This Sugar Cookie recipe is one of my favorites. It makes a large batch and both the cookie and the frosting are both so good! I got this recipe from my darling friend Rachel Parcell. She made these for Valentine’s Day, and so I thought it would be fun to make shamrocks for Saint Patrick’s Day after seeing her post and recipe. It’s a simple recipe to make and is fun for every season. I wanted to try different sizes of shamrock cookie cutters and different shades of green for the frosting.

I discovered that frosting shamrock shapes are much harder than hearts!  I tried frosting them the traditional way with a knife, but the frosting covered up the shape and I couldn’t tell what it was. There was a lot of experimenting to find a way to frost them and still be able to tell what shape they were.

After some trial and error, I tried piping the frosting using different-sized piping tips and that method worked the best. I experimented with the four different shades of green frosting and some turned out better than others. I’m not an expert baker or piper so these are what I’d call rustic! They were not perfect looking but it was fun to experiment and they tasted amazing! I’ve tried a lot of sugar cookie recipes and Rachel’s recipe is the best one I’ve found.

Click here for the Sugar Cookie and Frosting Recipe (from Rach Parcell, Pink Peonies)

My favorite kitchen necessities when baking cookies:

Cookie Cutter and Piping Tips/Bags

I put 4 different shades of green frosting into piping bags. It was fun to experiment and come up with different variations. The green sprinkles were a fun addition, and what kid doesn’t love to decorate cookies and add sprinkles on top?!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

XOXO

SOURCES LINKED BELOW:

The post Shamrock Sugar Cookie Recipe appeared first on Home With Holly J.

I really enjoyed adding a few touches of green to my kitchen and dining room this year to celebrate Saint Patricks Day. I don’t usually go all out for the smaller holidays but I like adding a few decorations to brighten things up and St. Patricks Day is such a fun and colorful holiday to decorate for.

When I’m decorating my home for the different seasons, I try to create decor that can be used for that season and whatever holidays fall within that season. I start out by choosing a base color that mixes well with the colors in my home. I have a lot of blue decor so I try to mix in the seasonal colors with what I already have.

The Hot Cocoa Bar

I had this hot cocoa bar set up for my Galentines Day Brunch and I decided to keep it out for St. Patricks Day when I realized I had some mugs with shamrocks them. How could I not use these in the hot cocoa bar! I also had some gold chocolate coins that looked so cute in one of my milk glass compotes. I switched out the pink milk glass for the white milk glass and changed out the mugs. I then added these adorable felt ball garlands and just laid them around the tray. This brightened up the entire room and with all the snow that’s been falling in Utah, this hot cocoa bar came in handy!

The Kitchen

My inspiration for Spring and St. Patricks Day were these beautiful green and white ginger jars. I bought some pretty green and white flowers and used one of the jars as a vase for the centerpiece on the kitchen island. Fresh flowers in a ginger jar or vase is always a great accent and brightens up any room.

I used some of my antique milk glass compotes and my green, blue, and white dishes on the open shelves.  The blue dishes are our everyday dishes and for each season or holiday, I alternate some of my other dishes.

It’s so much fun to decorate the hood over the stove! To give it a little touch of the Irish, I used another felt ball and this shamrock garland. Adding in a few simple decorations makes a big statement. Sometimes less is more and in this case, I think the simplicity is better.

Add in some Shamrock Sugar Cookies and some hot cocoa and you’re all set for Saint Patricks Day treats!

The Tablescape

For the Tablescape, I used the same green, white, and blue dishes. If you look close enough, you can see a green shamrock painted on them. I added in touches of gold with the glasses, silverware, and candlesticks which made this tablescape perfect for a St. Patricks Day dinner with the family.

The only thing that’s missing now are the St. Patricks Day Cupcakes and people to eat them!

Wishing you all a Happy St. Patricks Day!

XOXO

SOURCES LINKED BELOW:

The post Saint Patricks Day Spring Decor appeared first on Home With Holly J.

Saint Patrick’s Day Chocolate Cupcakes

Making cupcakes is so much fun and something you can include your children in that’s a fun family activity. One of the most fun holidays to make cupcakes for is Saint Patrick’s! When my kids were little, they loved helping me bake and decorate cupcakes and sugar cookies. This year I thought it would be fun to make chocolate cupcakes with Aunt Jeanies Chocolate Cake recipe and decorate them for Saint Patrick’s Day. Instead of using the ganache frosting that goes with this recipe, I used my friend Ashley’s (www.livingbeautafully.com) go-to chocolate buttercream frosting recipe. I needed a stiffer frosting that could be piped so I could top the cupcakes with the gold chocolate coins and green sprinkles.

The Decorations

I found these cute green and gold cupcake liners, green sprinkles, and gold chocolate coins at one of my favorite baking supply stores and couldn’t wait to make these cute cupcakes.

I’ve listed the cake recipe below and also here: Aunt Jeanie’s Chocolate Cake. The only thing I had to alter for the cupcakes was the baking time. Cupcakes take less time to bake. I started checking them around 12-14 minutes and just kept an eye on them until they bounded back in the middle. I overcooked the first batch so watch them closely. Oven temperatures vary so it could be a little longer in your oven.

I’ve linked the buttercream frosting (above) that I used. Aunt Jeanie’s frosting can be used to frost the cupcakes but it sets up fast so you’d have to spread it onto the cupcakes quickly. It’s more of a ganache-type frosting and doesn’t pipe well. If you want to pipe the frosting on like I’ve done here then stick to the buttercream frosting I’ve linked above.

Print

Aunt Jeanies Chocolate Cake

The best chocolate cake with ganache frosting ever! 

Course Dessert

Keyword baking, cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate desserts, chocolate frosting, dessert, family recipes, homecooked, homemade

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Frosting

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 5 tbsp butter
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup Marshmallows *optional
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts *optional

Instructions

• CAKE
• In a large mixing bowl, add 2 cups sugar. Then sift the 2 cups flour and 4 tbsp cocoa powder into the bowl. Sifting the flour and cocoa is an important step so don't skip it!
  
• Then add the 1/2 cup butter on top of the sifted ingredients.
  
• Put the 1 cup water and the 2/3 cup vegetable oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour all at once over the flour, sugar, and cocoa mixture. 
  
• Stir until well combined.
  
• Add the 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp vanilla and stir until smooth.
  
• Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. Pour into a 9x13 cake pan or large cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes or until the cake bounces back when touched lightly in the middle. Don't overbake.
  

Frosting

• Put the 1 cup sugar, 1/3 cup milk, and 5 tbsp butter into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Do not boil for more than 20 seconds. Remove from heat and add the 2 cups milk chocolate chips. Stir until dissolved and then add the 1 tsp vanilla and stir again. If using the marshmallows and/or the chopped nuts, add those in and gently stir. Immediately pour onto the cake and spread. This sets ups fast so work quickly. 
• This is best if made the day ahead. Allow at least 6-8 hours to set up if possible. 

These cupcakes were simple to make and tasted so good!  Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

xoxo

Tap the images for the links to each item:

Photos by Lizzy Early Cox from @yourcupofcake www.yourcupofcake.com

The post Saint Patricks Day Chocolate Cupcakes appeared first on Home With Holly J.