What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day? Lots of individuals probably think of the color green or cool-looking colored foods. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrating the Irish culture and it’s celebrated on March 17 and it’s usually associated with leprechauns and shamrocks. It’s a holiday in memory of Saint Patrick, born in Roman Britain, who is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. He was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was just 16 years old. He then escaped and ended up bringing Christianity to its people. Therefore, there are so many color-dyed foods, ranging from different types of pastries, that people enjoy eating on a day like St. Patrick’s Day.

Shamrock Sugar Cookies

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a30877659/st-patricks-day-cookie-recipe/

Produces 30 Cookies

Ingredients for the Cookies:

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
• 3 cup all purpose flour, extra for surface
• 1 large egg

For the Icing:

• ¼ cup of milk, plus extra for thinning
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla)
• ⅓ cup of light corn syrup
• 5 cups of powdered sugar
• Green food coloring

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, you’re going to whisk together all of the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt. In a separate bowl, you have to beat the sugar with the butter until it is fluffy, or produces a pale color. Then add the egg, milk, and vanilla to the second bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture until everything is combined. You’re then going to wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.
2. When you’re ready to roll out the dough, preheat the oven to 350º and make sure you have two baking sheets with parchment paper. Work on a clean surface where you can flour it and roll out the dough until it is ⅛” thick. Utilize a shamrock cookie cutter to make the shapes and put them on the baking sheets. Freeze them for ten minutes.
3. Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes- until they turn golden brown. Let them cool completely.
4. While the cookies are baking, it’s time to make the icing. In a large mixing bowl, you’re going to combine the powdered sugar, corn syrup, milk and extract. To thin out the frosting, make sure to add a teaspoon of milk at a time. Add the appropriate green food coloring of your desire.  
5. Then, you’re going to put ⅓ of the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Squeeze the icing on the borders of the cookies to produce a nice outline. 
6. With the remaining icing, you are going to add 1 tablespoons of milk to produce a thinner consistency to cover the cookies completely. 
7. Transfer the icing into a piping bag once again and fill in the center of the cookie. If necessary, use a toothpick to fill in any air bubbles the cookie may have or to help spread the icing evenly.

Irish Apple Cake

– https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a30781773/irish-apple-cake/

Makes 6-8 Servings
Ingredients-

For the Cake:

• ½ teaspoon of ginger
• ½ cup (1 stick) of cold butter- cut into small cubes
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream
• ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of baking powder
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons of demerara sugar- for topping
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 3 cups, plus an additional 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour- divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ lb (3 large) granny smith apples- all thinly sliced into ¼” pieces

Custard Sauce:

• ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean, halved (2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract for substitution)
• 4 large egg yolks

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9” springform pan- line the sides and bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 3 cups of flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and sugar. Add in the cubed butter and utilize your hands to make sure the mixture is nice and smooth with no large pieces. After, you’re going to whisk in the eggs, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract.
3. You’re going to coat the apple slices with the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour until they are all evenly coated. Then pour the batter onto the pan and sprinkle the powdered sugar. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, making sure the apples are tender and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry.

Making the Custard Sauce:

1. For about 6 minutes, combine the egg yolks with the sugar- until a light color forms. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, you’re going to add vanilla bean seeds and heavy cream. (If you’re using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean seeds, add that once the pan is removed from the heat) Cook the mixture until it boils and then once you remove it from the heat, you whisk in a few tablespoons of hot cream into the sugar-egg mixture. Slowly add the remaining cream while consistently whisking.
2. Place the custard back into the pot and continue to cook it over medium heat (don’t boil)- constantly stirring until thickened. Keep checking the consistency of the mixture.
3. Quickly remove it from the heat and pour it through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Place it to cool off.
4. Once it cooled down, you can now present it with the apple cake slices.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

–https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a57152/mint-chip-cookies-recipe/

Yields 20 Cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter
• 1 cup of granulated sugar- additional for decoration
• 1 cup of chopped Andes mints
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 6 drops of green food coloring

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a big bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light (softened). Then add the peppermint extract as well as the egg- mix until well blended. Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, flour, and green food coloring to the mixture until a desired look. Add in the Andes mints.
3. Form small balls from the mixture and set them about 2” apart on the baking sheet. Scatter extra sugar over the cookies. 
4. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes- until puffed and golden.
5. After they’re done, let them cool off for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then put them on a cooling rack to cool completely.

There are so many varieties of desserts to make and that are available for this Irish holiday. It all depends on preference and the level of sweetness desired, but these are some of the quickest and easiest ways to produce cravings for the sweet tooth. Treat yourself to some delicious sweets and enjoy; The diet can wait!