Food March 9, 2018

St. Patrick's Day dishes that will make others green with envy

WATCH: Festive green desserts just in time for St. Paddy's Day

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, we found photogenic and festive green-food recipes to test in your own kitchen before the festivities on March 17.

From mint-green cupcakes to green smoothies and green shakshuka, these recipes are easy to whip up and just as good as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow -- with no luck required!

Stout cupcakes with green Irish cream frosting

Not only is this dessert from Genius Kitchen topped with perfectly=-piped green frosting, but the cake itself is made with an Irish staple -- stout beer.

Courtesy Genius Kitchen
Try these festive green treats this St. Patrick’s Day.

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup stout beer

2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup light-brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

Frosting and filling

1 cup unsalted butter

coarse salt

8 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup Irish cream

2 tablespoons milk, plus more if necessary

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

green sprinkles, for garnishing

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the upper and lower thirds. Fill two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a saucepan, heat the butter, stout, cocoa powder, and brown sugar, whisking often, until the butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Add cooled Guinness mixture and beat on medium for 1 minute.

Add eggs and sour cream and beat on medium for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling about ? full. Transfer to oven and bake 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Meanwhile, in bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add salt, and slowly add confectioners sugar.

Add 6 tablespoons Irish Cream and milk, adding more milk as necessary, until spreadable consistency is achieved.

Transfer to a piping bag or ziplock fitted with a star tip and wash stand mixer bowl.

In bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip cream until stiff peaks form.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons Irish cream and a pinch of salt and whisk to combine.

Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a half-inch pastry tip.

Insert tip into tops of cupcakes and divide whipped cream mixture evenly among cupcakes, dispensing approximately 1 tablespoon per cupcake.

Frost tops of cupcakes with Bailey's frosting and sprinkle with green sprinkles. Serve.

Mint chocolate icebox cake

This mint green icebox cake from Genius Kitchen's Next-Level Eats has a fun chocolate twist and can be made ahead to add a festive vibe to any St. Patrick's Day table.

Courtesy Genius Kitchen
Try these festive green treats this St. Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

green food coloring

2 (9 ounce) packages chocolate wafer cookies

fresh mint sprig, for serving

Directions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine heavy cream, sugar, and mint extract. Beat on medium-high speed until medium peaks form.

Add green food coloring, drop by drop, until cream turns mint green.

Continue beating until stiff peaks form; do not overbeat.

Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of mint cream to a 7-inch round on a serving plate.

Arrange 7 cookies side by side on top of the circle, keeping one cookie in the center. Spread with 1/2 cup cream. Repeat with remaining cookies and cream, making 9 layers and ending with a layer of cookies. (Note: you will have cookies leftover.) Reserve remaining cream for topping. Cover reserved cream and cake and transfer to the refrigerator, six hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, top with reserved cream, sprinkle with crushed cookies, and garnish with fresh mint.

Green shakshuka (baked eggs in green tomatillo sauce)

Jack's Wife Freda
Green Shakshuka from Jack's Wife Freda in New York City.

Green shakshuka from the Jack's Wife Freda eatery in New York City is the perfect colorful Tunisian dish to spice up any meal. Get the full recipe here.

Green pea, mint and ricotta toast

Jack's Wife Freda
Pea and ricotta toast from Jack's Wife Freda in New York City.

This bright green pea and ricotta toast also comes from chef Julia Jaksic at Jack's Wife Freda. See the full recipe here.

Green smoothie

HarperCollins
Nutritionist-to-the stars Kelly LeVeque shares her green smoothie recipe from her book, "Body Love," to fuel your morning.

Fast and easy green smoothie from nutritionist Kelly LeVeque. Try her recipe here.

On-theme green treats and dishes on Instagram:

Leprechaun pops with shamrock confetti sprinkles

Green Irish coffee cupcakes from Sprinkles

Matcha vegan nut free brownies

Avocado toast with greens

Australian chef Dan Churchill's green smoothie bowl