Schnauzers and Shamrocks

Is it proper for someone who is not in the least bit Irish to wish y'all a happy Saint Patrick's Day?

I think one of the best thing about any holiday is the opportunity to make frosted sugar cut-out cookies. So I decided to try a new sugar cookie recipe for this auspicious occasion. I used the one from Martha Stewart's site. I got the dough all mixed up and ready to roll out before I read the directions, which said:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Roll out dough between two pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top layer of plastic wrap. Cut out cookies with a 4-to-5-inch cookie cutter. Transfer cookie dough on plastic wrap to a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to freezer, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from freezer, and transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with nonstick baking mats.

What? Plastic wrap and chilling and freezing and nonstick baking mats??

Nah. I scattered some flour on my countertop and grabbed my rolling pin. The cookies were rolled out, cut, and on a bare cookie sheet within minutes. Sorry, Martha. I'm just too much of an instant gratification kind of gal.

I chose the traditional Irish shamrock cookie cutter, and also the very festive schnauzer.

Personally, I think that my schnauzers Maggie and Lulu resemble mischievous leprechauns, myself, and thus a perfectly appropriate choice for this holiday.

John thinks that the schnauzer cookie cutter looks more like a giraffe. Pshaw.

No, there isn't a cookie missing from the bottom right corner of the pan.......*Julia surreptitiously brushes cookie crumbs from her mouth*

If I were a perfectionist, I'd have decorated my cookies with the same attention to detail as the ones on Not So Humble Pie.

But then, I'm me, so of course I didn't do that.

I slapped together some frosting:

In a smallish bowl, combine: a glob of butter, a bunch of powdered sugar, a splash of yummy home made vanilla extract, and another splash of milk. Mix. Taste. Mix some more.

Then slathered the frosting on the cookies and sprinkled them with Irish green sprinkles.

Delish.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Now go have some green beer.