a pot of gold with peanut butter and candies; frost and decorate with green sprinkles. These are great treats for the kids to take to school.

For more information, log onto www.St-Patricks.info.

Written by Niall Cinneide
Printed March 2008
Web March 2008