Sparkly St Patricks Day Cookies (Printable)

Soft green sugar cookies filled with vanilla frosting and coated in sparkling sugar for festive enjoyment.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Green Sugar Cookies

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, optional
09 - Green gel food coloring
10 - 1/2 cup green sparkling sugar or sanding sugar

→ For the Vanilla Frosting

11 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
14 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
15 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using.
05 - Add green gel food coloring and blend until desired shade of green is achieved.
06 - Gradually mix in dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
07 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, and coat each in green sparkling sugar.
08 - Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten each ball with your palm.
09 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - In a medium bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
11 - Spread or pipe generous layer of frosting onto flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. Roll sides in extra sparkling sugar if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The dough stays incredibly soft and chewy, so you don't have to worry about overbaking or ending up with hard, brittle cookies.
  • Gel food coloring gives you that vibrant green without watering down your dough, which I learned the messy way the first time.
  • They come together in under an hour and look fancy enough to impress people at a party, but they're genuinely simple to make.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the cookies completely before frosting them, or the frosting will melt and slide off, leaving you frustrated and sticky handed.
  • Gel food coloring truly does make a difference in both the vibrancy of the green and the texture of your dough compared to liquid food coloring.
  • These cookies are best assembled the same day you bake them because the cookies start to soften and the frosting can become tricky to work with after sitting in humidity.
03 -
  • Sift your powdered sugar for the frosting even if it seems like an extra step, because lumpy frosting is genuinely frustrating to pipe or spread.
  • Keep your sparkling sugar in a shallow dish so you can coat the cookie balls quickly without waste or mess.
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