GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, it’s time to prepare some festive treats that kids and adults will love.
Lunds & Byerlys Burnsville’s Master Pastry Chef Abby Schrupp has three creative, kid-friendly St. Patrick’s Day treats that are a perfect addition to your St. Paddy’s Day gathering or your child’s classroom party.
Abby turns everyday desserts into festive St. Patrick’s Day treats. Marshmallows become leprechaun hat cookies, Lucky Charms cereal become bright, candy-coated St. Patrick’s Day treats like rainbows and four leaf clovers, and a plain cupcake is upgraded into Pot o’ Gold cupcakes.
Leprechaun Hat Cookies
Recipe developed by Lunds & Byerlys Master Pastry Chef Abby Schrupp
Ingredients:
1 package dipping chocolate
Skewers
1 package jumbo marshmallows
1 package chocolate wafer cookies
1 package Laffy Taffy (only using green) or fondant
1 package M&Ms (only using yellow)
Directions:
Melt dipping chocolate in the microwave, in 30 second intervals. Stir after each heating. Repeat until completely melted.
Using a skewer, dip marshmallows in the chocolate and coat entirely. Shake off any excess.
Place chocolate-dipped marshmallow on the chocolate wafer cookie. Remove skewer and cover the hole the skewer left with chocolate.
Knead the Laffy Taffy or fondant until soft and form into a thin band. Wrap the hat band around the base of the hat and add the yellow M&M at the seam.
Lucky Charms Treats
Recipe developed by Lunds & Byerlys Master Pastry Chef Abby Schrupp
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 package large marshmallows
6 cups Lucky Charms cereal
Rainbow candy (M&Ms, Skittles, Jelly Beans, Nerds)
Sprinkles
Directions:
In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add Lucky Charms cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using buttered spatula or wax paper, evenly press mixture into 8x8 greased cake pan. Let cool.
Using cookie cutters, cut cereal treats into shapes. Decorate with rainbow candy of choice.
Pot o’ Gold Cupcakes
Recipe developed by Lunds & Byerlys Master Pastry Chef Abby Schrupp
Ingredients:
1 package dipping chocolate
Skewers
1 package jumbo marshmallows
Parchment paper
Yellow frosting
M&Ms (yellow and brown)
Large cupcakes
Green frosting
Rainbow candy (M&Ms, Skittles, Jelly Beans or Nerds)
Directions:
To make the pot of gold:
Melt dipping chocolate in the microwave, in 30-second intervals. Stir after each heating. Repeat until completely melted.
Using a skewer, dip marshmallows in the chocolate and coat entirely. Without letting the excess drip off, place the marshmallows on parchment paper. The extra chocolate will create a small ledge around the base of the marshmallow. Remove the skewer and let set.
Once set, flip the marshmallow upside down so that the ledge is now the brim of the pot. Put a dollop of yellow buttercream on top and cover with yellow M&Ms to create a pile of gold. Using the melted chocolate, place brown M&Ms on each side to create handles.
To make the rainbow-filled cupcakes:
Using a paring knife or a spoon, hollow out the center of the cupcake. You should end up with a cone-shaped hole that doesn’t go all the way through the bottom of the cupcake. Fill with one or two teaspoons of candy of your choice and then cover the candy with the cake that was removed earlier.
Using a Ziploc bag or a pastry bag, pipe green icing onto the top so it looks like grass. Place the pot of gold on top.
You can find more ideas online.