Yes...it is the evening of St. Patrick's day so I am a wee bit late on this post. Been out of town combined with the time change and the pregnancy exhaustion...excuses, excuses. But we are of course celebrating this most blessed of holidays here at the Haley house. I've been gathering up some great holiday ideas from around the blog world and I've got a couple recipes I've made today I'd like to share too. We'll be having a bonnie Irish feast with friends tonight so I'm providing the Irish Soda bread and some amazing (and ridiculously quick) mint-chocolate chip cookies. My bestie, Ashley (an amazing cook), is making a Drunken Shepard's Pie and a vegetarian Potato & Leek Soup so I will sure to get those recipes from her and post them here tomorrow.
Let's start with the cookies...seriously they took me about 10 minutes to throw together this morning before breakfast and they are AMAZING! They taste just like mint-chocolate chip ice cream!
Mint-Chocolate Chip Cookies
ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp peppermint extract
8-10 drops green food coloring (I sorta lost count and made mine VERY green!)
1/2 cup (or whatever you like:) semisweet chocolate chips
directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375.
2.) Whisk together flour, bakind soda and baking powder.
3.) In a large bowl, or mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
4.) Beat in an egg, mint, vanilla and food coloring.
5.) Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet until combined.
6.) Add the chips as the spirit moves you...I was very spirited this morning!
7.) Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.
8.) Bake about 8-10 minutes or until golden then let cool.
Next we have a favorite of mine, Irish Soda Bread. It just isn't St. Patty's Day for me until I have some of this. Now there are some really complicated, very authentic recipes out there, but we all know I don't do complicated so I like this one from Ms. Martha Stewart. It's spot on with the flavors and turns out perfect every time...and the house will smell just fantastic while it's baking too! I like to serve it with Irish butter (it's usually on the top shelf in the butter cooler at the grocery store) or some lovely Irish sheep's cheese. It will be a perfect accompaniment to Ashley's pie and soup.
Irish Soda Bread
ingredients:
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbls baking powder
2tbls caraway seeds
4 tbls unsalted butter, cold
2 cups golden or dark raisins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbls heavy cream
directions:
1.) Heat oven to 350 and grease a baking sheet.
2.) Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and caraway seeds.
3.) Cut butter into flour mixture. You can use a pastry cutter or knives, but I always end up using my fingers - you get a much better feel for where your mix is at.
4.) Stir in your raisins.
5.) In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, egg, cream and baking soda.
6.) Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a fork until a lumpy dough forms - don't over do it, just get it together.
7.) Form into a loose ball and dump onto your greased pan.
8.) Form it into a good round dome then using a knife cut an X into the center, about a 1/4" deep.
9.) Bake for about 70 minutes, until golden brown. If you aren't sure if it's done in the center, remove it and flip upside down into your palm - thump the bottom - it should sound sort of hollow.
Blog World Round-Up
I live for free printables! I have a couple of frames I use just for holiday prints like these. They are quick cute way to throw a little festive feel into a room.
Subway Art
http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/02/subway-art-lucky.htmlhttp://rebeccacooper.blogspot.com/2011/03/rainbow-printable.html
I love this one - my husband ALWAYS says this to me when things just aren't going my way. I think I will be framing and hanging this one in our "art gallery."
Adorable St. Patty's Day Brooch Tutorial
You know how I love a video tutorial and this one is super simple to follow!
I love this centerpiece - if we were doing dinner over here this is what I would throw together for my sideboard.
Hope you found a little last minute inspiration! Happy St. Patrick's Day - we're off to dinner and will post party pics tomorrow. Salinte & Erin Go Braugh!
