Our contributor, Miso of Miso Bakes, is sharing a fun tutorial just in time for St. Patrick’s Day…

Have you found your pot of gold?  I did and it was right in my kitchen!  This month I stepped away from cakes and created a baking tutorial the whole family can participate in and enjoy. Not only is this project very fun, the best part is that the whole thing is edible!  Caramel corn piled high inside a decorated cookie box…. it’s the Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow!

Pot of Gold Tutorial
by Miso Bakes Continue Reading…

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, we have an incredible dessert bar to share today.  Pairing the traditional Irish stout, Guinness, with chocolate is a popular combination….  especially perfect when baking for St. Patty’s Day!  From Chocolate Guinness Brownies to Black and Tan Cupcakes, these fluthered goodies were created by Sherri Meyers and her team at The Pastry Studio.  They might not have green sprinkles…. but these Irish treats will make your grown up friends smile!  Join me as we tip our hat to this festive and fun, Guinness & Chocolate Dessert Bar!

While this dessert table was originally created for a couples Book Club Party (the book was all about the history of Guinness), it would be perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration!  Chocolate Stout Brownies and Black & Tan Cupcakes are dusted with shimmering gold and lined up to create a plate of happiness!  Throw in some Guinness Double Chocolate Cake Pops and Guinness Biscotti… and you’ve found the end of the Guinness rainbow!

Sherri shared a few thoughts about the creation of this menu:

“We experimented with many different variations to make this dessert bar delicious and full bodied.  There was a lot of tasting going on in the studio, as we perfected these special desserts!”

Taste-testing Guinness infused treats sounds like a great day at the office, doesn’t it?  With the underlying chocolate and coffee notes found in this Irish stout, Guinness and chocolate are a perfect match.  Not to mention a unique and festive way to spread some Irish cheer!

A big shamrock hug to The Pastry Studio for sharing their incredibly tempting Guinness & Chocolate Dessert Bar with us today.  If you’re inspired to give Guinness baking a try this St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to check out {this post} from last year.  It will help you get your Guinness on!

The Pastry Studio:
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St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner… this Saturday to be exact.  To help you celebrate, I’ve created a new DIY treat full of sweet goodness and glittering shamrocks!  I shared it over on the fabulous Hostess Blog and will share it here as well!  So whether you’re planning a big green bash or simply want a treat to enjoy at home, these are festive and magically delicious.  They’re my Leprechaun Hat S’mores!

Delicious as they are cute, these little hats would be the perfect addition to any St. Patty’s Day dessert table.  A Fudge Stripe Cookie base is topped with a marshmallow and then coated in chocolate to create one delicious little s’more hat!  Easy enough for your little leprechauns to help make too (if you don’t mind gooey hands!).

Let’s take a peek inside, shall we?

In a few simple steps, you’ll be kicking up your heels and dancing the jig, wishing that every rainbow ended in a plate of these adorable s’mores!  So let’s get to it… here’s how to make them!

LEPRECHAUN HAT S’MORES
a DIY by Carrie Sellman

Ingredients:

•  Keebler® Fudge Stripesâ„¢ Cookies
•  Large Marshmallows
•  Dark Chocolate Candy Melts
•  Green Candy Melts
•  Green Sprinkles or Cake Sparkles

STEP 1 :   Melt dark chocolate candy in the microwave, in 30 second intervals on 50% power.  Stir after each heating.  Repeat until completely melted.  Dip Fudge Stripe Cookies into chocolate, coating completely.  Shake off any excess.  Set on parchment paper, top side down, until candy coating is completely set.

STEP 2 :  Using a toothpick, dip marshmallow into chocolate and coat almost entirely.  Shake off any excess.  Set on parchment paper, until candy coating is completely set.  Remove toothpick.

STEP 3 :  Melt green candy just as you did the chocolate.  Flip marshmallow upside down and insert new toothpick in top.  Dip into green candy, just barely, to create a small band of green around the bottom.

STEP 4 :  Coat green candy band with sprinkles or sparkles. Shake off excess.

STEP 5 :  Place marshmallow in center of chocolate covered cookie.  Carefully remove toothpick.  Touch up the toothpick hole with a small dab of melted chocolate, if desired.

STEP 6 :  Spoon some of the remaining melted green candy into a piping bag, ziplock bag or squeeze bottle.  On parchment paper, make three small dots of candy in the shape of a triangle.  Each dot should be about the size of a chocolate chip.  Using a toothpick, swirl the three dots together to form a shamrock shape.  Swirl the bottom two dots together first, then the top dot.  Pull toothpick straight down to form the stem.  Before candy hardens, cover with sprinkles or crushed cake sparkles.  Once shamrocks have set up, dust off excess sparkle.

STEP 7 :  To finish the hat, attach a glittering shamrock with a small dab of melted green.

Your finished treats can be stored for several days in an airtight container, at room temperature. Whether your family heritage goes back to Ireland or not… we’re all Irish on March 17th!  So get your green on and whip up some of these yummy Leprechaun Hat S’mores for your little munchkins! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

	Carrie Sellman is the Founder & Editor of The Cake Blog. Her work has been published in BRIDES Magazine and featured on TLC, DIY Network, The Cooking Channel, Glamour and more. Read more about Carrie on her bio page.