Corned Beef and Cabbage Hand Pies

March 16, 2018 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

I recently discovered that corned beef and cabbage isn’t actually Irish, but it certainly is a traditional dish at my St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! I look forward to it each year. This year I decided an appetizer twist on this classic St. Patty’s Day meal was necessary.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Hand Pies

This recipe makes 24 three-inch hand pies. However, if you have a large piece of corned beef you could easily add more pie dough to your plans and make more!

Ingredients:

1.5 lb corned beef roast
1/4 a head of cabbage thinly sliced
1/2 medium-sized yellow onion thinly sliced
4 nine-inch rounds of pie dough (I did pre-made but you could absolutely make your own!)
1 egg
Olive oil, salt, & pepper

Corned beef takes a long time to make. However, it’s delicious and completely worth it! Follow the directions that come on your corned beef roast. I used my crockpot and cooked the roast on low for 8 hours. My directions will begin after the corned beef is cooked. You could absolutely pick up corned beef at a deli and make this dish!

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Directions:

Sauté your cabbage and onion in a saucepan over medium heat until slightly translucent and browned.
Dice your cooked corned beef and mix into the cabbage and onion mixture.
Cut circles from your pie dough using a cookie cutter or glass.
Using a rolling pin, roll out your circles of dough just a bit.
Pile the corned beef and cabbage mixture in the center of a pie dough round. Top with another round of pie dough and crimp the edges to seal. Continue until all pie dough is used.
Put on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Cut small slots into the top of each pie to let steam out.
Crack your egg into a small dish and add a tablespoon of cold water. Whisk the egg until it makes an egg wash. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush egg wash onto each pie.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes or until browned.
Serve with mustard or a delicious Russian dressing.

Do you have St. Patrick’s Day plans? Share below!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Bangers and Mash Bites

March 16, 2018 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

Often when having friends and family over for traditional holidays, I try to stick to tradition while giving it my own spin. St. Patrick’s Day is a perfect opportunity to give a spin to the more traditional dishes. Bangers and Mash is a favorite Irish dish with mashed potatoes, pork sausage, and a wonderful onion brown gravy. I wanted to make an appetizer that would give that same flavorful punch in a bite! These Bangers and Mash Bites take some effort, but they are completely worth it!

Bangers and Mash Bites

You can really get creative with this idea and do a version of potato skins or even a version of Irish Nachos. But, I love how these little potatoes look so interesting and pack a lot of favor in a single bite. This recipe makes approximately 24 bites depending on the size of your potatoes. I did have leftover filling.

Ingredients:

24-28 mini potatoes (a few extra helps in case you make a mistake while hollowing them out.)
2 tablespoon Irish butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 links of good quality pork sausage. I used a smoked sausage.
1 packet of brown gravy + 1.5 cups water
1/2 medium-sized yellow onion diced
1/2 cup of shredded Irish cheddar (more for garnish)
Parsley to garnish

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash your potatoes and take out any eyes you see. Put in a pot of salted water to boil.
Be careful to not over-cook your potatoes. They are done when you can easily poke a fork into them, but are overdone if the mash under the weight of the fork. Strain and rinse in ice cold water. This will make them cool enough to work with.
Cut a small sliver off the bottom and top of each potato. This way they will stand up and you’ll be able to easily access the inner potato.
Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully scoop out the insides of the potato. Don’t throw the innards out! That will be your “Mash.” Put all the filling in a bowl. Place the hollowed put potatoes in a lightly greased baking dish.
Make your mash by adding the cream and butter to the mixture of potato and mashing it with a fork. Set aside.
Dice your sausage and onion and fry in a pan over medium heat. Stir so it doesn’t stick or get too brown. Once cooked through (the sausage and onions will be slightly browned and will smell awesome) you’ll add in the packet of brown gravy mix and water. Stir and let thicken.
Mix in the mashed potatoes until all is incorporated.
Scoop the mixture into each potato. You may have some filling left over.
Place potatoes in the oven for 15 minutes. Pull out, top with cheese, and put back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Serve warm!

What’s your favorite St.Patty’s Day dish? Comment below!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Irish Cream Truffles

March 16, 2018 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

A sweet treat with an Irish twist? These Irish Cream Truffles are easy to make and a tasty way to finish off a big St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Irish Cream Semi-Sweet Chocolate Truffles

While I chose to go the semi-sweet chocolate route these truffles would be equally tasty with a white chocolate. You can make these adults-only treats using Irish Cream liquor or use Irish Cream coffee creamer instead to make friendly to those who do not drink. I chose to dip these treats in chocolate, but you could also roll in cocoa powder or sprinkles.

Ingredients:

2 Bags of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
1/3 cup Irish Cream Liquor (or creamer)
Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

Put one bag of chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl.
Slowly bring cream to boil (be careful not to scald) and mix in Irish Cream.
Pour the hot liquid over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. If the mixture is not entirely melted, then you’ll want to slowly heat the mixture in the microwave in 15-second increments.
Mix in the coconut oil (or butter) until mixture is smooth and shiny.
Pour the mixture into a shallow 9×9 pan or dish and put in the fridge to firm up for approximately 1 hour.
Once firm, use a spoon to scoop out small quarter size balls of the truffle mixture. Roll into a ball using the palms of your hands. Note: you’ll get sooooooo messy! Try putting a bit of cocoa powder on your palms to help the process work a tad better. Set the completed balls of truffle mixture on a parchment paper covered plate and then set in fridge to firm while you melt your chocolate for dipping. If you are choosing to roll in sprinkles or cocoa powder instead of dipping, you can do so now.
Melt your chocolate slowly in the microwave or over a double boiler so that it does not burn and coats nicely. I tend to put in a tablespoon of coconut or vegetable oil to get it a better consistency.
Dip your truffle balls into the mixture and set on a sheet of parchment paper to firm. Top with sprinkles for fun!

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