What a gorgeous day in Minnesota — 66 degrees and sunshine! If it weren’t for the puddles of mud from melting snow, it would have been perfect. I pushed the kids on the swings, strolled them in their strollers, hiked to the park and even set up the trampoline. After a long winter, you truly learn to appreciate spring. Driving with the windows down this afternoon, Elisabeth sighed, “Mom, this is the life!” — and she was absolutely right.
It’s been years since I made much of a fuss for St. Patrick’s Day, so I decided to come out of my “really busy mom” funk and have some fun. Elisabeth and I spent the afternoon baking shamrock cookies for the kids’ lunch boxes tomorrow. I packed an extra dozen in each lunch so they can share with their friends at school. The sugar cookie recipe we used keeps its shape beautifully when baked and is simple to make.
For our St. Patrick’s dinner we’re going all green: homemade spinach fettuccine, green dinner rolls, lime Jell-O and a green drink I’m still dreaming up. I’m excited to finish planning it — any fun green beverage ideas would be welcome!
Shamrock Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Author: Carole Jones
No reviews
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add the sugar and beat well. Mix in the egg, then add the vanilla and almond extract.
- Stir in the flour and baking powder gradually until combined, then mix until the dough is smooth.
- Wrap the dough completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least two hours.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll one portion to 1/4″ thickness (keep the other portion refrigerated). Cut the rolled dough into shamrock shapes or your desired cutters.
- Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375°F (190°C) for about 8 minutes. Let cookies cool on the pan for about five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Frost when completely cool.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/36th
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 36 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg