St. Patrick's Day Treats!

So, another holiday is coming up: St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the most commonly recognized patron saint of Ireland. When I was growing up, I always assumed that only people of Irish descent celebrated it, but people who aren’t Irish celebrate it as well. It’s a great excuse to make a corned beef dinner, eh? ;)

My children happen to be Irish, through their father, but we’ve never made a huge deal out of the day. However, I was thinking of some special little things I could do for them and of course, food came to mind. ;) Here are three little recipes you can make for your family: Mint Chocolate Chip Shakes for the kidlets; Crème de Menthe Parfaits for the grown ups; and a simple dish for the whole family based on a recipe I found on Pinterest, easy and a great recipe to involve the kids with: White Chocolate Mint Leprechaun Pudding.

So, let’s get cooking!

For the shakes: Measure out the ice cream and place in a blender with the milk; add the green food coloring if the ice cream is white. Blend well. Pour into 2 cups and top with whipped cream and green sugar.

Mint Chocolate Chip Shake

(makes 2 servings)

2 c mint chocolate chip ice cream

1 c milk

2-3 drops green food coloring

(if using white ice cream)

Whipped cream

Green sugar

For the parfaits: Pour out a little crème de menthe into the parfait glass, about 2 Tbl. Place a nice heaping scoop or 2 of the vanilla bean ice cream in the glass. Pour on top more of the crème de menthe so it dribbles down the sides of the ice cream. Add another 1 or 2 scoops ice cream and a little more crème de menthe. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle with some green sugar and add a sprig of mint leaves.

Crème de Menthe Parfait

Real vanilla bean ice cream

Crème de menthe liqueur

Whipped cream

Sprig of mint leaves

Green sugar

For the pudding: Pour the milk into a bowl and add the pudding mix. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the mint extract and green food coloring and blend in thoroughly. Layer the pudding into the cups, bowls, or whatever you’ve chosen, adding a handful of Lucky Charms cereal, then another layer in the same manner. Top with whipped cream and green sugar.

White Chocolate Mint Leprechaun Pudding

(makes about 3 servings)

1 box white chocolate instant pudding mix

1 ¾ c milk

½ tsp pure mint extract

2-3 drops green food coloring

Approx. 1 ½ c Lucky Charms

Whipped cream

Green sugar

Enjoy! ~TMMF