Cookies & {Irish} Cream

Well, I'm still working on figuring out how to right the wrong that was supposed to be my St. Patrick's Day recipe. As I mentioned earlier in the week, I had a catastrophic small fiasco in the kitchen when I accidentally overflowed water from my sink, all over my counter top, and onto the floor and then proceeded to spill other assorted ingredients everywhere. To add insult to injury, the recipe didn't even turn out.

Evidence of my clumsiness.

I was not going to let a little kitchen mishap get to me, or stop me from sharing something festive. No, ma'am, not this little baker.

Yesterday, I was up before the crack of dawn {heaven knows why}, and in the kitchen as the sun rose so I could bring you these. {You know, before the next holiday.}

What are they, you ask?

Malted Irish Cream & White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Irish Cream Glaze, that's what.

And guess what? The Irish Cream in these? I made it from scratch!

It is just as good {if not better} than the stuff you buy at the store. I'm so glad I happened upon the recipe over at The Cupcake Project. I adapted the recipe just a little bit because I didn't have enough Jameson, so I adjusted the proportions and also made my own chocolate syrup to add to it. {I know, I'm out of control.}

But back to the cookies...

They are soft, chewy, and sweet with just a hint of the Irish Cream and malt flavors shining though. And the glaze adds a little extra Irish Cream punch in case subtlety isn't your thing when it comes to boozy desserts.

Since these cookies are spiked with the good stuff {and since I don't want to be arrested for serving minors}, I had to come up with an alternate treat for the kiddos I work with and for those who don't partake in the sauce.

Thanks to some Pinterest browsing and the creativity over at Hostess with the Mostess, I swiped this adorable idea for Leprechaun Goodie Bags {complete with printable tags!!}. Aren't they the cutest?

 

So, it may be back to the drawing board on the original recipe I planned on posting {at this point, who knows if it'll ever happen}, but I feel like I've made up for it with the trifecta of St. Patty's Day goods I've shared today. ;)  And tomorrow?

I may or may not have one more thing up my sleeve...

Malted Irish Cream & White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Irish Cream Glaze
Inspired by How Sweet It Is

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
9 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish Cream {or homemade, if you prefer}*
1/2 to 1 cup white chocolate chips {I wanted mine less "chippy"}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated, and vanilla. Add in Bailey’s one tablespoon at a time. Add flour, malted milk powder, instant espresso powder, baking soda and salt mixture and mix until combined.

Fold in white chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 2-3 hours or until firmed up.

With a mini ice cream scoop or a tablespoon measure, scoop uniform balls of dough and place on a greased or lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden around the edges, but set in the centers.

For Irish Cream Glaze

1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Irish Cream

In a small bowl, add Irish Cream, one tablespoon full at a time, to powdered sugar. Stir until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over cookies and allow to set.

* If you'd rather not add alcohol to your cookies, a good substitution would be Bailey's Coffee Creamer which is non-alcoholic but has a similar flavor.