Dessert options for St. Patrick's Day

If you celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a meal, you probably are including things like corned beef and cabbage and Irish potatoes. There may be a green salad or gelatin salad on the menu as well. So, I am passing along a couple of dessert options you may choose to add to your menu as you recognize this day.

St. Patrick's Day Pistachio Dessert

This hint-of-green recipe is a play on the popular four-layer dessert. These types of desserts are nice because you can change the filling to be any flavor you desire.

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk biscuit baking mix
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, divided
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped, divided
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant pistachio pudding mix
• Chocolate curls, green sprinkles or sugar, optional

In a small bowl, combine the biscuit mix, pecans and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar until fluffy. Fold in half of the whipped cream; spread over crust. Stir remaining powdered sugar into remaining whipped cream; refrigerate until serving. In another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and, if desired, chocolate curls, green sprinkles or green sanding sugar. Yield: 15 servings.

Clover Crispies

These sweet treats have a yummy peppermint and marshmallow flavor, and they'll make even those without Irish hearts happy.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups large marshmallows (about 40)
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 6 cups crisp rice cereal
• 6 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped
• 4 drops green food coloring, optional
• Green sprinkles or jimmies

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add marshmallows; heat and stir over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; stir in extract and cereal. With buttered hands, press mixture into a greased, foil-lined 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Turn onto a cutting board; remove foil. Cut with a 3-inch metal shamrock cookie cutter; reshape shamrock stem if needed. Save scraps for another use.

In a microwave, melt candy coating at 70 percent power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in food coloring if desired. Spoon over cutouts and spread evenly. Decorate with green sprinkles or jimmies. Let stand until set. Yield: 15 servings.

Coconut Lime Poke Cake

A white coconut cake with lime gelatin and coconut whip frosting.

• 1 box white cake mix
• Ingredients specified on cake mix box
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 box (3 ounces) lime gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

Place coconut milk in the fridge gently, without shaking or stirring in any way. Let chill several hours or overnight.

Prepare white cake according to package directions and add 1/2 cup shredded coconut. Bake in a prepared 9x13-inch pan, according to package directions. Let cake cool.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil, add lime gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cold water and stir.

Using a meat fork, wooden skewer or something similar, poke many holes in the cooled cake. Pour the gelatin mixture evenly over the cake. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to let cool and set.

Very carefully remove coconut milk from fridge, and without shaking or stirring, open can. Spoon out the opaque white foam from the top of the can, leaving the syrup behind. Whip this coconut milk cream for 3 to 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of the coconut milk syrup, and mix well. This coconut whip makes a very small batch. If you want a larger batch, you can add regular milk and more powdered sugar until the amount and consistency are right. It will leave the coconut milk syrup behind; you can save this for other recipes, if desired. Frost cake thinly with the coconut whip.

Toast 1/2 cup coconut on a baking sheet, baking at 425 degrees for 4 to 5 minutes, until brown in color. When toasting coconut, watch it very closely. Once it starts to brown, it can burn quickly. Sprinkle toasted coconut over the top of the cake. If desired, you could also add a light sprinkling of green sugar along with the toasted coconut.

Toasted Coconut and Lime Sugar Cookies

A sugar cookie with lime juice and toasted coconut. You can use regular sugar or tinted green sugar for added color.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Zest of one lime
• About 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut
• Green sanding sugar

Toast coconut on a baking sheet for 5 to 7 minutes at 325 degrees. Watch closely, because once it starts to turn brown, it will burn quickly.

Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add lime zest and lime juice and mix well. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Gently stir in toasted coconut. Roll dough into balls and roll in colored or regular sugar before placing on baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. These will turn out best if they are not overbaked. Yields 4 dozen cookies.

Grasshopper Pie

You only need six ingredients to whip up this fluffy and refreshing grasshopper pie.

• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
• 15 drops green food coloring
• 24 chocolate-covered mint cookies, divided
• 2 cups whipped topping
• 1 chocolate crumb crust (8 inches)

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in milk until smooth. Beat in the food coloring. Coarsely crush 16 cookies; stir into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into the chocolate crumb crust. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining cookies. Yield: 8 servings.

Have a great week and, until next time, happy cooking.