Shamrock Popcorn

green popcorn

St. Patrick’s Day is almost here. If you’re looking for a quick treat to prepare, this super easy-to-make chocolate popcorn will please any leprechaun.

Here’s what you need:

Melt green coating using a double boiler or microwave. Pour over popped popcorn and gently stir until popcorn is evenly coated. Add yellow M&M’s. Spread popcorn out onto parchment paper and let dry. Break popcorn into smaller pieces.

Gold Coin Cupcakes

These green cupcakes with rainbow buttercream and gold fondant coins make the perfect treat for St. Patrick’s Day. Regular cake batter is made green with food color and baked in green metallic foil liners. Topped off with a big rainbow striped swirl and edible coins brushed with gold dust.

You will need:

Step 1: Preheat oven to temperature specified on box. Line cupcake tins with green foil cupcake liners. Mix cake batter according to directions on box. (we used yellow cake mix, but white would work also)

Step 2: Add concentrated green food color to batter. For a nice, bright green, use ‘leaf green’. Completely mix color in but be careful not to overwork the batter. Use a large cookie scoop to fill the cupcake liners. (the 56mm works well for a standard size cupcake) Bake for recommended time.

Step 2

Step 3: While the cupcakes are baking, make the gold coins. Start by rolling out yellow fondant to about the same thickness as a nickel. Use a fondant rolling-pin with rings on each end to ensure even thickness. A silicone mat is nice to work on so that the coins can easily be removed but if you do not have one, lightly dust your work surface with powdered sugar.

Step 3

Step 4: Cut out the coins using the opposite end of a #1A decorating tip.

Step 4

Step 5: Dust circles with a gold luster dust and a soft bristled brush. There are many gold dusts available but some are non-edible. Since the coins are in direct contact with the icing, we used a dust called Super Gold which is edible. Let gold coins lay flat to dry.

Step 5

Step 6: Drop #1A tip down into pastry bag. Stripe the bag by brushing a long vertical stripe of each color on the inside. Use a different craft brush for each color. Put colors in order clockwise starting with red and ending with violet. Fill bag with white icing. For a good homemade buttercream recipe refer to the All About Buttercream post.

Step 6

Step 7: Make sure that cupcakes are cooled completely. Pipe a large swirl on the top of each cupcake. Refer to How-To Ice a Cupcake post to learn an easy piping method.

Step 7

Step 8: Shortly after icing, arrange 3 gold coins on the top of each swirl. Enjoy!

Step 8