Saturday, March 17, 2012

Happy St. Patrick's Day! & March Melt-aways

March Melt-aways are one of my favorite cookies to make. I've used this same recipe throughout the four seasons and simply changed the frosting color: white for winter, pink or red for Valentine's Day or the 4th of July, yellow for summer, orange for autumn.

March Melt-aways

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
1 tsp clear vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend the butter, clear vanilla, and powdered sugar together until well blended and creamy. Add cornstarch and flour to the butter mixture and blend well again. Dough will be thick. Refrigerate for at least one hour or more. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and then roll dough into approximately 1 inch round balls. Press down slightly with either the palm of your hand or a fork. The dough does not spread. I was able to get 20 on a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes. Allow to sit on baking sheet for about 1 minute and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely. Makes approximately 40 cookies.

FROSTING:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp milk (or lemon, lime, orange juice)
Optional: green food coloring &/or sprinkles

Mix powdered sugar and butter together. Slowly add a bit of milk (up to approximately 1 tbsp) until smooth and spreadable yet still on the thicker side. Frosting shouldn't be too thin. If it is, add a bit more powdered sugar. Add a tiny drop of green food coloring for pastel green color, more drops for darker color. Frost completely cooled cookies then you can top with sprinkles of your choice or leave plain. Allow frosting to set then store in a covered container.

These really DO melt in your mouth!


Angel Food Cake is my favorite cake and I love lime so when I found this recipe from Taste of Home, I knew I wanted to try it - it's even beautiful for St. Patrick's Day and Spring!

Luscious Lime Angel Squares

INGREDIENTS:
1 package (.3 ounces) sugar-free lime gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 prepared angel food cake (8 inches), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 carton (8 ounces) reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed, divided

DIRECTIONS:
In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Refrigerate until mixture just begins to thicken, about 35 minutes. Place cake cubes in a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. dish coated with cooking spray; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in sugar, lemon juice and peel. Add gelatin mixture; beat until combined. Fold in 1-1/2 cups whipped topping. Spread over cake, covering completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm. Cut into squares; top with remaining whipped topping.


Another great recipe for delicious Irish Soda Bread.

About St. Patrick:

MARCH 17, around 461 AD, St. Patrick died.

As a teenager, the Roman Legions guarding his community in Britain had to be withdrawn to defend Rome, as invading heathen hordes, such as the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals and Huns, were overruning the borders.

Unprotected, Britain was attacked by raiders, who carried away thousands.

Patrick was captured and sold as a slave in Ireland, which was ruled by the Druids, who practiced human sacrifice.

For six years Patrick herded animals until he escaped. In his forties he had a dream calling him back to Ireland.

In his Confession, Patrick wrote:

"In the depth of the night, I saw a man named Victoricus coming as if from Ireland, with innumerable letters, and he gave me one and while I was reading I thought I heard the voice of those near the western sea call out: 'Please, holy boy, come and walk among us again.'

Their cry pierced my very heart, and I could read no more, and so I awoke."

Patrick returned to Ireland, confronted the Druids, converted Chieftains, and used the three-leaf clover to teach the Trinity.

The Druids tried to ambush and kill Patrick nearly a dozen times:

"Daily I expect murder, fraud or captivity, but I fear none of these things because of the promises of Heaven."

Baptizing 120,000, using the three-leaf clover to explain the Trinity, and founding 300 churches, Saint Patrick wrote:

"Patrick the sinner, an unlearned man to be sure. None should ever say that it was my ignorance that accomplished any small thing, it was the gift of God."

In the next century, Irish missionaries evangelized the heathen hordes which had overrun Europe.

Source: Bill Federer American Minute



Christ be with me, Christ within me
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
~St. Patrick~


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

6 comments:

  1. Happy St. Patrick's Day! It was so great to have a visit from you to my blog. Your treats look yummy! And I loved, loved the watercolor of the pussy willow in your previous post. We are having summer right now in Michigan - it is so weird. It was over 80 today. My daffodils will be blooming this week - way ahead of schedule. Hope you are doing well.
    Blessings,
    Tricia

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tricia,

      Thank you for visiting and for the kind words about my pussy willows. I am still learning/experimenting with watercolor. I have missed Spring some how. Since March 14th we have been in the upper 70's and a couple of 80 degree days. Today was a record breaking high. :-)

      Blessings!

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  2. Those recipes sound yummy! Thanks for sharing them!

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  3. Hi Deb,
    Loving those recipes...will have to try those meltaways...they look delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patty! They are delicious and really do melt in your mouth. :-)

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