Consumer Health Features

St. Patrick's Day countdown: The well stocked bar, new recipes and party ideas

By April Neale Mar 11, 2013, 2:48 GMT

The legend of St. Patrick, who allegedly came to Ireland in the fifth century to spread the word of Christ and banish snakes from its shores is a tall tale according to historians.

Regardless, we Americans love a party, and St. Patty's day is the main event on March 17 all over, whether you're Irish, Mexican or a typical "Heinz 57" mix of nationalities and races as so many Americans are.

Everyone has a little bit of Irish in them on St. Patrick's Day, so bust out these festive snacks perfect for any party! The following selections will appease your hungry green beer loving hordes.

Try some of these new recipes out:

The St. Patrick's Day feast

Serving up Corned Beef and Cabbage? Add these recipes to your traditional mix:

An Irish proverb says: Good humor comes from the kitchen. It's true! The below ideas from The Pampered Chef LINK - a premier direct seller of high quality kitchen tools and everything you need to cook and entertain at home - will score more smiles from your party goers and leave more gold in your pockets.

• Beer Puffs With Corned Beef Filling:

Time 10 minutes (day before to start is best)
Serves 6

Ingredients

Puffs:
    1 cup beer
    1/4 pound butter
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    4 large eggs
Filling:
    2 cups finely chopped cooked corned beef
    2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
    1 teaspoon prepared (not creamed) horseradish
    2 tablespoons gourmet hearty mustard
    2 teaspoons mayonnaise

In a saucepan, bring beer and butter to a boil. When butter is melted, add flour and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 450°.
Beat eggs into beer-flour mixture, one at a time, until dough is shiny.
Drop by teaspoonsful about 1-inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake 10 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 350° and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Split each puff with scissors and refrigerate until the next day.
Filling, also done the day before:
In a bowl, combine corned beef, onion, horseradish, mustard and mayonnaise.
Mix until well blended.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready, fill puffs with filling, place on platter and serve.

• Irish Eggs in a Frame:

Trade in a heavy Irish breakfast for this light, quick meal. Simply heat 1 tsp. Canola oil in a 12" Skillet over medium-high heat for 1-3 minutes. Add in ½-inch bell pepper rings and crack an egg into each. Cook 5-7 minutes or until tops of eggs are set. Sprinkle with shredded Swiss cheese, salt and pepper.

• Magically Delicious:

Delight the kiddos with "lucky" traditional marshmallow treats. Using your favorite recipe, substitute a toasted oat marshmallow cereal (such as Lucky Charms®) in place of the traditional crispy rice cereal. For a festive pop, add green food coloring to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding cereal.

• Chocolate-Covered Pretzels:

Serve up chocolate-covered pretzels for some easy, festive bite-size treats. Simply dip mini pretzels in chocolate - white, milk or dark based on your preference - and top with your favorite green sprinkles. Allow to cool and harden before plating for your party.

• St. Patty's Cupcakes: Make your cupcakes extra lucky! First, bake and frost white cupcakes as you like. Then, flatten spearmint leaf candies with the Baker's Roller and use a shamrock-shaped Creative Cutter to create tasty cupcake toppers. Add green-colored sugar or sprinkles for an extra touch.

Spice up your party spread and surprise your guests as
you celebrate the "luck of the Irish" with Ghost Pepper Salted Guinness
Pretzels.

• Ghost Pepper Salted Guinness Pretzels:

Laura Shute, owner of Savory Spice Shop in Corona Del Mar and Costa Mesa,
Calif. puts a spicy twist on the beloved snack that will have your taste
buds dancing an Irish jig (bagpipe not included). Party guests won't be
disappointed, especially when these tasty treats are paired with a festive
Guinness beer. A velvety smooth beer, Guinness will complement the savory,
yet subtle salt and spice left on your palate.

Ingredients:

1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
4 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness or stout beer
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. Ghost Pepper Salt
1 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Pour a 1/2 cup of cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle in
the yeast. Rest for 3-5 minutes until the yeast foams. Next, stir in the
brown sugar, salt, olive oil, and vanilla. Lastly, pour in the beer and let
the yeast react. After the bubbling stops, add 1 cup of flour and, using the
hook attachment, slowly knead in the flour.

Continue adding one cup of flour
at a time until the dough forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the bowl
sides. Transfer dough into a lightly oiled bowl; cover with a towel and sit
in a warm area of the room. Allow to rise and double in size (about an
hour).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease two baking sheets and set aside. Pour
the remaining 4 cups of water and baking soda into a large saucepan and
bring to boil. Meanwhile, divide dough into 12 equal sized balls. Roll each
ball into a 1/2 inch thick long rope. Curve each into a "U" shape and cross
over the ends into a classic pretzel shape. Next, working one by one, boil
each pretzel for 30 seconds. Remove each with a slotted spoon and place 4
inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Lightly brush each pretzel with the
beaten egg and sprinkle with Ghost Pepper Salt. Bake 15-18 minutes until
golden brown. Immediately brush with butter.

