Shamrock Shortbread Cookies

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter

  at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

  sifted
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 9-10 tablespoons room temperature water
• optional: gel food coloring

  (I use this food coloring kit [https://amzn.to/3XGp82k])

Instructions

• 1 In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat (1 cup unsalted butter)
  until lightened, smooth and creamy. Gradually add (3/4 cup powdered sugar) until
  combined. Add (1 teaspoon vanilla extract) and mix until incorporated.
• 2 In a separate bowl, whisk together (2 cups all-purpose flour), (2 tablespoons
  cornstarch), and (1/2 teaspoon salt).
• 3 Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until completely
  combined. Shape into a disc shape, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 20-30
  minutes as you preheat the oven to 350℉.
• 4 Roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface (or parchment paper)
  until it is about ¼ thick. Press a cookie cutter directly into the dough and
  transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart—Reroll dough
  scraps to make more cookies.
• 5 Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are beginning to a light golden color.
  Baking time will depend on how large and thick the cookies are.
• 6 Add (4 cups confectioners' sugar), (3 tablespoons meringue powder), and 9
  tablespoons water into a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted
  with the whisk attachment, beat icing on high speed for 1-2 minutes.
• 7 The icing is ready when you lift the whisk out of the icing and it drizzles down
  into the bowl and smoothes out within 5-10 seconds. Add additional water, 1
  tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. The more you beat
  the icing, the thicker it becomes.
• 8 To tint the icing, add a tiny amount of gel food coloring and mix. A small
  amount goes a long way. You can always add more coloring if needed.
• 9 Transfer the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe an
  outline of icing around the shape of the cooled cookies. Then, fill the center
  of the cookies with icing (we call this flooding) and let them sit undisturbed
  for about an hour to dry. If desired, you can add sprinkles (I used sparkling
  sugar) while the icing is still wet.

Nutrition Info