Cookies

Alright, it is becoming closer to Saint Patrick's Day. We wear green. I decorate with green. The best part of Saint Patrick's Day is it means Spring is almost here! The outside starts to blossoms with a lot of green. These cookies are good. I didn't press down hard enough to get the crinkled edges. These cookies are good and pretty. I had to go with green for the time of year.

Swig Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for topping
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp water
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp salt, plus a pinch for the sugar topping
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter, vegetable oil, sugar, powdered sugar, water, and eggs.
4. In another bowl, combine the baking soda, cream of tarter, salt, and flour.
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. 
6. Combine until incorporated. Dough shouldn't be sticky just crumbly.
7. Scoop the dough into balls and place onto the baking sheet. 
8. On a small plate, combine a little sugar with a pinch of salt for the topping.
9. Dip the bottom of a glass into the sugar topping mixture. Press the bottom of the glass onto the dough for a cookie press. 
10. Press the dough until flatten. The edges should be crinkly.
11. Bake the cookies for 8 minutes. 
12. Remove from the oven and place the cookies on a wire rack. 
13. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 package (2 lb.) powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk
2-3 drops of green food coloring

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sour cream, and salt.
2. Slowly, add a cup of powdered sugar with a little milk then add another cup of powdered sugar with more milk until the desired consistency. 
3. Add one drop of the green food coloring until the desired color.
4. Frost the cookies immediately before serving.

Recipe adapted from Vintage Revivals.

One year ago...................................I made Mint Chocolate Pudding.
Two years ago.................................I made Mint Cheesecake Pie.
Three years ago...............................I made Bourbon Cookies.

Did you already know.............................
-In the U.S., Irish ancestry is the second largest behind German ancestry.
-In Australia, over 1/3 of the population has Irish ancestry.
- Eleven U.S. Presidents had Irish ancestry including President Obama.

Flag Cookies

I am so happy summer has arrived. Do you have any plans this summer? Our big plans are my children are attending camp during the day. At first, they really didn't want to go but now love it. Also, my sister is staying with us for the summer with her two girls. I love having them around but the best part is when we have dinner at night with all the kids. They really enjoy listening to my husband's stories about when he was young. Do you share a lot of your stories at dinner time too?

My abstract flags

Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Add one egg at a time and mix well. 
4. Add the vanilla and scrap down the bowl.
5. Slowly, add the flour mixture. Mix until incorporated.
6. Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
9. Scoop about 1/4 cup of chilled dough and roll into a ball.
10. Place on the parchment paper and flatten slightly.
11. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are just set. Don't over bake.
13. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

Frosting:
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
7 Tbsp milk (more if needed)
Sprinkles red and blue if making the abstract flags

1. In a medium bowl, add the sifted powdered sugar.
2. To the bowl, add the melted butter, vanilla, and the milk.
3. Whisk the mixture until smooth. 
4. Frost the cooled cookies and top with the sprinkles.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

One year ago......................I made Virgin Bloody Marys.

Did you already know........
-Summer solstice for this year was June 21st.
-Today the moon was closest to the Earth than it will be all year.
-Since the moon will be a full moon when it is this close to the Earth, it is called a Supermoon.