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St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and I thought I might try to inspire your creativity by brainstorming with you on different fun foodie things you can make to celebrate the holiday.
Now, y'all know I'm big on themes. Really and truly, I've got no problem with green beer, green cookies, and green whipped cream for St. Paddy's Day. I'm as much of a fan of dyeing things as the next guy, but I thought it might be fun to think outside of the box a bit, and talk about doing some fun things with food that don't require copious amounts of food coloring.
How about truffles? Truffles are an amazingly easy way to create a theme at your party. Because they're only chocolate, cream and whatever flavoring you decide to use, they can be a simple way of running a common thread through your party table. For St. Paddy's, why not add some Bailey's or Jameson to your truffle ganache? Or better yet, make two kinds of truffles--just divide up your ganache, and flavor each one to taste (Be careful with the alcohol, though. Certain liquors will make your ganache too soft if you add too much). Don't think of these truffles like those little liquor-filled booze bottle chocolates; the flavor won't nearly be as intense.
Another lovely truffle idea is to steep your cream in Irish breakfast tea. Strain the cream, reheat to boiling and make your ganache. Tea-infused truffles are really delicious--and an unexpected surprise for your guests.
Another simple treat that will wow your guests is ice cream. Granted, you need an ice cream maker to do it. If you're a big ice cream eater, though, making your own ice cream is extremely cost effective. For around $60, you can get a good machine that will churn out your favorite customized flavors in 30 minutes. You'll have recouped the cost of the machine in no time by giving up the premium pint habit. Back to the Bailey's: it is wonderful in ice cream (In fact, I can think of one famous premium ice cream manufacturer who makes their own version. It is delicious. But why pay $5 for a pint?). Again, don't add too much alcohol or the ice cream won't freeze properly. You'll have Bailey's crème anglaise, which is very nice, but still.
Another interesting twist is an Irish Tiramisu. Follow your usual recipe, but use Bailey's instead of Marsala or Kahlua. It goes fabulously with the espresso and mascarpone.
Believe it or not, but Guinness is a wonderful addition to many sweet things. Make a fruit cake, but brush it with stout instead of rum. Or make a Guinness float instead of a root beer float. Add it to bread pudding or a fruit compote. Just make sure you taste as you add. Too little you can fix, too much you can't.
So, experiment and play. There are lots of ideas already out there. Just tweak it, Irish-style. And don't forget to pick up some green food coloring!
I'll end with an old Irish toast: "May you get to heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/rebecca-michaels/235-st-patricks-day-truffles/
A Toast to St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner and I thought I might try to inspire your creativity by brainstorming with you on different fun foodie things you can make to celebrate the holiday.
Now, y'all know I'm big on themes. Really and truly, I've got no problem with green beer, green cookies, and green whipped cream for St. Paddy's Day. I'm as much of a fan of dyeing things as the next guy, but I thought it might be fun to think outside of the box a bit, and talk about doing some fun things with food that don't require copious amounts of food coloring.
How about truffles? Truffles are an amazingly easy way to create a theme at your party. Because they're only chocolate, cream and whatever flavoring you decide to use, they can be a simple way of running a common thread through your party table. For St. Paddy's, why not add some Bailey's or Jameson to your truffle ganache? Or better yet, make two kinds of truffles--just divide up your ganache, and flavor each one to taste (Be careful with the alcohol, though. Certain liquors will make your ganache too soft if you add too much). Don't think of these truffles like those little liquor-filled booze bottle chocolates; the flavor won't nearly be as intense.
Another lovely truffle idea is to steep your cream in Irish breakfast tea. Strain the cream, reheat to boiling and make your ganache. Tea-infused truffles are really delicious--and an unexpected surprise for your guests.
Another simple treat that will wow your guests is ice cream. Granted, you need an ice cream maker to do it. If you're a big ice cream eater, though, making your own ice cream is extremely cost effective. For around $60, you can get a good machine that will churn out your favorite customized flavors in 30 minutes. You'll have recouped the cost of the machine in no time by giving up the premium pint habit. Back to the Bailey's: it is wonderful in ice cream (In fact, I can think of one famous premium ice cream manufacturer who makes their own version. It is delicious. But why pay $5 for a pint?). Again, don't add too much alcohol or the ice cream won't freeze properly. You'll have Bailey's crème anglaise, which is very nice, but still.
Another interesting twist is an Irish Tiramisu. Follow your usual recipe, but use Bailey's instead of Marsala or Kahlua. It goes fabulously with the espresso and mascarpone.
Believe it or not, but Guinness is a wonderful addition to many sweet things. Make a fruit cake, but brush it with stout instead of rum. Or make a Guinness float instead of a root beer float. Add it to bread pudding or a fruit compote. Just make sure you taste as you add. Too little you can fix, too much you can't.
So, experiment and play. There are lots of ideas already out there. Just tweak it, Irish-style. And don't forget to pick up some green food coloring!
I'll end with an old Irish toast: "May you get to heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead."
Chocolate Fudge Truffles
Made with pecans, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, semisweet chocolate, butter, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar
Made with pecans, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, semisweet chocolate, butter, heavy cream, confectioners' sugar
Serves/Makes: 1.25 lbs
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or cognac
- cocoa powder
- finely ground pecans or other nuts
Grease an 8x8-inch square baking dish.
Combine the semisweet chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering, not boiling, water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is uniform in color.
Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.
Place the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. With an electric mixer running on low speed, slowly add the chocolate to the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Transfer the truffle filling to the greased baking dish. Place the dish in the refrigerator until firm, 4-8 hours.
Scoop the filling from the pan (about 2 teaspoon sized) and roll into small balls. Roll the truffles in cocoa powder or finely ground pecans. Store the truffles in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
The filling can also be cut into squares like fudge.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/rebecca-michaels/235-st-patricks-day-truffles/