Though roughly 10% of the American population is of Irish ancestry, everyone gets to be Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day. And why not? The dreamy idea of the Emerald Isle, with its rolling green sheep-covered hills and dramatic seascapes, is bewitching. For those of us who like winter, there’s plenty to be had. There are many opportunities to buy and wear your Irish hand knitted scarves, hats, and sweaters and every excuse to stay fireside in the local pub, filled with traditional music and fine spirits. And hot tea! Ireland’s population drinks the most tea of all the British Isles.
Rose and I are of Irish and Scottish stock and love all things British, though sadly, neither of us has a taste for whiskey. This festive time of year, I will make an exception and have an Irish coffee to celebrate. Rose has even been to the home of Irish coffee, the Buena Vista, in San Francisco.
Though roughly 10% of the American population is of Irish ancestry, everyone gets to be Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day. And why not? The dreamy idea of the Emerald Isle, with its rolling green sheep-covered hills and dramatic seascapes, is bewitching. For those of us who like winter, there’s plenty to be had. There are many opportunities to buy and wear your Irish hand knitted scarves, hats, and sweaters and every excuse to stay fireside in the local pub, filled with traditional music and fine spirits. And hot tea! Ireland’s population drinks the most tea of all the British Isles.
Rose and I are of Irish and Scottish stock and love all things British, though sadly, neither of us has a taste for whiskey. This festive time of year, I will make an exception and have an Irish coffee to celebrate. Rose has even been to the home of Irish coffee, the Buena Vista, in San Francisco.
| Irish Coffee and Margaret’s Soda Bread |
Though it is very difficult to pick a favorite tea menu from our book, Sharing Tea, The Road Back to Civilization, our St. Patrick’s Day menu is very close to my heart. I really want to serve (and eat!) the menu in its entirety. Paring down the menu to serve a smaller group is like picking favorites among your children: argh!
Barm Brack loaf with Suzi’s Mom’s lucky tea cup and saucer
Here is the whole lovely brood:
St. Patrick's Day Tea Menu
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Each item on the menu was chosen not just for its delicious taste but also for its provenance or special attribute. Four items are cherished family recipes or some variation of one. From our friend Margaret Mary Elizabeth Murray Reber’s grandmother Cora comes the divine Honeycomb Pudding recipe. The name refers to the airy texture of the dish, achieved by, as Grandma Cora was heard to say, “Beating the hell out of it!” Another Cora recipe included is for her Cornish pasties. Traditionally made large enough for a hungry miner’s lunch, here we downsize the pasty for tea time service, making each miniature pasty two or three bites.
Cora
In my baking partner Suzi’s family home, her Irish mother Barbara Harris Russo, made the thrifty and crazy sounding though completely addictive Potato Fudge Cookies. Leftover mashed potatoes, frequently found in Irish-American kitchens, got transformed into frosted chocolate mounds with a unique, slightly soft texture and a subtle background of cinnamon along with the chocolatey taste. Even mashed potatoes that were peppery when served for dinner, magically mellowed into these fudgy cookies.
In my baking partner Suzi’s family home, her Irish mother Barbara Harris Russo, made the thrifty and crazy sounding though completely addictive Potato Fudge Cookies. Leftover mashed potatoes, frequently found in Irish-American kitchens, got transformed into frosted chocolate mounds with a unique, slightly soft texture and a subtle background of cinnamon along with the chocolatey taste. Even mashed potatoes that were peppery when served for dinner, magically mellowed into these fudgy cookies.
| Barbara |
Most dear to me, is my mother Margaret’s Irish Soda Bread. Not being a daily cook, she would at least make two soda breads on St. Patrick’s Day. Sometimes, she even made a layered orange-white-green gelatin dessert, a tribute to the Irish flag. Her soda bread was always perfect: that distinct “shale-y” texture and haunting, slightly sweet taste, golden raisins adding an extra bite of fruity sweetness. Whichever bed and breakfast inn I was cooking in on St. Patrick’s Day, I made her recipe for grateful guests. It really is a great recipe.
| Margaret |
So, we are left with the dilemma of which items to make and which to cut. We’ll serve Barry’s tea, which is the top seller in Ireland and readily available here in the States. We’ll keep Irish coffee since March weather is unpredictable and we’ll need warming up. For savories, I like all three types of sandwiches and they don’t take much time when only making a few. Let’s keep pasties and soda bread. The shamrock shortbread cookies can be purchased at a reputable bakery and potato fudge cookies are a must for our chocolate-loving guests. That would be a good place to stop but the honeycomb steamed pudding is casting its siren call over me and who doesn’t want something warm and delicious over which to pour crème anglaise? Let’s put a ‘maybe’ by it and as Grandpa Pat used to say, “I’ll watch myself closely and see what I do.”
A Wee St. Patrick's Day Tea Menu
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| Shortbread Shamrock Cookies |
| The Birthday Cake Corner - March Edition |
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake
Three layers of chocolate cake, raspberry mousse filling with fresh raspberries, a dark chocolate ganache drizzle over the top. It’s probably safest to build the cake in a springform pan, lined with plastic wrap. Layer cake layers and mousse filling, placing fresh raspberries along the edges of each layer. After chilling, unmold, remove plastic wrap and place on cake pedestal. Drizzle warm chocolate ganache over top, then place raspberries on top of cake. Chill briefly to set the chocolate, serve with hot coffee.
Three layers of chocolate cake, raspberry mousse filling with fresh raspberries, a dark chocolate ganache drizzle over the top. It’s probably safest to build the cake in a springform pan, lined with plastic wrap. Layer cake layers and mousse filling, placing fresh raspberries along the edges of each layer. After chilling, unmold, remove plastic wrap and place on cake pedestal. Drizzle warm chocolate ganache over top, then place raspberries on top of cake. Chill briefly to set the chocolate, serve with hot coffee.
Happy Birthday Kristin, Louise, and Carol!
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