olychick, the pourable fondant would work, but you would probably have to do more than one coat to cover brownies or the dark color would peek through the fondant. I don't shop at Walmart, but I did go there on purpose to buy pink candy melts for something I was doing. They are also available at craft places like Hobby Lobby and Michael's. If you use white chocolate it might be more difficult to pour, although you could then let it pool around the bottom to make more of a "brim" on your hat. I just don't like dealing with white chocolate, I've gotten white chocolate concrete more than once, somehow I don't have "the touch". Or maybe it's the patience I don't have, LOL. Really? I think the green food coloring would be fine, but I'd probably not try to melt the white chocolate in the microwave, I seem to have the most trouble doing that. Annie

Tea Brack recipe first, then how to make homemade buttermilk. -Grainlady TEA BRACK (source: Irresistible Irish Breads - magazine article by Deborah Krasner) Brack, an Irish word for bread, is often used when referring to fruited mixtures. Tea Brack is a traditional tea bread which is an easy version of barm brack. Makes 1 loaf. 2 c. dark seedless raisins or dried currants (I use currants) 1-1/2 c. firmly packed dark-brown sugar 1-1/2 c. strong brewed tea, chilled 1/4 c. rum (I use 1/8 c.) 2 c. unsifted all-purpose flour 1-1/2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. ground cinnamon 1/2 t. ground nutmeg 1/2 t. salt 1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten 1. Several hours or the night before baking, in large glass bowl, combine raisins/currants, brown sugar, tea, and rum. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit overnight. 2. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-1/2x4-1/2-inch loaf pan and line with waxed paper. Grease waxed paper. 3. In medium-size bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly beat flour mixture and the egg into raisin mixture just until combined to form a batter. 4. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake brack 1-1/2-hours until browned and cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 5-minutes. Turn brack out of pan and remove waxed paper. Cool brack completely on wire rack. Grainlady note: I use two 7-1/2x3-1/2-inch loaf pans or three 5-3/4x3-3/4-inch loaf pans and reduce the baking time accordingly. This is a very moist bread - more currants than bread, almost. I like the smaller pans so I can cut the bread into thin slices that don't fall apart. If you make it in a regular loaf pan, the slices tend to split and fall apart. -------------------------- I use a large amount of buttermilk when it comes to baking on St. Patrick's Day, so I make a homemade version of it using information from "Natural Meals In Minutes" by Rita Bingham. I use a non-instant powdered milk, but regular commercial milk works VERY well. Homemade Buttermilk To a 1-quart canning jar add 1/2 c. buttermilk and fill the jar with regular milk OR reconstituted powdered milk. Note: You can use commercial buttermilk as the starter, or a reconstituted liquid made from powdered buttermilk, or buttermilk from a former batch of homemade buttermilk - your choice. Stir well and cover (I use a plastic lid designed to use with canning jars). Let stand in a warm place (at least 80°F) until clabbered, about 12-18-hours. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate. Grainlady note: I keep mine in my oven with the light on. The temperature at the opposite side of the oven from the light is about 80°F. You can use homemade buttermilk from a previous to culture the milk for the next batch. Just make sure you use it within 2-weeks. Older buttermilk doesn't work as well as newer buttermilk. If you've ever used reconstituted powdered buttermilk, it's rather insipid, thin, and tasteless compared to commercial buttermilk. The homemade buttermilk is more like commercial buttermilk.

IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE 6 whole graham crackers 1/4 cup melted butter 24 oz cream cheese, softened 7 TBL sugar 1 TBL flour 2 eggs 6 TBL sour cream 1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream 2 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup whipping cream 9 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped Chocolate curls, optional Process graham crackers in food processor until finely ground. Ad butter; process until mixed. Press over bottom of 9" springform pan. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Beat cream cheese & sugar in mixing bowl until smooth. Beat in flour & eggs 1 at a time. Blend in sour cream, Irish Cream & vanilla. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250°. Bake 40 minutes longer. Turn off oven. Let cheesecake stand in closed oven for 1 hour. Loosen cheesecake from side of pan; do not remove pan. Chill overnight. Bring cream to a simmer in heavy saucepan. Add semisweet chocolate. Heat over low heat until melted & smooth, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Place cake on rack placed on baking sheet. Remove side of pan. Pour chocolate glaze over top; spread over top & side with spatula. Chill until set. Remove to serving plat. Top w/chocolate curls, if using.~~

No corned beef here. No kitchen. However, I’ve so enjoyed looking (and drooling) over everyone’s photos! My goodness Annie, you really cooked! It all looks delicious – is that corned beef in your scalloped potatoes I see? If so, you are ‘so extra’! I love the back and forth you have with the Princess : ) Seagrass… corned beef hash with poached eggs? Can it get better than that? Nope : ) Dcarch, I have to repeat myself with you all the time! Unbelievably beautiful plating, but even better… that looks incredibly tasty! I have to ask as cindy_7 did: Are those broccoli florets, nipped? Love the way you prepared the carrots and cabbage, sliced thickly. Clever to fry the corned beef fat : ) Martha, yummy looking and your Guiness Brown Bread is beautiful! Artemis ma, I’ve never made Irish colcannon but I want to now! I know DH would love that… so would I : )