minted sugar shamrock cookies

I bake these unique and sophisticated minted sugar cookies every March.

They remind me of an old-fashioned cookie . . . the kind of cookie that my grandma would've enjoyed with a cup of chamomile tea in her garden.

Although they might be a simple sugar cookie flavored with vanilla and peppermint, it's the minted sugar sprinkled on top that make them so special. Because the sugar is flavored with the oils from fresh mint leaves, it's taste is subtle and clean. The flecks of mint in the sugar are so pretty . . . and the texture of the sugar is fine, so the cookies taste delicate.

shamrock fun fact . . .

The shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.

Minting sugar is a simple process of rubbing fresh mint leaves into sugar until they release their oils, naturally flavoring the sugar. This can be done easily, using an electric mixer.

It might be a little extra work, but the result is unique and quite pretty . . . making them the perfect little cookie to share with your best of friends, perhaps over a cup of chamomile or mint tea in your garden (smile).

 

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (1 ½  sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
 powder sugar (instead of flour) for rolling out dough

for minted sugar
1 cup sugar
15 fresh mint leaves

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Preparation

To make the cookies . . . 
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt . . . set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extract and egg. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

On a lightly floured powder sugar surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, and bake until just golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pans and let cool completely.

 

Preparation for minted sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a flat beater, combine 1 cup of sugar with the fresh mint leaves. Turn on slow speed for several minutes. The beater will rub the leaves in the sugar to release their oils; set aside until ready to use.

Remove and discard mint leaves from sugar. For quick mint leaf removal,  SIFT the sugar. 
Brush each cookie with a thin coating of cream and sprinkle with minted sugar.

Makes 10 to 24 cookies, depending on cutter size.

 

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