Baileys Irish Cream Cookies

Happy Friday friends!  I've been doing some major recipe testing all week, and I've got some sweet treats lined up for you in my Saint Patrick's Day series!  Growing up in a very traditional Irish family, and spending about sixteen years competing in Irish step dancing, let's just say Saint Patrick's Day is big in my family.  I'm really looking forward to sharing this series with you where I'll be incorporating products we are all familiar with, and introducing some that might be new to you.  Today I'm kicking off the series with these Baileys Irish Cream cookies.  In one word these cookies are boozylicious, and I don't know about you, but I like the sound of that!
What I love most about these cookies is that there's not just Baileys in the filling, but in the cookie dough too.  The Baileys in the sugar cookies not only adds a delicate layer of flavor, but also cuts down on the sweetness nicely.  The most important point about these cookies is to really keep an eye on them when they're baking.  When they take on a light blonde color they're done, any longer and they'll look like they spent too much time in the sun.  The filling is the perfect balance of sweet and boozy, and the trablit adds a good kick of coffee flavor.  As always, I highly recommend trablit, but you can definitely use some instant espresso powder if that's what you have on hand.
Once I filled the shamrocks, I dipped them in dark chocolate.  They were good before this, but the dark chocolate is just that extra step that ties it all together.  Finished off with some festive sprinkles, they're fitting for any Saint Patrick's Day party, or any day you feel like treating yourself!  Have a great weekend!

Baileys Cookies

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
• 1&1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups AP flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Baileys

1. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
2. Add egg and egg yolk.
3. Mix in vanilla extract.
4. Alternate adding in dries with Baileys till combined.
5. Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate a few hours to over night.
6. Roll out dough & cut out cookies using a shamrock cookie cutter.
7. Chill cookies at least 30 minutes before baking to keep their shape.
8. Bake at 350 degrees 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.

*This recipe yields about 80 shamrock cookies, 40 sandwich cookies.

Baileys Cream Filling

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
• 2 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 6T. Baileys
• 2t. Trablit - you can also use instant espresso powder

1. Cream butter and sugar, adding a little sugar at a time so you don't have a sugar shower.
2. Add extract and Baileys.
3. Fill cooled cookies.