Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with these do-it-yourself festive treats

From wearing green to visiting a bar for drinks with friends, there are several ways people can celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick's Day. Although the holiday falls on a weekday instead of a weekend this year, 73 percent of people ages 18 to 34 are still planning to celebrate the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. Instead of stopping by your local grocery store for prepackaged cookies or cakes to bring to your St. Patrick’s Day party, consider making these three festive desserts for some salty, sweet and sour treats.

Shamrock Pretzels

What you need: 

• Bag of tiny twist pretzels
• Green melting candy
• Glass bowl
• Fork
• Spoon
• Knife
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Refrigerator 

Directions:

1. In a glass bowl, pour your green melting candy. Microwave the candy in 30-second intervals, and stir in between intervals until the candy is fully melted.
2. Line your baking sheet in parchment paper to ensure your Shamrock Pretzels do not stick to the baking sheet.
3. Dip one pretzel into the melted candy until the pretzel is completely covered. Using a fork, lift the pretzel out of the melted candy, and allow its excess to drip off. 
4. Place the pretzel on your lined baking sheet. Repeat step 3 with a second pretzel. Then, place the second pretzel on the baking sheet so the bottom of the second pretzel is touching the bottom of the first pretzel. This creates the first two leaves of your shamrock. 
5. Repeat step 3 with a third pretzel. Place the third pretzel at the top of the two pretzels to create the third leaf. 
6. To create the shamrock’s stem, break apart one pretzel. Dip the broken-off pretzel piece in the melted candy, and place the stem at the bottom of the shamrock. 
7. Using your fork, scoop some of the melted candy, and drizzle it in the center of the Shamrock Pretzel to ensure the pretzels stay together.
8. Repeat steps 3-7 until you’ve reached your desired amount of Shamrock Pretzels. 
9. Place your baking sheet of Shamrock Pretzels into your refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes. 

10. Once you’ve removed your baking sheet from your refrigerator, use a knife to carefully peel your pretzels off the parchment paper. 

11. Enjoy your Shamrock Pretzels. 

Over the Rainbow Cupcakes

What you need: 

• Cake mix of your choice 
• Mixing bowl
• Cupcake baking tin 
• Cupcake liners
• Green frosting
• Frosting tip 
• Mini marshmallows
• Food-safe scissors
• AirHeads Xtremes 
• Rolos
• Gold sprinkles

Directions: 

1. In a mixing bowl, prepare your cupcake batter according to the package’s directions. 
2. Line your cupcake baking tin with festive St. Patrick’s Day cupcake liners. 
3. Follow the mix’s baking directions. Let cupcakes cool after baking. 
4. Using the frosting tip, hollow out the center of each cupcake. 
5. Fill the holes you’ve made in each cupcake with gold sprinkles. 
6. Pipe green frosting on top of each cupcake. 
7. Using food-safe scissors, cut each AirHeads Xtreme candy in half, and place them on top of each cupcake, making an arch. This creates the cupcake’s rainbow. 
8. Place two mini marshmallows on each end of the cupcake’s rainbow.
9. Pipe a small amount of leftover frosting onto the wide end of a Rolo.

10. Press gold sprinkles onto the frosted Rolo until all the frosting is covered.

11. Place the Rolo next to the mini marshmallows on one side of your cupcake’s rainbow. This creates the pot of gold at the end of the cupcake’s rainbow. 

12. Enjoy your Over the Rainbow cupcakes.

Pot of Gold Cake Pops 

What you need: 

• Cake mix of your choice
• Green melting candy
• Green frosting 
• Gold sprinkles
• Two mixing bowls
• Glass bowl
• Spoon 
• Plate
• Paper lollipop sticks 
• Refrigerator 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, prepare and bake your cake batter according to the package’s directions. Allow the cake to cool after baking.
2. Line your baking sheet in parchment paper to ensure your cake pops do not stick to the baking sheet. 
3. In another mixing bowl, take your cooled cake, and crumble it into fine, small crumbs in your bowl. 
4. Add one heaping spoonful of green frosting to your bowl of crumbled cake. Combine the frosting and cake mixture, adding extra frosting if needed, until the mixture is moist and can hold a ball shape. 
5. Roll the cake and frosting mixture into balls of your desired cake pop size, placing each one on the baking sheet. Continue until the mixture is entirely used.
6. In a glass bowl, pour your green melting candy. Microwave the candy in 30-second intervals, and stir in between intervals until the candy is fully melted. 
7. Taking one lollipop stick, dip the tip of it in the melted candy. Then, place the stick halfway into a cake ball. Continue with the rest of your cake balls. 
8. Place your baking sheet of cake balls into your refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes. 
9. Once chilled, take one cake pop, and dip the entire cake ball into the melted candy. Do not let excess run off. 

10. Place the cake pops on your baking sheet so the stick is pointing upward. Let the excess melting candy run off the cake pop and pool around its bottom. This creates the pot shape of your cake pops. 

11. Repeat steps 9-10 with the rest of your cake pops. 

12. Place your baking sheet of cake balls into your refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes. 

13. Pour gold sprinkles onto a plate. Once you’ve removed chilled cake pops from your refrigerator, dip the very top of your cake pop with the pooled melted candy into the gold sprinkles. 

14. Enjoy your Pot of Gold cake pops. 

Contact Nicole Thomas with comments nrthomas3@bsu.edu or on Twitter @nicolerthomas22. 

Read More

Center for Peace offers academic opportunities

By Meghan Braddy and Grayson Joslin / 15 hours ago

Over the years, the center has offered a peace studies minor, conflict resolution training and grant funding.

---

AP: New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction

By Staff Reports / 15 hours ago

New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case, according to the Associated Press (AP).

---

AP: Hamas willing to enact ceasefire if an independent Palestinian state is established

By Staff Reports / 15 hours ago

Wednesday, April 24th, a top Hamas political official said the group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more with Israel and that it would lay down its weapons and convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders, according to the Associated Press (AP).