St Patricks Shamrock Sugar Cookies (Print Version)

Festive shamrock sugar cookies decorated with smooth green royal icing, ideal for celebrations and gifting.

# What You’ll Need:

→ For the Sugar Cookies

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg
04 - 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 0.5 teaspoon almond extract, optional
06 - 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 0.5 teaspoon salt

→ For the Royal Icing

09 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
10 - 2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 4 to 5 tablespoons warm water
12 - 0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
13 - Green gel food coloring

# How to Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
02 - Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Beat until fully combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
04 - Divide dough in half and flatten into two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
05 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - On a floured surface, roll out one dough disc to one quarter inch thickness. Cut out shamrock shapes with a cookie cutter, spacing cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
07 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges begin to turn golden. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
08 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and vanilla in a bowl. Add water one tablespoon at a time, beating on low speed until stiff but pipeable peaks form. Tint with green gel food coloring.
09 - Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Outline and flood each cooled cookie with icing. Add decorative details or sprinkles as desired. Allow icing to dry completely before serving or packaging.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes, and the real magic happens when you pipe that emerald icing into perfect shamrocks.
  • They look fancy enough to impress at parties but taste like the simplest, most comforting sugar cookie you've ever bitten into.
  • Royal icing dries completely hard, so you can box them up without worrying they'll smudge or stick together.
02 -
  • If your royal icing looks too thick and stiff when you first mix it, add water just a teaspoon at a time until it flows smoothly from the piping bag, because once it's too thin you can't fix it without starting over.
  • Don't overbake these cookies or they'll taste dry, so pull them out when the edges are just barely golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
  • Cold butter straight from the fridge won't cream properly, so truly let it sit on the counter until it's soft enough that your finger leaves a slight indent.
03 -
  • Keep an extra piping bag and tip nearby so if one gets clogged with icing you can switch quickly without stopping your rhythm.
  • If your icing feels too stiff to pipe, microwave it for just 5 to 10 seconds and stir gently, but don't overheat or it'll become too thin to control.
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