With St. Paddy’s Day just around the corner, do you have special plans? As for myself, I intend to visit a few of the finest Irish pubs in the Northwest, just to watch a bit of clogging and to enjoy some rollicking tunes… and maybe a green beer or two as well. But this fun-loving holiday would not be complete without enjoying a few of my most-prized, hearty recipes. So to my loyal readership, enjoy with my blessings:

Guinness® Corned Beef – This is a “melt-in-your-mouth dish and well-worth the wait! (Prep Time: 20 Minutes/Cook Time: 2-1/2 Hours)

4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup of brown sugar
1- 12 oz. can of Guinness® Irish Stout beer
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C)

Rinse the beef completely and pat dry. Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef, including the bottom. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar. Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Note: During the last hour, add vegetables in the roasting pan as well. Try a wedge of cabbage, new potatoes, onion, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with your vegetables.

Kaylin’s One-Hour Buttermilk Rolls – A nice replacement to the standard Irish Soda Bread (Preheat oven to 450 degrees)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and 1/4 cup butter. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add buttermilk, salt and soda, and stir to blend. Add flour and blend to form dough. Set in a warm place and let rise for 10 minutes. Turn dough out on a floured area and knead briefly until smooth. Roll dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4″ thick. Cut in circles with a cookie cutter. Brush with some melted butter. Fold in half and place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush the top with more melted butter and let rolls rise for 40 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 1-1/2 dozen