Description
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with these festive sugar cookies featuring a hint of vanilla and a touch of green food coloring. Soft, sweet, and perfect for sharing, these cookies can be topped with coarse sugar or festive Lucky Charms marshmallows for a fun twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- green food coloring gel based, as desired
Toppings
- ⅓ cup coarse sugar (turbinado or demerara)
- ½ cup Lucky Charms marshmallows (optional)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until well mixed. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add Egg, Vanilla, and Coloring: Add the large egg, vanilla extract, and green food coloring gel to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, then add the whisked dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined without overmixing.
- Portion Dough: Using a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough and place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet spaced about two inches apart, with about 8 cookies per sheet.
- Add Toppings: Roll each cookie dough ball in coarse sugar; alternatively, top with a few Lucky Charms marshmallows by gently pressing them into the dough without rolling in sugar if using marshmallows as a topping.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one pan at a time for the best results. Place the baking sheet with cookie dough into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are just set and lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack or serving.
Notes
- Bake only one pan at a time to ensure even cooking; if baking two pans simultaneously, rotate the pans halfway through baking, swapping their positions on the racks.
- Using room temperature butter and egg improves mixing and texture.
- Gel-based food coloring works best to achieve vibrant green without altering dough consistency.
- The coarse sugar adds a crunchy texture and sparkle to the cookies.
- Lucky Charms marshmallows can be used as a fun, festive topping but are optional.
