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What You Need:

• 1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 T egg, well beaten
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 C + 1 t flour
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/8 t salt
  
• 2 1/4 C of confectioners’ sugar
• 1 T + 1 t powdered egg whites
• 3 T water
• 4 drops green food coloring

How to Make It:

1. Place the butter into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
4. Place the flour into a sifter.
5. Add the baking powder and salt to the sifter.
6. Sift the ingredients into the bowl with the butter mixture.
7. Place the mixer speed on low and mix until the dough is well blended.
8. Lightly flour a flat surface and turn the dough onto the surface.
9. Place a little flour on your hands and knead the dough gently for 30 seconds.
10. Shape the dough into a round disk, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
11. Remove the chilled dough and allow it to set at room temperature for 10 minutes.
12. Allow the oven to heat to 350 degrees while cutting the cookies.
13. Very lightly spray a cookie sheet.
14. Sprinkle a little flour on a flat surface and on a rolling pin.
15. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness, turning the dough as needed and adding flour to the surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
16. Use a shamrock cookie cutter to cut the dough.
17. Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheet.
18. Bake 8 minutes or until they are just beginning to brown.
19. Remove and allow to cool 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
20. Place the confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl.
21. Add the powered egg whites and toss to combine.
22. Whisk the water into the mixture until the icing is smooth.
23. Add the food coloring and gently stir to color the icing.
24. Ice one side of each cookie with the icing.
25. Set the cookies back on the wire rack and allow the icing to harden slightly before serving.

Serves: 18 cookies

Use other St. Patrick cookie cutters and make whatever designs you like. Be sure to divide the icing into separate bowls if you want to use different colors. More green food coloring can be added to make your shamrocks darker in color.