Best when served warm

Pairing Suggestion: Serve with a Guinness beer

Yields: 12 pretzels

• Guacamole in a snap, Wholly Guacamole takes fret out of fresh dip making:

Wholly Guacamole is all natural, no preservative pre-made guacamole found in your produce section. They are America's number selling guacamole and America's number one selling branded refrigerated dip.

Wholly™ Deep Fried Guacamole    

    Wholly Guacamole® dip
    3 eggs
    3 Tablespoons water
    1 cup flour
    3 cups crushed tortilla chips (great way to use up those chips in the bottom of the bag that are too small for dipping)
    vegetable oil, for frying (I filled my pot with 48 ounces)

Instructions

Fill ice cube or baby food freezer trays with Wholly Guacamole dip. Spread out evenly with a spatula and tap on countertop to get rid of any air pockets. Cover & freeze overnight.
Decide how many cubes you want to make and just mix up more egg-wash and add more flour and chips to bowls as needed. The listed ingredients will be enough to coat about 2 trays of cubes.
After you try this recipe you will probably want to make extra guac cubes to keep on hand in the freezer for whenever you have a Wholly Guacamole dip deep-fried craving.

About an hour before the big game:

Line a cookie sheet with foil, prepare egg-wash in a small bowl by mixing eggs and water with a fork, crush tortilla chips (I put in a zippered bag and crush with a rolling pin), put flour and crushed tortilla chips in separate bowls.
Pop cubes out of trays and into flour, coat each cube with flour, dip each cube in egg-wash, then roll in crushed tortilla chips, dip in egg-wash again and finally coat with the crushed tortilla chips again. Place coated cubes on cookie sheet and return to freezer while you heat oil.

Heat oil in a deep pot (to minimize splatters) to about 350 degrees. Line a plate with paper towels. Fry each cube in oil until it turns a nice golden brown. Remove deep fried guacamole from oil and let it set on the paper towel lined plate before transferring to another dish to serve.
For a thicker center, you can mix cream cheese with Wholly Guacamole before freezing in trays to acheive desired consistancy.

More recipes here:

Avocado Cream Pie - http://eatwholly.com/recipes.html?view=single&rid=198
Chilled Avocado Soup - http://eatwholly.com/recipes.html?view=single&rid=126

eatwholly.com
facebook.com/whollyguacamole
Twitter: @eatWholly

St. Patty's Party Tips

Make sure to go GREEN for the party! Don't buy plastic cups, go for something cool people can use through the night and leave with as a party favor.

Buy American made Tervis tumblers for the guests - they come in shamrock patterned and other Gaelic themed designs.

Tervis has been making fabulously fun, insulated drinkware right here in America since 1946. With a lifetime guarantee, Tervis products keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold, are virtually unbreakable, are microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe, reduce condensation, and are personalized to reflect any hobby or interest. 

Tervis offers the 10oz (standard and wavy), 12oz, 16oz and 24oz tumbler sizes, mugs and newly-introduced Water Bottle. Tervis products are available at tervis.com, Tervis company stores (17 stores in 10 states), and at 8,000-plus retail outlets nationwide, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s and Bass Pro Shops.
Check them out on Facebook: TervisTumblerCo, Pinterest: tervisofficial and Twitter @tervistumbler.

Turn your home into a St. Patrick's Pub, Dublin style! Marley Majcher (pronounced Major), The Party Goddess! has some great tips to
treat your guests to a one of a kind Irish experience. Get your Irish pub
fix, no passport required!

TIPS:

* Bottoms Up! Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day! Send a Guinness coaster
with all the details for your Pub party. Let your guests know that outrageous
green get-ups are a MUST! Leprechauns will be pinching those who disobey!

* Chalk it Up! Put your pub specials and daily pints on an oversized
chalkboard. Be sure to add Irish Car Bombs into the mix! This cocktail will
drive your guests wild.

* Shamrock Out! Have your favorite Irish tunes blasting through the wild
night. Irish dancing allowed! No Danny Boy allowed, try bands like Flogging
Molly to jig out.

* Go Green! Tree trunk vases filled with Irish Bells and reindeer moss are
sure to set the Irish landscape. Add some glittered shamrocks and mini
Jameson bottles to make these centerpiece's beautiful and functional!

* Fever Runnin' Hot! Serve up your guests with true pub food such as, fish
and chips wrapped in newspaper. Don't forget the malt vinegar! To add a fun
spin, wrap up the grub in an Irish newspaper.

Website: www.thepartygoddess.com and www.howtobeapartygoddess.com

Tips and Tricks: www.thepartygoddess.com/blog

Fun New Drink recipes (listed by spirit types)

Tequila

The Irish Espresso

1.5 parts Avión Espresso
1 part Jameson Whiskey

Pour ingredients into a rocks glass over ice. Stir.

