Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Or as they say in Irish (Gaeilge): Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!
Even if you weren’t born with Irish roots, everyone is a little Irish today.
My name is Robin and in honor of the holiday, I asked Lydia if I could be a guest blogger so I could share one of my favorite treats:
Pistachio Cupcakes!
As a child, my mother would celebrate the holiday by dressing us all in green and making pistachio dessert. Even though pistachios aren’t necessarily an Irish thing, their green color and delicious flavor make them fun little additions to the festivities!
As an adult, I like to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day by inviting my friends over and teaching them a little about my heritage with some good food and music. I still wear green and I still love incorporating pistachios into the desserts (Mom is so proud!)
Not everyone enjoys Irish food, but that’s okay! If you’re not a fan of corned beef and colcannon, there are plenty of green sweets for everyone to enjoy! One favorite among my friends is this recipe for pistachio cupcakes. I got it from a wonderful friend of mine. Even though the cupcakes aren’t authentic to Ireland, they are a great treat to enjoy with friends!
Put on the jigs and reels and let’s get baking!
For the Cupcakes You Will Need:
1¾ Cups of Flour
2⁄3 Cup of Sugar
1 Package of Pistachio Pudding Mix (instant)
2½ teaspoons of baking powder
½ teaspoon of salt
¾ Cup of dark chocolate chunks
2 eggs
½ Cup of canola oil
1½ Cups of milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Stir the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls until they are both well-mixed. Combine the bowls and fold in the chocolate chunks. Fill the lined muffin cups ¾ full and bake for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting You will need:
2 packages of Cream Cheese
½ Cup of butter (one stick)
2 Cups of Powdered Sugar
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
**Please Remember: Always refrigerate cream cheese frosting when you are not using it.
Leave cream cheese out for an hour so it can soften, and then beat with a mixer before adding the butter. Once the butter has been added, mix again before adding the other ingredients. I used green food coloring in my frosting, but you can decorate however you would like! I also added some orange sprinkles to show my love for the orange and the green.
Thanks for reading, and have a happy and safe St. Patrick’s Day! Sláinte!
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Thank you for this lovely recipe. I am also Irish and will enjoy this on our St Patrick’s Day festivities. I love Family recipes. Nancy-Anne
Thanks Nancy-Anne! Robin did such an excellent job preparing these cupcakes. I can’t wait for her to make them again! St. Patrick’s Day is too far away! lol!