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Dessert shooters are an amazing way to finish up a big meal without ending up with that brick-in-the-stomach "oof" feeling when you overestimated the capacity of your tummy.

What Are Shamrock Shooters?

Mcdonald's Shamrock Shake - a creamy vanilla mint milkshake - was first created by Hal Rosen, a Connecticut Mcdonald's owner in 1967 for St. Patrick's Day. After the shake proved tasty and popular, it started to debut in limited numbers of Mcdonald's restaurants in 1970. Now, you can find Shamrock Shakes in all Mcdonald's around St. Patrick's Day.

Now, the term "shamrock" has become synonymous with any dessert that employs the combination of vanilla/creamy mint flavor. This recipe is one such dessert.

These simple and perfectly-portioned treats are made by layering a light white chocolate peppermint mousse with crushed graham crackers. They're light, refreshing, and come together in no time!

What Ingredients Do I Need?

Graham Cracker Crumbs and Butter: These are two classic ingredients used in making graham cracker pie crusts, and they are used here in a similar fashion. While not as packed and sturdy as a pie crust, adding melted butter to the crumbs adds rich flavor and buttery texture to the cookie layer.
White Chocolate: As with any recipe, the quality of your ingredients will affect how awesome your dessert tastes. Use a high quality white chocolate - Ghirardelli and Godiva are great, widely-available brands - for best results.
Peppermint Extract: You only need a teeny bit of this powerful extract to add just the right amount of mint flavor without being overpowering.
Heavy Cream: Fresh whipped cream is what gives the mint chocolate layer its fluffiness and creaminess.
Green Food Coloring: An optional addition, but just a drop or two will give you that pale green color that's a hallmark of the real Shamrock Shake.
Tall Shot Glasses or Port Wine Glasses: These are a must for making these shooters so pretty!

Set of Tall Shot Glasses (find on Amazon)

Are These Shooters Make Ahead Friendly?

Because the whipped cream tastes best when allowed to chill for a couple of hours in the fridge, you can make them before you start prepping the rest of your meal. When it's time for dessert, simply pull them out and you're ready to serve. Although I recommend eating this dessert the same day, you can make the shooters a day or two in advance if need be. Because the white chocolate helps to stabilize the whipped cream, it'll keep its "fluff" a little longer in the fridge than traditional whipped cream.

Served in tall shot glasses or pretty mini stemmed glasses, they're just as pretty as they are tasty. If you're having guests over for dinner, make these ahead of time and keep the tray of glasses in the refrigerator. They'll be chilled and ready to go as soon as it's time for dessert!

Pure Peppermint Extract (Amazon)

Shamrock Dessert Shooters

Author: Erin Browne
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 mins
Yield: 5-6 shooters 1x

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Description

Creamy mint and white chocolate whipped cream layered with buttery crushed graham crackers make these Shamrock shooters a perfectly-sized dessert for St. Patrick's Day.

Ingredients

Scale

¾ cup heavy cream, divided
6 ounces chopped white chocolate or half of a bag white chocolate chips
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring
1 ½ cups (approximate) crushed graham crackers
3 TBS melted butter

Instructions

In a small sturdy saucepan over medium heat, heat half of the heavy cream until starting to steam. Do not boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until melted and mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
Add the peppermint extract and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Meanwhile, using a hand mixer, add food coloring to the remaining cold heavy cream until desired color is reached, and then whip until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold cooled chocolate mixture into whipped cream.
Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter until the crumbs are coated.
Layer the creamy mint mixture with graham crackers in tall shot glasses or pretty stemmed glasses. Chill for 1-2 hours until ready to serve.
Depending on how thick your layers are and how large your glasses are, one recipe should make 5-6 servings.

Notes

The shooters will have the best texture when eaten the same day, but you can make them a day (2 max) in advance, as the white chocolate will help to stabilize the whipped cream.

Keywords: shamrock, mint chocolate, white chocolate, parfaits, dessert shooters

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