Going Green … The Irish Way

No blarney! We’re all a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Across America we celebrate the patron saint of Ireland every March by going green, Irish style - holding grand parades, dying rivers green, drinking green beverages and wearing green clothing. This year, celebrate with your own fun, festive, colorful (green, of course) St. Patty’s party created by the celebration experts at Wilton. In addition to the traditional corned beef and cabbage, set out a shamrock-shaped “bread and spread” to set the mood. Just start with a hot roll mix. Prepare the dough according to package directions, kneading in some shredded Cheddar if you like. Press it into the three leaf clover-shaped Shamrock Pan, let it rise, then bake. Once cooled, cut a hole in the center and spoon in your favorite spinach dip. Since green is the color of the day, serve a variety of green vegetables such as celery sticks, cucumber slices and broccoli as dippers along with the bread. (The pan also doubles as a cake pan…just in case!) Every party needs sweets and this one’s no exception - they’re better than the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! A variety of cookies and cupcakes are guaranteed to keep those Irish eyes smiling. Cut cookies with shamrock-shaped cutters - use refrigerated cookie dough to save time. Kids and grown-ups can have fun embellishing the cookies with green sparkle gel, icing tinted Kelly Green and shamrock sprinkles. Continue the theme with cupcakes (made from a mix), baked in shamrock-printed baking cups. Spatula ice, then top with Foil Fun Pix, icing decorations and more sprinkles. No advanced decorating skills required! For a little sweet and salty mix, offer pretzel rods adorned with jaunty leprechaun hats and shamrocks. Wilton’s unique Pretzel Molds and Candy Melts make it easy to create these yummy crispy-creamy treats. To learn how to make and decorate the Shamrock Cookies, Cupcakes and Pretzel Molds shown in the photo, or to order decorating and baking supplies for all occasions, visit www.wilton.com. Shamrock Bread with Spinach Dip Makes 1 loaf 1 package (16 ounces) hot roll mix
Water, butter and egg to prepare mix
3/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Favorite homemade or purchased Spinach Dip Spray pan with vegetable pan spray. Prepare hot roll mix following package instructions; if desired, knead in shredded cheese. Press dough into prepared pan. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, cut hole in bread, almost completely through; spoon in Spinach Dip. Recipe courtesy of Wilton Enterprises Find hundreds more printer-friendly recipes at Spokane.net/Recipes!