The Culinary Works

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It as been established that I adore champagne...and of course I love butter (very close behind the bacon obsession)…May I offer up to for St. Paddy’s day a more “girlie” approach…with the lovely Irish Lady cocktail and Irish Shortbread?  This is the perfect way to start a day of celebrating all things Irish!

Let’s start with the cocktail – so you can sip while you prepare your shortbread cookies!

 

Irish Lady Cocktail

(makes 1 cocktail)

• 1 oz Midori Melon liquor (I like it chilled)
• 3 oz champagne
• 1 oz orange juice

 

Directions: Pour the Midori, then champagne and top with orange juice into a champagne or martini glass.  Cheers!

 

Irish Shortbread Cookies

• 1 c (2 sticks) Irish unsalted butter, held at room temperature for 15 minutes
• ½ cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus some for your work surface

 

Note: You can find Irish unsalted butter @ Trader Joes and most specialty grocers.  It is important to use the Irish butter to get an authentic shortbread – you won’t be sorry you did!

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour.  Continue mixing until dough comes together to form a ball.
• Transfer dough to lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thickness with lightly floured rolling pin.  Using cookie cutters, cut out your dough.  Place on baking sheets with 1 inch spacing.  Gather up your scraps, re-roll and cut more cookies out.
• Bake in over for about 30 minutes or until cookie dough turns golden.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  The cookies may be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.  But you probably won’t need to store any as they will be gone soon!

Yeild: makes about 3 dozen

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