Clover Cookies

Decorating sugar cookies is something I enjoy for all sorts of holidays and events – not just Christmas. I especially love making a day out of it by inviting my friends over to help me, that way each cookie is frosted and sprinkled by a different person. This year for St. Patrick’s Day, I thought it would be super fun to try Martha Stewart’s recipe for Clover cookies, and give them away to friends in gift boxes.

To create a clover stencil for your cookies, print out a clover template like this one. Then, once you’ve cut out the shape(s) you like with a pair of scissors, place them over a discarded plastic lid – the type that comes on top of a soup carry-out order – and trace with a sharpie. Then, using a utility knife, carefully cut the lines on the lid until you can pop the shape out. And voila! You have yourself a clover stencil for your cookies that you can re-use every year for St. Patrick’s Day.

Clover Cookies
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Green sanding sugar
• Clover stencil

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and the baking powder. Add to the butter mixture, and beat on low until combined. Cover the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in two. Place one of the halves back in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half to ¼”-inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter (or the top of a jar or glass), punch out circles in the dough, and move them over to your cookie sheet.

Center your clover stencil over your cookies, and dust with the green sanding sugar. Make sure that you coat the sugar evenly. Before you remove the stencil, lightly press the sugar into the cookie with dry fingers (this helps keep the sanding sugar in place). Remove the stencil, and move on to the next cookie until all are decorated.

Place cookies in preheated oven on middle rack, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Remove and cool completely on wire racks before packaging.

Recipe from Martha Stewart.

To package my cookies, I used large gift boxes and decorated them with square, jade colored Kashmire labels. I tied raffia around the boxes to keep them secure.

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Lindsay (114 Posts)

Lindsay is a writer/blogger from Oregon who loves crafting, cooking, gardening, and simple living. You can find her writing about all of this and more on her blog A Wooden Nest.