Ah, Saint Patrick’s Day- for some, it is a chance to celebrate Irish culture and heritage, for others it is the first excuse to party since New Year’s. No matter the reason, it is a celebration for many, and as with any major themed holiday, related food will be consumed. While some treats are fit for leprechauns, many are just popular marketing gimmicks that have nothing to do with the Irish. Authentic or not, these desserts deserve to be reviewed, and that is exactly what I did so you know which dishes should be eaten and which are better off being left on the other side of the rainbow.
The first visit on my quest was to Crumbl Cookie where I had the Mint Brownie and Mallow Creme featuring Lucky Charms cookies. The Mint Brownie was warm and gooey right when I got it, which is the perfect condition to eat a chocolate cookie. The brownie was the main component of the treat, with specs of mint throughout that complimented the chocolate quite nicely. The main taste you get while eating it is the brownie, and it almost overpowers the mint but mixes out just enough to be considered a good mix. Overall the taste was a 6/10 which is good because it is not authentically Irish at all, the only arguable trait for it was the green specs in the cookie. The Mallow Creme was also not very authentic, even if you could maybe guess the Saint Patrick connection from the Lucky Charms on top. The cookie itself was extremely sweet, with the icing on the top being overpowering and the marshmallow cereal just adding more sugar. The sugar cookie beneath the topping was okay, but all added together it was too sweet for this food consumer. I would give the cookie itself a 4/10 and the overall Crumbl Cookie experience was a disappointment. The cookies were only so-so and the connection to Saint Patrick’s Day was very weak.
My next food stop was for perhaps one of the most popular treats for the Irish holiday, the Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s. While the dessert has little to do with Ireland itself, it has been around since the late 1970’s and is very green, giving it a good connection to Saint Patrick’s day. The vanilla and mint have a very good mix in the beverage, with the mint being far stronger than it was in the Brownie but just letting the vanilla be the lead flavor. I think the two mix quite well and the shake has a good texture, with the white whipped cream adding just enough fluffiness, and the sweetness being evident but far from overpowering. It is not a perfect dessert, as the more you drink it the more it starts to taste like minty vanilla milk, but it has its popular reputation for a reason. Overall a 7/10 dessert.
My next treat was very authentic and served at my family’s Saint Patrick’s Day party, Duff. It is a boiled or steamed pudding that typically contains dried fruit, the one I had contained blueberries which is a popular variation from Newfoundland. The dried pudding was great, but unfortunately, I do not often like blueberries in desserts, I find the fruit often goes best solo, and thought it took away from the rest of the pastry. I must compliment it for its authenticity, and I am sure others may enjoy it, but for myself, it was a 5/10 dessert.
The final goodie I tried was Irish Soda Bread from my local grocery store. It is a type of quick bread made without yeast and featuring raisins. I must say that it tasted quite good, somewhat what you would expect if you were to consume a raisin bagel. The texture and taste were very nice, and complemented quite well with the raisin, especially when heated up briefly with a tad bit of butter. It was not some overly fabulous dessert but did its job quite well and authentically, making it a 6/10
Saint Patrick’s Day may not be a day known for its desserts but they are certainly out there, and some are actually good. The Shamrock Shake is likely the most popular sweet you will find, but Irish Soda Bread and Duff are both fine options for you to try to find or make. If you really want the best that the holiday has to offer though, stick with the Corned Beef and Cabbage.