St. Patrick's Day

Shamrock Cookies!

I made cut out cookies for St. Patrick's day using my favorite recipe from 'The Joy of Baking':

Shortbread Cookies:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional if using salted butter)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cream the butter until smooth with electric or hand held mixer.  Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes).  Beat in vanilla extract.  Mix in flour until just incorporated, don't overbeat.  Flatten dough into disk shape and refrigerate at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350, warm dough slightly till it can be rolled out (8 sec. in microwave).  On lightly floured surface roll dough out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut into desired shapes.  Place cookies on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until cookies are slightly brown.  Cool on rack.  Makes about about 20 cookies

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 Stick room temperature butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1-2 Tbsp. milk

Cream butter until fluffy, add sugar 1/2 cup at time - will be thick.  Add vanilla and some of the milk, add more milk to get desired consistency.

These cookies are great because they don't contain egg (for those with egg allergies).  We served them when Meredith was 3 and had several friends with egg allergies.   They can be modified by using 'Earth Balance' buttery spread to make them dairy free as well.  The cookies don't contain baking soda or powder so they do not rise and distort shape, which is also great for cut out cookies.  The vanilla and butter make them taste (and smell) great!  They are one of our favorite cookies for Christmas and other holidays that require cute cookies! :) Jeffrey said he was hesitant to eat the cookies with smiley faces because they were 'too cute', but I reassured him and told him that they WANT to be eaten.  

St. Patrick's Day Lunch!