Make mini tarts....using a regular pie crust, cut into rounds and pressed into mini muffin tine, without the papers....bake cook and fill with mint chocolate mousse....or before baking fill with cheese cake batter ( 8 oz cream cheese, 1 egg 3 T sugar,1 T sour cream and 2 tsps flour...green food coloring and vanilla extract) and bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350...top with chopped pistachios.
Both recipes need refrigeration long term, but will easily be fine sitting out for 3 or 4 hours.

I like Linda's suggestion. Or you could make mini chocolate cupcakes with Bailey's frosting. :)

Needing finger food and no refrigeration kind of limits the desserts. You could make cupcakes and frost with a pale green frosting-you could also do a chocolate cupcake with a soft tinted green center. There are several ideas on Taste of Home website for St Patrick desserts that would fit your requirements.

Scones with green frosting. This is Ann T's scone recipe. Next weekend's project for me, but others have raved about it. No refrigeration needed and with some green icing, maybe even shamrocks, you've hit the holiday.

Ann T's Raspberry Scones

2 1/2c AP flour (all purpose)
1/2c sugar (can sub brown sugar)
2 1/2t baking powder
1/2 t salt
6T cold butter
1 c heavy cream (or whipping cream)
1/2c Raspberries
Mix dry ingredients well. Cut in butter. Mix in cream. When the cream is almost incorporated, add fruit, berries or nuts.
Bake at 425F for 15-18min or until tops are just turning golden and centers are set.

My notes on how to make these perfect.

I have to use my hands to finish this into a thick heavy dough.
I freeze all of my fruits or berries, so that they can be "placed" into
the scone dough. I combine the dough into a ball, press out into a 6-8"
circle, and push the frozen goodies into the dough, and kinda smoosh it
back into place to fill the scone. Keeping in mind that the least amount
of handling and manipulating of the dough, once cream is added is best.
Cut into 8 wedges or 12 for smaller servings. Put on a baking sheet with
a bit of room between each. (They puff and spread a touch.) Brush with
some extra cream, and sprinkle with sugar.

Variations I do.
Raspberry and small dices of white chocolate, sugar topping
Loganberries, Marionberries and other purple-black berries, cinnamon sugar topping
Peaches with brn sugar sub in dough and sugar and sliced almond topping

Thanks everyone! I have a Martha Stewart recipe for key lime bars (which is like key lime cheesecake with graham crust made in a square baking dish). Linda's suggestion gave me the idea that I could do something like that in mini muffin tins & garnish with a bit of lime zest. (They have a teenage son living at home who is allergic to nuts, so I won't bring anything with nuts.) I was thinking nothing refrigerated so fridg room wouldn't be a problem for the hostess, but if cheesecake tarts could sit out for a couple hours, I guess I could do something like that. I love chocolate, but I'm taking a guess that others' desserts may likely be in that vein.

There's a flag at our front door that says "Lucky To Be IRISH", and we have hosted some really fine St. Patrick's Day Hoolies (parties) over the years. Lots of great food to prepare over a couple weeks of marathon baking... The first two recipes are desserts I made from a class I took years ago on Irish Cookery:

BROONIE (Irish Gingerbread)

2 c. flour

1-1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. ground ginger

3/4 t. salt

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1 c. molasses

1/2 c. quick-cooking oatmeal

1 c. hot water

Measure flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Sift together onto waxed paper. In mixing bowl, combine butter with sugar until well blended. Add the egg plus the two additional egg yolks. Beat mixture until fluffy. Stir in molasses.

Add sifted dry ingredients, oatmeal and hot water (1/4 at a time) to egg and molasses mixture, stirring after each addition. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13" baking pan. Bake in a 350°F. oven 20-25-minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when tested. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Kerry Apple Cake

1-1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. butter

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 c. milk

3 medium size apples, peeled and thinly sliced, (about 2-1/2 cups)

1/4 c. brown sugar

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is coarse crumbs. Add egg and milk and blend well to a stiff batter. Mix in apple slices and spread in a greased 9" square baking pan. Sprinkle top with brown sugar, bake in a 375°F oven 25-minutes. Serve warm, with whipped cream if desired.

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A traditional Irish cake from "Classic Irish Recipes":

IRISH WHISKEY CAKE

1-3/4 c. golden raisins

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 c. whiskey (Irish Mist)

12 T. (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

pinch of salt

pinch of ground cloves

1 t. baking powder

Icing:

Juice of 1 lemon

1-3/4 c. confectioners' sugar

a little warm water

crystallized lemon slices to garnish (optional)

Put the raisins and grated lemon rind into a bowl with the whiskey and let soak overnight. Grease a 7-inch deep cake pan and line the bottom with wax paper. Preheat a moderate oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Separate the eggs. Sift the flour, salt, cloves and baking powder together into a bowl. Beat the yolks into the butter and sugar one at a time, including a spoonful of flour and beating well after each addition. Gradually add the raisins and whiskey mixture, alternating with the remaining flour. Do not overbeat at this stage. Finally, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the mixture with a metal spoon Turn into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 1-1/2-hours, or until well risen and springy to the touch - test with a skewer, which should come out clean, if you are uncertain. Turn out and cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, make the icing by mixing the lemon juice with sifted confectioners' sugar and just enough warm water so that you can pour the icing. Put a dinner plate under the cake rack to catch the icing.

[Grainlady Note: I baked this recipe in a fluted Bundt pan. Check the cake for doneness after 30-minutes.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last, the least traditional, and the most popular....

KILLARNEY CHERRY CAKE

(I've posted this recipe so many times on the Internet over the years that you can now Google it and find the recipe. I found this recipe in a cookbook that was compiled by Home Ec. Teachers in the "Foreign Section". How authentic to Ireland it is somewhat doubtful - although cherries are an Irish favorite - but this cake is always a hit and easy to make.)

