Bailey's Irish cream cookies

My Thursday morning started out just like any other.  I got up, got ready, did a few little chores around the apartment (unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, took out the garbage).  I even made some cookie dough, which isn't unheard of given my Thursday work schedule (I start my work day later, so if I'm up at a decent hour, I have some free time in the morning).

But then it changed.  Because when you're baking with Bailey's at 9:30 a.m., it's not your average Thursday morning!

With St. Patty's Day around the corner, I figured making some festive treats would be fun (I made some Irish Soda Bread a few days ago).  Plus, I had been eyeing this recipe for a really long time!  Now I know Bailey's is not "St. Patrick's Day" festive, but it is Irish, and therefore in my book completely acceptable as a St. Patty's Day treat :)!  It doesn't hurt that I love Bailey's, too, and happened to have a bottle sitting around from when I made those Car Bomb cupcakes back in December.

As always, I copied down the ingredients and directions and off to the kitchen I went to make the dough.  Of course when I was then making the dough, I glanced over and saw 1 Tablespoon of baking powder -- which seemed like a lot.  Thinking I must've been too drowsy when I copied over the recipe, I added 1 teaspoon and went on with the recipe.  Only when I went back to confirm, it was in fact 1 Tablespoon!  So I went back and added a little more Bailey's to the already made dough to soften it a little, and then added the additional 2 teaspoons of baking powder.  Also, this dough is pretty dry at the end.  My Kitchen-Aid was really working hard to mix it all together.  So, if you're thinking that this might be a recipe you could skip the Kitchen-Aid on, and use a hand mixer instead, I strongly suggest you stick with the stand mixer/Kitchen-Aid!

I decided to leave these cookies plain and just partially dipped in chocolate.  The BIGGEST letdown?  I didn't have a shamrock cookie cutter :-(  I tried ordering one online but it was going to come after St. Patty's Day.  So instead I ended up using my non-festive circles and then using Shamrock sprinkles that I had.  Not super-festive, but at least sticking with the St. Patty's Day theme!

This cookie was posted on the original blog as a sandwich cookie.  I chose not to fill them because mine rose a bit and were puffy, and would've made a massive sandwich cookie.  For the filling - if you chose to use it - click on the link below, which will take you to the original and complete recipe.

Bailey's Irish Cream Cookies
from Buttercream Blondie

Ingredients:

For the Bailey's Cookie Dough:

8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature
1.5 cups sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking bowder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Bailey's

For the Garnish:

Dark chocolate for dipping (I used dark and milk)
Festive sprinkles

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and egg yolk.
Mix in the vanilla extract.

Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl.

Alternate adding in the dry ingredients with the Bailey's until combined.

Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for a few hours, up to overnight.
Roll out the dough and cut out cookies using a (shamrock) cookie cutter.
Chill cookies at least 30 minutes before baking to keep their shape.

Bake at 350 for 12-13 minutes, rotating once halfway through.
Start checking them after 10 minutes.
As soon as they get a little blonde on the edges, they're done.

Dip cookies in chocolate and decorate with sprinkles.