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This is one of my favorite recipe columns of the year. As an Irishman, I love celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, I love corned beef and cabbage, and I do like me some beer as well!

Plus, this is always the anniversary column for me, as I took over for Alice Nelson in this space two years ago now! My how time flies.
I am digging deep here this year for some creative St. Patrick’s Day recipes, and some might be more cheesy/corny than authentic, but we like to keep it light in this corner of the paper anyway.

Oh, and after not sharing one last year, I am going to share my corned beef and cabbage recipe this year! We’re early enough in the season that if you’d like to try something new, you certainly can!

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The first one here is a breakfast starter, and although it’s called Irish toast, it’s really just French toast masquerading with an Irish twist.
And yes, this has a little booze in it, but it’s perfectly acceptable to serve to the younger crowd. There’s scant alcohol in it and they won’t even know.

BAILEY’S IRISH TOAST
Whipped Topping
1/2 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream
4 oz. whipping cream
2 tbsp. powdered sugar

French Toast
2 1/2 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream
2 1/2 oz. whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 thick slices of sourdough bread
1 tbsp. butter

To make the whipped topping, place 1/2 ounces Baileys Irish Cream, four ounces whipping cream, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Whisk with a hand electric mixer at high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To make the custard, whisk together 2 1/2 ounces Baileys Original Irish Cream, 2 1/2 ounces whipping cream, vanilla extract, and eggs in a shallow dish.
Melt the butter in a frying pan at medium-low heat. While waiting for butter to melt, dip each side of the bread in the Baileys mixture until completely soaked, about 5-10 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

Fry the bread on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Top the bread with a dollop of Baileys whipped cream. Enjoy

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Now these are definitely cheesy, and not in a taste way, but they are fun, especially if you have some little kids you want to entertain.

POT O’ GOLD 
POPCORN BITES
1 c. uncooked popcorn kernels
1 1/4 c. butter
1 1/4 c. honey
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
Cooking spray (for hands and pan)
Rainbow Candy Tape

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pop popcorn in an air popper and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter, honey and salt. Stir until butter has melted. Then, increase heat and gently boil mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour honey mixture into a large baking pan coated with cooking spray. Gradually add popped popcorn to the mixture in the baking pan, stirring to coat as you go. Repeat the process until all popcorn is added to the baking pan and covered with the honey mixture.

Bake popcorn for around 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until all of the popcorn is a golden brown color–taking care not to let it overcook.

Remove popcorn from oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. Grease hands with cooking spray and work quickly to roll popcorn mixture into small, bite-size popcorn balls. Place each popcorn bite on wax paper to cool.

After cooling, fill a small bowl with popcorn bites and add rainbow candy tape.

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This is my go-to corned beef and cabbage recipe, and it’s so easy and so delicious.

SLOW COOKER CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE
1 corned beef brisket 3-4 pounds
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 1/2 - 3 c. water
2 lbs. potatoes peeled & quartered
2 large carrots chopped
1 small head of cabbage cut into wedges

Chop onion into large chunks and place in the bottom of a 6 qt. slow cooker. Top with corned beef and seasoning packet.

Pour water into slow cooker until it just about covers the corned beef. Add garlic and bay leaves.

Cook on low 8-10 hours.

After the initial 3 hours, add potatoes and carrots to the slow cooker.

Two hours before serving, add cabbage wedges to the slow cooker.

Remove corned beef from slow cooker and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with potatoes, carrots and cabbage.

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GUINNESS BROWNIES
Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
One bottle stout beer, (Guinness Extra Stout)
1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. flaky sea salt, for garnish
1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 of the sides. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and kosher salt in a medium bowl until combined.

Slowly pour the Guinness into a medium saucepan, trying to make as little foam as possible. (Hold the pot at an angle and press the lip of the bottle to the side of the pot and slowly pour. This should help eliminate foam.) Bring the beer to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1/3 cup, 12 to 13 minutes (you may need to pour the beer into a liquid measuring cup a few times to make sure it is reduced enough). Add the butter and whisk constantly until melted, about 1 minute. Add the bittersweet chocolate and whisk constantly until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the granulated sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until just combined. Add the flour mixture and stir slowly until combined, taking care that none of the flour spills out of the pot. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake until set on top, the brownies have slightly pulled away from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top.

Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to remove the brownies from the pan to a cutting board and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Use a fine-mesh sieve to sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar on top of the brownies and slice into 16 squares.

TFD: An Irish proverb: There’s nothing so bad that it couldn’t be worse!

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