Tag Archives: st pattys

Shamrock Sugar Cookies with Bailey’s Buttercream

17 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Baking, Cookies, Desserts, Entertaining, Holidays, LuLu's Classics

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Shamrock Sugar Cookies with Bailey's Buttercream

St. Patrick’s Day is near and dear my heart. Not only for me, but to my mom’s entire side of the family. No…we are not Irish…we just miss someone who was born on March 17th. While St. Patty’s Day is a great holiday when you are thinking about it in terms of Irish Beer, Whiskey, Bailey’s, potatoes, corned beef (gross), and soda bread, I am just quietly celebrating the birthday of one gone too long but most definitely not forgotten.

Grammy

These cookies and this blog exist because of Lois. Or, as I called her…Grammy. She was the best person and the best cook any of us knew, and I think about her every time I make her sugar cookies. I wish I could tell her I was making Shamrock Sugar cookies this year for her birthday, but instead of regular frosting I made ridiculous Bailey’s Irish Cream Frosting. I wish I could tell her I was making her cookies once a month for the entire year, for so many reasons other than the fact that they are the best damn cookies to ever come out of the oven.

Shamrock Sugar Cookies

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Guinness Beer Bread

16 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by in Baking, Boozy, Breads, Holidays

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Guinness Beer Bread

This Guinness Bread is pretty great. Sweet and savory at the same time, slathered with a little bit of Irish butter…perhaps even served with a frothy pint of Guinness? STOP. Just stop it now.

Guinness Beer Bread

I was really happy with how these little suckers turned out. I knew from the dark brown color of the bread that I wanted it to taste like the a-mazing brown bread they serve at the Cheesecake Factory. It came pretty darn close…but this bread has an entire bottle of Guinness in it and it’s homemade with love…so this makes it better than your standard chain restaurant freebie bread! Continue reading →

Pistachio Muffins

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by in Baking, Breads, Breakfast, Holidays

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Pistachio muffins

Happy St Patrick’s Day! This year I revisited pistachio muffins. I made them a few years ago, but had found a different recipe out there that I wanted to give a shot. Although some people would never use instant pudding mix in a recipe…that has never been beyond me. There are things like rum cake that just wouldn’t be the same without some good ole’ instant pudding thrown in the mix…judge all you want, but there are worse things in the baking world, in my humble opinion…

Pistachio Muffins

Although March 17th is a great day to wear green, eat green things, drink too much, and do everything as the irish would, today I always think of Grammy before anything else. Today would have been her 83rd birthday. I wish I could ask her what she wanted for a birthday breakfast or dinner and make it for her. I wish I could pour us both a glass of wine, and Cheers to everything she did during her short time here. I wish so many things but all I can really do on a day like today is think of her and miss her.

I can also hope instant pudding in muffins wouldn’t offend her. Hey, she was raising five kids through the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s…Even though she is the best cook any of us has ever known I sure wish I could ask her to share some of her retro doozies.

Recipe
Pistachio Muffins
makes about 12-15 muffins
adapted from Hannah Keeley

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 box (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • a few drops of green food coloring
  • 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, finely chopped/crushed

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and dry pudding mix.

Combine eggs, milk, sour cream, almond extract, and oil; add to dry mixture and mix until just moistened. Stir in green food coloring until combined, then fold in the crushed pistachios.

Fill baking cups until they are almost full.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes in preheated 375-degree oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Pistachio Muffins