Irish Soda Bread & Shamrock Cookies

This year St. Patrick's Day kinda snuck up on me....So as I was running around getting the kids dressed in green, I decided I would make some Irish Soda Bread & shamrock shaped cookies to acknowledge the holiday.

This is my Mom's Irish Soda Bread recipe... She is very Irish...which makes me Irish too :). Visit her blog to see just how Irish she is :)...Anna Clo't & Me. It's a simple recipe & makes a bit of a mess...but is so worth it :)

4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sugar (optional)

2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450. Using your hands mix together dry ingredients. Add buttermilk and mix until just combined. Pour onto a lightly floured surface and gently kneed (as you would biscuits) you don't want to make a stiff dough. Shape into a round loaf and place on a lightly floured baking sheet. Using a sharp knife cut and X into the top. Place in the oven, near the top and bake for 30-45 minutes, until loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven and immediately wrap in a clean tea towel to cool.

I like plain soda bread...if you like yours with raisins and caraway seeds here's Martha's recipe.

These technically don't have anything to do with Ireland...except the shape...and that they are fun St. Patty's Day treat to make with your kids. Shamrock Cookies are a spin-off of a simple spritz cookie...if you want to make them another time, just omit or change the shape, food coloring & sugar crystals (of course) :)

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 oz. cream cheese

1/2 c. + 2 Tb. powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

scant 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

**green food coloring

**green sugar crystals (or sanding sugar)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and cream cheese, add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg yolk & vanilla, mix well. Add flour and salt & mix to combine. Add food coloring, mix until color is uniform.

Load dough into your cookie press & press onto a ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sugar & bake for about 8 minutes until very lightly golden around edges. Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheets & transfer to cooling racks to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen.