For my birthday this year I was given the coolest set of cookie cutters. I love them, they are so adorable. One major problem though, I have never been good at making sugar cookies. I have always stuck to low fuss cookies. So one night I decided to make my very first batch of sugar cookies. I think they sucked. There were so boring. So what makes things better in my book....? Whiskey. Those who know me know that whiskey is my liquor of choice. I was sneaking it in the dorm rooms back in the day and well I think I might have to blame it for half of my boyfriends. Plus Whiskey gave me the Irish courage to take on a new form of sugar cookie. Irish Coffee Cookies.
So to make the best Irish Coffee you need to start with an Americano. It is going to be so much smoother than just regular coffee.
For Irish Coffee you need:
1 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey
1 tsp brown sugar
6 oz hot coffee
Heavy Cream
Combine whiskey, sugar and coffee in a mug and stir to dissolve. Float cold cream gently on top. Do not mix.
In the summer I love iced Irish Coffee. Milwaukee's Irish Fest got me hooked on that.
So to make this into a cookie I took a basic sugar cookie recipe. If you have one you like it can be easily converted.
You will need:
For cookies
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
Dash of salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Irish Whiskey
1 pack Italian VIA (or instant espresso)
For Royal Icing:
2 cups sifted powder sugar
4 teaspoons meringue powder
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup warm water
½ teaspoon Irish Cream
In a medium bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add in your sugar, baking powder, and a dash of salt. Beat until combined. Add in your egg, vanilla, VIA and Whiskey. One cup at a time add in the flour. Cover and let chill. It takes about hour to chill and you know what that means... Happy Hour!
Preheat your oven to 375°.
On a floured surface roll out our dough so it is about ¼ inch thick. Get now it is time to get creative. You can use any type of cookie cutter you want. Hey if anyone comes across cookie cutters in the shape of martini, wine glass or beer mugs, please, let me know where you found them.
Place your cutouts on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes and let cool on sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.
Right before you are ready to ice your cookies make your royal icing.
Combine all of you icing ingredients and mix on a low speed for about 7 minutes.
Pipe icing on your cookies and you are set.
Please don't look too closely at my cookies... they look like a drunken person decorated them... ummm well... I did have a happy hour while the dough was chilling.
Since I am sweet enough, I only frost the cookies a little. I don't like overly sweet things but you may find you like them fully frosted.