1-lb. 2 1/2 oz. pkg. chocolate fudge cake mix
1/4 c. plus 3 T. creme de menth or 1 1/2 t. peppermint flavoring
1/2 c. chopped red or green Maraschino cherries
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 T. confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 c. whole green (or red) Maraschino cherries*
Chocolate curls (take a potato peeler to a cold or frozen Hershey Chocolate Candy Bar)

Prepare cake according to package directions, substituting 1/4 c.creme de menthe for 1/4 c. water or adding 1 t. peppermint flavoring and using the same amount of water as called for on the box (Grainlady note: I prefer the peppermint flavoring to the creme de menthe - creme de menthe tends to burn the cake). Stir in chopped cherries; pour into two greased 9-inch layer pans. Bake as directed on cake mix package. Cool.

Whip the cream with remaining creme de menthe or 1/2 t. peppermint flavoring and confectioners sugar. Spread one-third of the whipped cream between cake layers. Heap
remaining whipped cream on top. Arrange whole cherries on the top of the cake (Grainlady note: *drain and blot the cherries on paper towels first to prevent cherry juice dripping on the whipped cream), add chocolate curls over whipped cream.

Note: If you want to save time and money, frost the cake with a tub of Cool Whip (regular or Extra Creamy, the Low-fat stuff doesn't hold up well) with either creme
de menthe or peppermint flavoring in it instead of whipping the cream. Make sure this cake is refrigerated until time to serve.

I made these once for St. Patrick's Day and they were good! And they're finger food and "adult" food!

GROWN UP ST. PATRICK'S DAY CHOCOLATE GUINNESS CUPCAKES

WITH IRISH WHISKY FROSTING

1 1/2 c. flour

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. cocoa

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 cup Guinness

1/2 c. canola oil

2 T. vinegar

1 T. vanilla

Irish Whisky Frosting

1 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

2 to 5 T. milk

3 to 4 t. Irish whisky

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with paper cupcake liners.

Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the Guinness, oil, vinegar and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until well combined. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners. The cups should be filled about 3/4 full, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

IRISH WHISKY FROSTING

Beat the butter on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat to incorporate. With the mixer running, add 1 T. of milk at a time until it reaches the desired buttercream consistency. Add whisky, 1 t. at a time, until desired taste. Beat on high for 2 more minutes until very fluffy.

Great, thanks everyone - I can now bring dessert for the next 9 years and not make the same thing twice :)!

LOL, Elba, wanna make it 10 years? (grin)

You could make a very traditional Barmbrack, and being of partially Irish descent, I never turn down a slice, especially with jam, although Grandma ate hers with butter, as she did all quick breads. Although it's baked in a cake or bundt pan it really reminds me more of a quick bread than a cake. I don't usually make mine with tea, although it's traditional. I sometimes use green tea and sometimes just use water. I tried coffee once, I wouldn't advise it and won't do that again although Irish Whiskey, Guinness or Irish Cream might be a nice substitution too.

Its name "Barm Brack" comes from the Irish Bairin Breac meaning speckled loaf, referring to the fruit bits or raisins in it.

Traditionally a Barmbrack cake has "lucky" objects for people to find, like a coin for money, a ring for marriage, a horseshoe or small shamrock for luck, etc. Usually they are left out now, too many people bit into or swallowed them, I guess. Not so lucky.....anyway...

Barmbrack

2 cups mixed dried fruit, chopped, or raisins or currants or a mix of your choosing
1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) hot black tea
1 egg, beaten
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon marmalade (I usually don't have lemon so I use orange)
1 tsp freshly-grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
3 cups plain or all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda




Add dried fruit pieces to a bowl, then pour the black tea over them and allow to soak for 3 hours, or overnight is best. Afterwards, drain the fruit of any excess liquid.

Add the egg, sugar, lemon marmalade, orange zest, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a large bowl and beat until well mixed, then carefully fold in the fruit and stir until everything is thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the flour and baking soda until just combined, then pour dough into a well-greased cake pan or Bundt pan.

Do not over-mix the dough or the tea-soaked fruit will break apart.

Place in an oven preheated to 350°F and bake for about 50 minutes or so. When done, the top of the cake is a light golden brown and springs back when pressed. Remove cake from the oven and let cool at least 60 minutes in the tin before placing onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before serving.

If desired, when done, glaze the top of your barmbrack with 1 tablespoon honey dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water, pouring it evenly over the top, then returning the cake to the oven for 2 or 3 minutes to set the glaze.

If you'd like a small individual dessert, you could make Irish Potato candy. I roll mine to look like small potatoes, and roll in cocoa to resemble dirt.

Irish Potato Candy

1 medium-sized potato, boiled and mashed fine

2 teaspoons butter

1/4 pound coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla,

1 pound confectioners' sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until creamy. Put down in a buttered pan until hard; make 1 inch thick and pour over it 2 melted squares bitter (dark) chocolate. Put in a cold place for 2 hours and cut in squares to serve.

For "potatoes", roll the potato candy mixture by hand into irregular bite-sized balls and then let them dry a while before rolling in cocoa powder.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Annie.

Ha, ha Annie, with your two additions, we're up to 11!

Thanks - I made a file with all these ideas - I'll look them over again - I've seen recipes for Irish Potato Candy, but they didn't actually call for a potato!

Paula Deen made that potato candy thing. Didn't know it was Irish. But then Savannah has a large St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Martha, I don't know that the potato candy is actually an Irish invention, although the Barmbrack is relatively authentic. The candy is just meant to resemble an Irish potato, and the love of the Irish for their potatoes is well known. At least I love them, and we often had them for three meals a day when I was a kid. I still love them.

Truthfully, I don't think they probably had coconut in Ireland originally...

Annie