Let's face it, the little man with the green hat and the red beard is probably never going to give up his pot o'gold...but that hasn't kept me from trying my best to catch him. I think you all know I firmly believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sasquatch, Fairies, Unicorns and any other magical creature, but especially Leprechauns. Trying to catch a Leprechaun is not easy, first you have to build a trap and then hope you've got enough glitter and gold to attract a bonafide Leprechaun and not just a neighborhood dog/squirrel/small hungry child! And then there's the whole driving to the end of the rainbow thing, which if you've ever tried to do is very, very hard. Rainbows are as elusive as unicorns!
Speaking of traps...I had the opportunity to help 6 little girls make Leprechaun traps...and to fill their heads with Leprechaun lore. Pictured above is the trap Claire made - I thought it was so clever as she wrote on her trap, promising more gold if the Leprechaun stays longer! Brilliant, no?! In the time it takes the Leprechaun to read what Claire has written she'll be able to grab him by his little boots and be well on her way to collecting his pot of gold...of which I will take 10%, seems only fair. Never underestimate 8 year old girls in the pursuit of Leprechaun gold!
You can use whatever mint cookies you have on hand for these truly delicious parfaits. This time of year I always have Girl Scout Thin Mints, but they don't offer any green insides like the Mint Oreos, so I opted for them. If you've got cute little clear cups, use them so you'll be able to see the different layers.
Making the vanilla cream filling is pretty simple, everything is added to the pan, heated and stirred until thickened and then removed so the butter and the extract can be added. I used Brandy instead of vanilla extract because I think the flavoring goes much better with the cream filling. You use what you want...You do know that extract is made with alcohol, right?!? So please don't be raising any eyebrows at me...1 teaspoon of brandy has the exact same alcohol amount as 1 teaspoon of vanilla. You could also use vanilla pudding but really, why?!? This filling is just as easy to make and I promise you it tastes 100% better than a package vanilla pudding. Pinky swear!
The filling thickens up nicely. Those little dark spots are from the vanilla bean that is cooked in with the filling - which is just another reason why this is so much better than packaged pudding!
Carefully spoon the filling into the cups with the broken cookies...little cups of yumminess right there! Put the cups into the refrigerator to chill and right before you're ready to serve, top them with sweetened whipped cream and if you have some adorable shamrock sprinkles on hand, definitely use them!
Leprechaun Parfaits - Pots and Pins
1 package mint cookies (either Girl Scout Thin Mints or Oreo Mint Cookies), broken into small pieces (I used about 15 cookies to make 8 servings)
sweetened whipped cream for topping, optional
shamrock sprinkles for topping, optional (I buy all of my "holiday" sprinkles at Home Cake Decorating in Seattle. And if case you didn't know, Home Cake has a new owner and the place is SO much better than before!!)
Vanilla Cream Filling:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 teaspoons brandy
Break cookies into small pieces and put them into individual cups/ramekins.
Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Add the yolks, then immediately but gradually whisk in the milk and evaporated milk. Drop in the vanilla bean (if using), Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently at first, then constantly, as the mixture starts to thicken and begins to simmer, 8 to 10 minutes. Once the mixture simmers, continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat; whisk in the butter, vanilla extract (if using, and brandy.) Remove the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and whisk them back into the filling. Carefully spoon the filling over the broken cookies, dividing equally between the 8 cups or ramekins. Put into refrigerator to chill. Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle on green sugar shamrocks if you have them! Makes 8 servings.
