Ingredients
- 11/2 cups softened butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean opened and seeds scraped out
- 2 egg + 1 extra yolk
- 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or 2 tsp. Cardamom
- 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- green lifesaver candies
Instructions
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Sift together flour, salt & pumpkin spice.
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Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy—5 minutes.
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Add vanilla bean, mix well then add eggs. Beat to combine.
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Slowly add the flour mix until the dough is smooth.
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Separate the dough and wrap it in 3 separate pieces. Place in the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes.
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When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
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Flour a work surface and roll the disk out to 1/4 inch thick.
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Cut out Shamrock cookie shapes for brush embroidery technique.
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For Stained glass look - cut dough with large circle cookie cutter (make sure Shamrock cookie cutter fits into circle). Then cut shamrock inside circle. Fill each Shamrock shape with crushed green lifesavers. Cookie sheet MUST be lined with parchment paper or cookies will stick to cookie sheet.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes. (edges just starting to brown)
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Cool completely on the cookie sheets before moving.
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Decorated with Royal Icing.
Recipe Notes
Royal Icing
1 lb icing sugar (powdered sugar)
5 tbsp meringue powder
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
Beat together on medium speed for about 7 minutes. Icing will be very thick. To base cover icing thin icing with a teaspoon of water at a time until flows easily.
Let icing harden completely before decorating with brush embroidery technique.
Measure all ingredients to make quick work of making cookies.
Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla bean until fluffy.
Add flour mixture a bit at a time until incorporated.
Divide into 3 equal disks, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on well floured surface. Cut with your favourite cookie cutter.
Bake 8-10 minutes, just until edges start to brown. Cool completely before decorating.
Check out this link for easy to follow instructions to decorate cookies using Royal Icing click here!
Ingredients for Royal Icing. Powered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla and water. (do not use vanilla bean- too grainy)
Sift together powdered sugar and meringue powder.
Add water and vanilla, beat for 6- 7 minutes until icing very stiff.
Thin about 1/2 of the icing with water, mixing 1 teaspoon at a time until icing flows smoothly. Coat cookies with thinned icing. Let dry completely, then add gel food colouring to about 1/2 cup of icing that had been thinned a bit but still holds a peak. Use coloured icing to add more decorative touches. Check this great tutorial for decorating cookies with Royal Icing here.
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wow, beautiful cookies. thin icing to a 10 count, what is a 10 count?
Laureen: The brush embroidery on the shamrock cookies is superb!
Thanks Joan you are quite a great cookie decorator yourself.
G’day! I LOVE your cookies Lauren and you step by step really inspires me to do!
Pinned as part of sharing the love today too!
Cheers! Joanne
thank you so much Joanne 🙂
So pretty, you are so talented!!
thank you Tara for dropping by and leaving a comment 🙂