Wishing you a safe and foodie-filled Spring Break, collegiettes! Hopefully you made it through the past week of midterms with no major concerns and are now looking forward to the break ahead. Whether you will be vegging out in front of your TV at home or lounging on the beach with a Piña Colada in hand, we know you deserve the time off!
This week left little time to spend in the kitchen. Instead, we compiled a list of recipes we think you should try! St. Patty’s Day is right around the corner and if you learn anything from us, let it be that a holiday is always an excellent excuse to cook up some festive treats! So we put on our Sherlock Holmes’ caps to find the best fun and celebratory dessert ideas with a minty green theme. Below is a list of the Top 5 St. Patty’s Day treats we really want to try and think you should, too!
1. Clover Crispies
Thanks to Taste of Home
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 cups large marshmallows (about 40)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 cups crisp rice cereal
6 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped
4 drops green food coloring, optional
Green sprinkles
Directions:
- In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add marshmallows; cook and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in extract and cereal. With buttered hands, press mixture into a greased foil-lined 13-in. x 9-in. pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Turn onto a cutting board; remove foil. Cut with a 3-in. shamrock cookie cutter; reshape shamrock stem if needed (save scraps for another use)
- In a microwave, melt candy coating at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth
- Stir in food coloring if desired. Spoon over cutouts and spread evenly. Decorate with sprinkles. Let stand until set.
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2. Mint Chocolate Fudge
Thanks to Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom
Ingredients:
2 bags (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips
2 bags white chocolate chips
2 small cans (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 2 packages of Duncan Hines frosting creations
Green food coloring
Directions:
1. In a microwave safe dish, combine the semi sweet chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until the chips are melted. Add in 1 tsp of vanilla and keep stirring until the vanilla is completely mixed in.
2. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with wax paper (you could go bigger or smaller depending on how thick you like your fudge) and pour the fudge into the pan.
3. Mix the white chocolate chips with the 2nd can of sweetened condensed milk and microwave for 1 minute. and stir until chips are melted.
4. Add in your mint flavor package and food coloring (if desired) and stir until everything is completely mixed.
5. Pour into the pan on top of the chocolate and if you are adding sprinkle, quickly spread on top before the fudge starts to set.
6. Chill 30 minutes to 2 hours until firm.
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3. Homemade Shamrock Shake
Thanks to Live Love Pasta
Ingredients:
5 cups vanilla bean ice cream
2 cups milk
2 drops green food coloring
3-4 drops mint extract
Crushed thin mints & whipped cream to garnish
Directions:
1. Add the ice cream, milk, food coloring, and mint extract to a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Add milk or ice cream to reach desired thickness.
3. Garnish with whipped cream and crushed thin mints.
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4. Thin Mint Puppy Chow
Thanks to Shugary Sweets
Ingredients:
16oz chocolate Candiquik (or chocolate bark)
3.5oz Green & Black’s Mint Chocolate Bar
2 cup powdered sugar
10 cup Rice Chex cereal
1 bag (8oz) Mint m&m candies
Directions:
1. In microwave, melt chocolates together for one minute, stir and continue melting in 30 second intervals until smooth (mine took a total of 2 minutes).
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal with melted chocolate. Folding with a large wooden spoon until all cereal is coated.
3. In a large, gallon sized ziploc bag, add powdered sugar. Spoon in chocolate cereal mixture. Seal bag and shake until powdered sugar is coating all the cereal completely. Pour onto a large piece of wax paper and allow chocolate to set (about 20 minutes). Combine candies with chex and store in an airtight container. ENJOY!
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5. Butter Mint Chocolate Push Pops
Thanks to The Hopeless Housewife
Ingredients:
For the brownies:
3 squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
¼ cup flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Butter Mint Filling:
1 stick unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (or if using oil or flavor, use half)
1-2 drops green food coloring (optional)
Directions:
To make the Brownies:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Melt unsweetened chocolate and butter in a heavy sauce pan.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs along with vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Stir in flour and salt and mix until combined.
4. Pour into a buttered a square pan (8×8 inches) and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
Make the Butter Mint Filling:
1. Cream the butter with an electric mixer until it’s light and well creamed.
2. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cut at a time until it’s fully incorporated. Add milk and peppermint extract. Add a little more powdered sugar if you’d like a little thicker consistency.
To assemble the push pops.
1. Use the inside of the push pop to cut circles into the brownies. Place brownie circles on a baking sheet or counter.
2. Push the bottom of the push pop to the top and place a brownie circle at the bottom of the base.
3. Pull the “stick” back down and using a piping bag, pipe the filling in over the brownie layer about the same size as the brownie layer. Being careful not to touch the sides of the push pops, place another brownie circle over the filling.
4. Pipe another payer of filling over that brownie layer and make it go up past the top of the push pop as decorative as you can make it!
We hope you all have time to rest this weekend and get a chance to test out some of these deliciously green treats! Enjoy!