Tag Archives: Paddy's Day

Lucky Charms Ice Cream

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups whipping cream + additional whipping cream to make up amount
  • Additional 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
  • 2 cups Lucky Charms cereal, cereal pieces only
  • 1 cup Lucky Charms, mallow pieces only
  • 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

Method

  1. In a large bowl, combine the whipping cream and Lucky Charms cereal pieces and stir. Press some cling wrap over the surface of the mixture, trapping the cereal underneath. Leave to infuse in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight
  2. Remove the cereal mixture from the fridge. Set a strainer/ sieve over and additional large bowl and decant the cereal mixture into the strainer/ sieve to separate the milk. Give a few presses to the cereal pieces to get as much cream out as possible, without pushing the cereal through
  3. Top up the volume of milk in the bowl to 2 1/2 cups using additional chilled cream
  4. Add the Lucky Charm mallow pieces to the infused milk and leave to soften for between 15-20 minutes
  5. After this time transfer to a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth with no mallow pieces remaining. Mine only took about 30-40 seconds – any longer and you may over whip the cream. Don’t worry – it will change color!
  6. Using a spatula, decant the Lucky Charms cream mixture into a large bowl and add the additional 1/2 cup cream. Using an electric whisk beat until soft peak stage
  7. Gently fold in the condensed milk until fully incorporated. Avoid vigorous folding so as not to deflate the mixture
  8. Pour the 1/2 the mixture into a freezer-proof container, sprinkle over some of the reserved Lucky Charm mallow pieces, followed by pouring over the remaining cream mixture and finishing with some more Lucky Charms mallow pieces. Using a skewer or chop stick gently swirl the mixture, cover and freeze until fully frozen, for at least 6 hours
  9. Remove from your freezer at leave at room temperature for between 5-8 minutes for best serving. Scoop, sprinkle on some additional mallow pieces and enjoy!

Irish Cream Nanaimo Bars

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Makes 18

Ingredients

Base layer

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup fine sugar
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup brown (wholewheat) bread crumbs
  • 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Middle layer

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp custard powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 2-3 Tbsp Irish Cream (Baileys), to taste
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Top layer

  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, broken/ chopped into pieces
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2oz white chocolate, broke/ chopped in to pieces
  • 1 tsp butter

Method

Base layer

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper 
  2. In small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, cocoa and sugar, stirring occasionally until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool
  3. In a separate medium bowl combine the egg, graham cracker crumbs, brown bread crumbs and shredded coconut. Add in the cooled cocoa/ butter mixture and stir to fully combine
  4. Transfer to your prepared pan. Press firmly and level as much as possible
  5. Bake for 10 mins, then remove from oven and leave to cool completely

Middle layer

  1. In bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together powdered sugar, butter, custard powder, salt, Irish cream and vanilla extract. Spread the mixture evenly over the cooled bottom layer; smooth and chill for at least an hour

Top layer

  1. In a bowl set over barely simmering water, melt semi-sweet chocolate, and butter together, stirring occasionally, until smooth and shiny.
  2. In a microwave, heat the white chocolate and butter together in a small bowl until melted. Transfer to a small piping bag.
  3. Pour over the melted semi-sweet chocolate over the Irish cream layer and smooth. Pipe on the white chocolate and feather to a design of your liking
  4. Chill in the refrigerator overnight, or 2 hours minimum. Cut into bars (I usually get 18, cutting into 3 x 6)
  5. Keep the cut bars in a covered container either in the refrigerator (3 days) or frozen (3 months)

Irish Tea Cake & Mixed Berry Coulis

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Whilst my previous posts have covered the more well known fare of St. Patrick’s Day (Soda Bread; Báirín Breac to name a few) this cake may prove to be lesser-known blast from my childhood past in an Irish kitchen. It’s not the usual image of “Tea Cake” that might spring to mind- chocolate covered, marshmallow packed bundles of sweet joy. This is a “Tea Cake” in the sense of a cake to have with tea; similar to how a “Coffee Cake” can be not so much coffee flavored cake, but rather a cake to have with coffee.

For me the beauty in this bake lies in it’s simplicity. It’s ingredients aren’t extensive, nor it’s method demanding. And as for the results? Sublime in it’s modesty this can be a welcome relief to other “fussy” bakes. The flavor is smooth and buttery, with a close crumb structure (which reminds me almost of a Japanese cheesecake) this is perfectly paired with a Chantilly cream (not very synonymous with Paddy’s Day I know) or in this case a berry coulis.

I wanted something a little bit different than your standard berry coulis here (there’s a surprise huh?) and the additions of mead and birch syrup here offer that adding both sweetness and hint of bitterness. Don’t get to wrapped up on including these though- I’m aware these aren’t exactly pantry staples. They’ll work wonders if you can include them but the coulis will be tasty treat nonetheless without them.

On that note, whatever you get up with this year’s St. Patrick’s Day festivities I hope you enjoy- heck knows it’s long overdue!

Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibhe!

Irish Tea Cake & Mixed Berry Coulis Recipe #recipe

Ingredients

Irish Tea Cake

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Mixed Berry Coulis

  • 2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons mead
  • 1 Tablespoon birch syrup

Method

Irish Tea Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and line a 9-inch round pan
  2. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside
  3. In a separate bowl (of a stand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 10 minutes)
  4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated
  5. Stir the dry flour mixture into the batter alternately with the milk. If the batter is too stiff, a tablespoon or two of milk may be added
  6. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan
  7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out for serving
  9. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve sliced with the mixed berry coulis

Mixed Berry Coulis

  1. In a medium pan combine the mixed berries, sugar and lemon juice
  2. Over a medium heat stir occasionally until sugar has dissolved
  3. Add in mead and birch syrup, reduce to a low heat and simmer for 10-15mins, stirring occasionally. Cool until berries have softened and broken down. Check taste for sweetness and stir in more sugar if needed
  4. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes
  5. Using a standard blender or wand blender blitz berry mixture until smooth
  6. Leave to cool fully