Herradura Green Agave Cocktail

Recipe provided by Herradura:

    1 1/2 oz. Herradura Silver tequila
    3/4 oz. melon liqueur
    lime

Directions:

    Add tequila, melon liqueur and a squeeze of lime into a shaker with ice.
    Shake for 15 seconds.
    Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.
    Garnish with shamrock carved lime and serve.

Paddy’s Herbal Mojito

2 oz Herradura Silver
¾ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
6 basil leaves
2 inches of cucumber diced
Splash of soda.

Place basil and cucumber into the base of a tall glass and muddle to extract flavors, fill ¾ of the glass with crushed ice, add remaining ingredients and combine using a bar spoon. Cap with more crushed ice and garnish

Bohemia Chipotle

Ingredients:

2 fresh lime wedges, cut in half
Chipotle rimming salt, see recipe below
1 tablespoon Frontera Chipotle Hot Sauce or 1 teaspoon pureed canned chipotles en adobo
Ice
6 ounces chilled Bohemia beer
1 slice cucumber, for garnish

Use a piece of the lime wedge to wet the rim of a tall glass with lime. Dip the rim of the glass into the chipotle rimming salt.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime pieces into the glass and then add the lime pieces. Stir in the chipotle hot sauce or pureed chipotles in adobo. Fill the glass with ice.

Pour in the Bohemia beer. Mix gently.  Garnish glass rim with a cucumber slice. Serve.

Chipotle rimming salt: Thoroughly mix 2 tablespoons coarse (kosher) salt and 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chile powder in a small bowl. Pour out onto a small plate to use for rimming beer glasses.

The Black Opal

1 1/2 oz Partida Reposado
1 1/2 oz Guinness Draft
1/2 oz Tawny Port
1/4 oz Agave Nectar (Cut with water. So the Agave Nectar is cut with equal parts water as we do with the Marg)
Dash of Angostura Bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled wine glass or small pint glass without ice. Garnish with some grated or ground cinnamon powder.

Guinness Note: Take a pint of Guinness before hand and use a bar spoon to stir it up for about 30 secs. This removes some of the Co2.

The Espolón Eulogy

Ingredients:
2.5 oz Espolón Tequila Blanco
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 oz Lime Juice
Club Soda

Directions:
Add the first three ingredients to a Collins or other tall glass filled with ice. Stir and top with club soda.

Courtesy Espolón Tequila.

Liqueurs and Whiskey

Midori Shamrock
Courtesy of Midori.
Ingredients

    1 part Midori
    1 part vodka
    Splash of club soda

Instructions

Serve in a highball over ice. Garnish with a lemon.

Irish Trinity

Ingredients

1 part(s) Concannon Irish Whiskey
1 part(s) Irish Mist
1 part(s) Carolans Irish Cream Liqueur

Instructions
Serve in a rocks glass over ice. Pray.

Bulleit Mint Julep

Served: On the Rocks
Contributed by Bulleit Bourbon

Spicy rye whiskey gives the Southern classic a bit more edge.
Ingredients

    3 to 5 Fresh mint leaves
    1.5 to 2 oz Stirrings Simple Syrup
    1.33 oz Bulleit Rye Whiskey

Garnish: Mint sprig

In a rocks glass, muddle the mint leaves and simple syrup. Add the rye and fill with crushed ice. Stir well and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Angry Orchard Cider

Angryosa

Ingredients/Mixology:

Serve ½ Angry Orchard cider (any style) and ½ orange juice in a champagne flute. Add an orange garnish.

Orchard Flowers

*Created by Hayley Jensen, expert mixologist and beer sommelier at New York City’s popular Taproom No. 307

Ingredients:

½ oz dry gin
½ oz St. Germain
Splash lime juice
3 oz Traditional Dry Cider

Mixology: Pour gin, St. Germain, lime juice & cider into mixing cup with ice. Stir until chilled. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

Tasting Notes/Story:  For an innovative take on a gin martini, Hayley played the floral elderflower character of St. Germain and botanicals found in Gin off the bittersweet, earthy but mouth-puckering flavor found in Traditional Dry.

Black Orchard

Ingredients/Mixology:

½ glass Angry Orchard cider (any style)
½ glass traditional Irish stout

Patrick’s Apple Orchard

Ingredients/Mixology:

Pour 1.5oz traditional Irish whiskey
Fill with Angry Orchard
Serve over ice

Moonshine Recipes:

If you're looking for a new way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day you should check out whiskey's fiery little cousin Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine LINK.

Ole Smoky is Tennessee's first legal, authentic moonshine and is made from corn raised and milled in East Tennessee. For any whiskey lover it is a no miss, and brings a little Americana spin to the Irish tradition. Ole Smoky is also offered in several flavors, including Peach, Apple Pie and Moonshine Cherries.