St Patricks Day Feast

        Of course for St. Patrick's Day, our family makes a traditional Irish feast. We start our dinner off with a creamy spiked Cheddar Ale Soup. Then for the entree we serve a tender Corned Beef with Cabbage, Potatoes, and Carrots. Served with a Irish Soda Bread and dessert is a Guinness and Baileys cupcakes.

Cheddar Ale Soup

Cheddar Ale Soup
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon
• 4 tbsp Salted Butter
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 1/4 cup carrot, minced
• 1/4 cup celery, minced
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1/3 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 (12oz) bottle Harpoon Celtic Ale
• 2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
• 1 (14oz) can chicken broth
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 lb Seriously Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 4 cups)
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp; crumble and set aside.
2.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter; add onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are translucent and softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes longer.
4. Gradually whisk in beer; when mixture is bubbling and thickened, whisk in milk, chicken broth and dry mustard.
5.  Bring cheddar ale soup to a simmer, stirring often so it doesn’t scorch on bottom of pan.
6. Add cheese a handful at a time; stir until cheese is melted and soup is hot, but do not let soup boil.
7. Remove from heat, remove and discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.  

Corned Beef and Vegetables.

Corned Beef

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsps salt
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 12 whole juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 lbs ice
• 1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Place the water into a large 6 to 8 quart stockpot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger.
2. Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F.
3. Once it has cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.
4. After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water by 1-inch. Set over high heat and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain.

original recipe, here 

Vegetables
Yield: 6-8 servings

• 1 head cabbage, chopped
• 3 carrots, diced
• 5 red skin potatoes, large diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 tsp salt
• additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Steam cabbage with salt and pepper until tender.
2. Boil potatoes, celery, and salt in a qt of water. Cook until tender about 25-30 minutes.
3. Serve with some salt and pepper. (Even a little garlic if you prefer)

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 3/4 cups well shaken buttermilk
• 2 tbsps melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and stir in sugar. Add buttermilk; stir just until dough is evenly moistened but still lumpy.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured pastry cloth or a well-floured surface and gently knead with floured hands about 8 times to form a soft, but slightly less sticky dough.
4. Halve dough and form into 2 balls. Pat out each ball into a domed 6-inch round on baking sheet. Cut a 1/2 inch deep X on top of each loaf with a sharp knife, then brush loaves with butter.
5. If scones are preferred, pat the dough into a 9-10” round and cut into 12 wedges.
6. Bake the loaves until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes.
7. Transfer loaves to racks to cool completely.

Note: Scones should bake 20-25 minutes

Variation: For Barmbrack, add 1 1/2 tbsps caraway seeds and 1 cup raisins with the buttermilk.

Original recipe, here

Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes.

Guinness and Baileys Irish Cream Cupcakes
Yield: 25 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:

• 1 cup stout (Guinness)
• 16 tbsp. unsalted butter
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1½ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:

• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
• 2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

 Directions:

Cupcakes

1.  Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.
4. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.
5. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.
6.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.
8. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ganache

1. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler.
4. Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.
5. Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped.
6. Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using a apple corer.
7. Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

Frosting

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.
3. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.
4. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading.
5. Place into a pastry bag and using a start tip, pipe in a circular motion on top of cupcake.
6. Drizzle a little of chocolate ganache on top of frosting for design.

Original recipe, here


I hope you all enjoy these festive recipes, and have a safe, healthy and happy St. Patricks Day(: