St. Patrick's Day!

I love this holiday!  And I believe that is a full-fledged, everyone should celebrate it with gusto holiday.  I was shocked to find that stores do not carry packages of St. Patty's Day cards.  Some people mail out Christmas cards, I wanted to mail out St. Patrick's Day cards.  Oh well, next year I will make my own!

But I of course baked somethings to celebrate this year.  There were many, many ideas but I went with these two ideas:

Dessert #1: Mini Brownie Bites with Mint Frosting
I decided these would probably be the best to take to work (probably because they don't contain alcohol like the other recipe.)  I always bring in treats to the office so I couldn't not bring in something on such a remarkable holiday!  Simple recipe here folks: Ghirardelli Triple Choco Brownie mix (found at Costco) just baked in mini muffin tins (one of my new fav kitchen toys!) with some standard frosting - mixed with a lil peppermint extract - on top.  Now you maybe thinking that the camera did something funny to the frosting color but no, it really is that vibrant color of green!  What?  It's St. Patrick's Day!

Dessert #2: Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes with Bailey's Cream Cheese Frosting
I have my roomie to thank for this recipe.  She mentioned that she had eaten these before and they were to die for.  Well I love Guinness.  And I love chocolate.  So why wouldn't I love a cupcake (which we all know I love too) that combines those two?  I wouldn't.  These are tasty!  And then throw in Bailey's and cream cheese frosting (which I could just eat by the spoonful and did but shhh!) and whoa, we've got a tasty cupcake!  I found the recipe from this lovely food blog.  I think they will make for a yummy Irish treat year round.

I hope you enjoy this festive and green holiday!  I know I will.  I will be decked out in all my Irish finery - green sweater, Guinness t-shirt and shamrock vans.  C'mon I have to, with this red hair I look super Irish. And hey, on March 17th everyone is Irish! :)