St. Patrick's Day Sugar Cookies

I didn't plan on making cookies for St. Patrick's Day. I wanted to concentrate more on Easter designs. However, my husband said that I could make a chocolate mint cookie if I did St. Patty's cookies. I never even heard of chocolate mint sugar cookies. The idea was definitely stuck in my mind.

I decided to invent a recipe. Some basic sugar cookie dough - enhanced. I will be sharing this yummy cookie recipe with you. It's delicious enough to be eaten fresh out of the oven. A chocolate mint rolled/cut-out sugar cookie.

After baking these cookies, I did decorating on 3 different days. Each day I did a different set of designs. The last day, I finished way toooooo late in the night. The picture isn't as pretty without the natural light of the sun, oh well. =[ I packaged the cookies immediately and shipped them to my in-laws, so I didn't get a change to take a pretty picture the next day.

On the first day, I tried to come up with 6 different designs for the popular shamrock cookie cutter shape. I made a very basic one, covered a cookie in green royal icing with a green outline. I dazzled one with white sanding sugar on the outline. It was an easy way out.

Then I tried to be more creative, the other 4 designs were good enough for me.

On the second day, I wanted to play with other shapes. My favorite one on the second day is the pot of gold. I filtered out yellow confetti sprinkles from a spring confetti sprinkle jar by wilton for the gold coins. I painted them in gold luster dust for more gold like qualities.

For the pot of gold cookie, you start with an empty undecorated cookie.

Outline a pot shape and fill in.

After the base dries, draw a lip/rim on top of the pot. Allow to set.

Fill in the top with yellow/gold color royal icing. Sprinkle with yellow confetti sprinkles. Allow to set.

Then paint gold luster dust on coins if desired.

I also painted gold luster dust on this tiny pot:

I disliked making the rainbow cookie. I often dislike making cookies that require more than 4 colors. So much color mixing, and so much piping bags to fill. =[

On the third day. I went crazy with ideas. I tried drawing a cute leprechaun and his hat and a cool shamrock holding a flag. I had fun with these designs. 

I took tons of more pictures of each cookie at a close up angle, but don't have enough time to process the images tonight. Will update this post tomorrow with more photos, possibly maybe 2 days - some time before March 17. I promise.

Here is the chocolate mint sugar cookie recipe:

Chocolate Mint Cut-Out Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Green food coloring (2 drops if gel)

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 tps salt

1/3 cup Andes chocolate mints, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.

2. Add egg, extract, and food coloring to achieve green color. Mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, (cocoa powder)and salt.

4. Add flour mixture to creamed butter bowl. Mix well.

5. Mix in Andes mint. Either fold in, or mix in.

6. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour or overnight until firm.

7. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll out dough to 1/8 in thick and cut shapes.

8. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before decorating.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on cutter size. I got 2 1/2 dozen.