St. Patrick's Day Sweets and Treats

Taste A Rainbow - Cupcakes
from: Family Fun

Here's what little leprechauns look forward to on St. Patrick's Day: a magical snack that can add color to the grayest March afternoon. Pot of gold not included

Ingredients

* White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
* Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)
* Baking cups
* Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

1. Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.
   
   

   RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
   Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
   Blue	12 drops
   Green	12 drops
   Yellow	12 drops
   Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
   Red	18 drops

   
   
   

2. Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.

3. Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

Clover Cupcakes

from Family Fun

It doesn't take the luck of the Irish to make these St. Patty's Day treats look so sweet -- just a clever baking technique

ingredients

• Cupcake batter
• Cupcake tins and liners
• Aluminum foil
• White frosting

• Green food coloring
• Toothpick
• Green licorice (we used Twizzlers Rainbow Twists sold in a pack with other colors)

Instructions

1. Place paper liners in 32 standard muffin cups, then fill each halfway with the batter.

2. For each cupcake, roll three balls of foil (ours were 2/3 inch in diameter) and insert them evenly around the perimeter between the liner and the tin, as shown.

3. Bake the cupcakes for a few minutes less than the package suggests (because there's less batter per cup than usual), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Allow the cupcakes to cool, then remove them from the tin.

5. Cover each with green frosting (our ratio was 1 teaspoon of green food coloring to one 16-ounce can of white frosting).

6. Use a toothpick to draw leaf veins, and insert a 2-inch-long piece of green licorice for a stem.

St. Patrick's Pot Of Gold
from: Family Fun

Surprise your favorite little people on March 17th with these wee emerald pots filled with sweet, edible gold.

Ingredients

• 3-ounce box of lemon-flavor gelatin
• 6 limes

• Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of whipped cream

Instructions

1. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap, leaving several inches of overhang on each side (this will make removing the gelatin easier). Combine a 3-ounce box of lemon-flavor gelatin and 1 cup of boiling water in a medium bowl, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Stir in 1 cup of cold water, then pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill the gelatin for 4 hours or until firm, then slice the gelatin into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. Cut off the top quarter of each of 6 limes, then, without cutting into the fruit, slice a thin layer of peel from the bottom of each one to help them stand upright. With a small knife, cut around the inside of each lime's rind to loosen the pulp, then spoon it out to make a shell.

3. Place a pinch of sugar and 1 teaspoon of whipped cream in the bottom of each shell, then fill each lime pot with gelatin gold. Makes

Leprechaun Popcorn Balls

10 cups popped corn

10 regular size marshmallows

½ cup butter

½ cup granulated sugar

Green food coloring ( desired amount)


Put sugar, butter and marshmallows in a large bowl. Microwave on high for five minutes, stirring twice.

Add in desired amount of green food coloring - stir until color is well mixed.

Pour over popped corn, tossing with a wooden spoon, with clean buttered hands, form into balls. Place on waxed paper or aluminum foil. Allow to set, then EAT your yummy treat or wrap in clear saran wrap.

St. Patrick's Day Chocolate Dipped Pretzels ingredients:
1 bag pretzels
1 lb white chocolate

directions:

Melt white chocolate in microwaveable safe bowl using package instructions.

Dip pretzels in white choc late and place on wax paper to cool.

Prior to cooling sprinkle green jimmies or sugar crystals on the chocolate covered pretzel.

* To change the color of the chocolate ad food coloring and stir well before dipping pretzels.