St. Patrick's Day Appetizers

Corned Beef Puffs are an Irish spin on the Spinach Puffs appetizers that were previously published near the holidays. This is the original recipe.

 Spinach Puffs from BonAppetit 2012

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a  10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towels
• 1/2 cup crumbled Swiss, feta or Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese 
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped dill
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic (from a jar)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed, rolled out to a 12- inch square, kept chilled

Directions:

• Using your hands and a paper towel to squeeze spinach until dry, forcing out as much water as possible you should have about 2/3 cup well-drained spinach. Mix spinach and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg to blend; fold into spinach mixture. 
• Cut puff pastry sheet into into 9 equal squares. Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bottom and up sides and leaving corners pointing up. Divide filling among cups. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center. DO AHEAD Spinach puffs can be assembled 3 hours ahead. Cover puffs and chill. 
• Preheat over to 400 degrees. Beat egg to blend in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash (this will give the pastry a nice sheen). Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 17 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let puffs cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving. 

Corned Beef Puffs

Cook's notes: Instead of the spinach filling substitute corned beef filling and follow the same directions as in above. The filling is enough for 13-14 puffs so you will need 1 sheet plus half of another. 
recipe inspired by pamperedchef.com
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 sheets puff pastry sheet 
• 6 oz.deli corned beef chopped
• 3 TB. green onion
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 3 TB. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip 
• 3 TB.pickle relish, drained  
• 1 TB.Dijon mustard

Directions:

• With a pastry wheel cut one sheet into 9 equal squares
• Use a food processor to combine filling ingredients
• Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bottom, up sides and leaving corners pointing up
• Add 1-1/2 TB filling into each pastry square. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center
• Preheat over to 400 degrees. Beat remaining egg to blend in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash (this will give the pastry a nice sheen). Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 14 minutes. Let puffs cool in pan for 5 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving

Kiwi and Raspberries

use a shamrock cookie cutter to create kiwi shapes

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee was created by Irish chef Joe Sheridan in 1942 at the Foynes airbase (replaced by todays nearby Shannon International Airport) near Limerick, Ireland. The story goes that a flight returned to the airport after attempting to reach New York during a winter storm one evening. To warm up the stranded passengers, Sheridan who ran the airport's new restaurant mixed up what became the first round of Irish coffee to be served.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strong, rich hot coffee
• 1-1/2 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 oz. fresh whipped cream

Directions:

• Pour the sugar then coffee into a warm coffee glass mug or other heat-proof stemmed glass
• Stir until dissolved
• Add in Irish whiskey and stir again.
• Top with whip cream but don’t blend cream with coffee

Stock up on butter when it is in sale. You can store it in freezer for up to 6 months. Pack butter in an airtight container, so it doesn't take on the flavor of whatever else you are freezing.