St. Patricks Shamrock Cookies (Printer-friendly)

Buttery shamrock-shaped cookies adorned with green royal icing for festive St. Patricks Day treats.

# What You Need:

→ Sugar Cookies

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 0.5 teaspoon almond extract

→ Green Royal Icing

09 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
10 - 2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 3 to 4 tablespoons room temperature water
12 - 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Green gel food coloring

# How to Make It:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
02 - Beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter mixture. Beat until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until dough comes together.
05 - Divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 0.25 inch thickness.
08 - Cut shamrock shapes using a cookie cutter and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are just beginning to turn golden. Cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Add room temperature water and vanilla extract. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until smooth and glossy, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
11 - Add green gel food coloring to icing and mix until desired shade is achieved.
12 - Transfer icing to piping bag fitted with small round tip. Outline and flood cooled cookies. Allow icing to set for at least 1 hour before serving.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving enough that you'll feel like a baker even if you've never piped icing before.
  • Those bright green shamrocks sitting on a plate feel like edible luck, and people always ask for the recipe.
  • They stay soft in the middle with just the right crisp at the edges, a balance that took me three tries to nail.
02 -
  • The most common mistake is adding water too quickly to the icing; you want it stiff enough to hold its shape, not soup.
  • Gel food coloring is absolutely worth the extra trip to find it because liquid coloring will make your icing too thin and watery.
03 -
  • Never skip the sifting of powdered sugar; it's the difference between smooth icing and one full of tiny lumps that clog your piping bag.
  • Let your butter come to room temperature naturally instead of microwaving it, because it creams more evenly and gives you better cookies every single time.
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