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What can be better than celebrating the release of A FLAIR FOR SHAMROCKS, the seventh book in the Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery series by Deborah Garner, on St. Patrick’s Day?!? From the festive adorable cover—and Coco, the darling Yorkie, steals the show—to O’Paddy’s, the Irish pub Sadie finds herself stranded at in Irishton, California, and to the Irish food and drinks, this book fits the bill for evoking the spirit of the emerald isle. I just love that the plucky protagonist, Sadie, is a woman of a certain age. She’s carefree and spirited and loves to travel with her sidekick, Coco, tucked into one of her many, many bags. With fun and well-developed characters, like the pub’s potbellied pig named Paddy, who forms a close friendship with Coco, the story revolves around the regulars who frequent O’Paddy’s.

Sadie’s talent for creating conversation and making friends lends itself toward solving a new mystery because she has quite the flair for landing herself in the middle of murder investigations. While the book is a quick read, Ms. Garner manages to pack a lot in. There are plenty of suspects, lots of clues, a couple of twists, and a misdirection or two which I happily followed. The reveal caught me by surprise and while it seemed a bit rushed, everything was explained and the loose ends were tied up. A Flair for Shamrocks is a delightful cozy mystery, perfect for settling in with an Irish coffee or a dram of whiskey, and spending the evening with Sadie and Coco!

I’m honored to have been able to have my recipe for Shamrock cookies included in the book and to share it with you today! Mint-flavored sugar cookies decorated with royal icing (and/or sprinkles) in the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day shape, are sure to bring a smile and good luck to everyone you share them with!

“Laughter is brightest where food is best.”  – Irish Proverb

Amazon Synopsis

When flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer’s car breaks down outside a small Oregon beach town, the repair lands her in unexpected lodging above an Irish pub for St. Patrick’s Day. With pub games, green beer, and a potbellied pig named Paddy in the mix, it’s bound to be a unique holiday.

But not all is what it seems in Irishton, especially when the owner of the pub turns up dead. An assortment of local characters could be guilty, but only one is the killer. Sadie and her sidekick Yorkie will need the luck of the Irish to solve the mystery..

A special thanks to Deborah Garner for providing a print copy of A FLAIR FOR SHAMROCKS! Contest ends March 22, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

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Shamrock Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Kelly green gel food coloring
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Royal Icing:

• 3 tablespoons Meringue Power (I use Wilton brand)
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
• 5 tablespoons warm water
• Kelly green gel food coloring
• Green sprinkles or St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles

Instructions

Cookies:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes on medium speed.
2. Add in the egg, peppermint extract, and 1 teaspoon Kelly green gel food coloring. Beat until thoroughly incorporated.
3. In a separate, medium-size bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to the sugar mixture. Mix just until incorporated.
4. If you desire a deeper shade of green, add additional gel food coloring, mixing well to fully incorporate.
5. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Sprinkle a flat surface or dough mat with flour and roll out a portion of the dough to about 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness.
8. Using shamrock cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and place on the prepared baking sheets.
9. Refrigerate the shapes for 10 minutes, then place in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. The bottom edges of the cookies should just start to turn golden, although with the green coloring, it’s not that noticeable.
10. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet and allow to completely cool on a wire rack.

Royal Icing:

1. Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer). Cover icing surface with a damp paper towel to keep from crusting over.

Putting it together:

1. Tint a portion of the royal icing a light green, if desired. Place the light green icing in a pastry bag fitted with a size 2 or 3 piping tip (or if you don’t have, you can always use a Ziplock bag and snip a tiny hole in the corner). Place some of the white royal icing in another pastry bag fitted with a sized 2 or 3 piping tip.
2. Decorate the shamrocks with the royal icing. If desired garnish with sprinkles.
3. Or, if you prefer to coat the shamrocks with a thin layer of icing for decorating with sprinkles only, thin a portion of royal icing with water until it is easily spreadable. Spread over the surface of the shamrock cookie and add sprinkles as desired.
4. Allow the cookies to completely dry then place in an airtight container with wax or parchment paper between the layers. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Royal Icing tips:

1. It is imperative that your bowls, spoons, spatulas, beaters and anything else that comes in contact with this icing is grease free. I use Dawn Liquid Dish soap on these items because I know it will remove any trace of residual grease.
2. For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
3. Cover the icing bowl with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap in between working with it.
4. For longer storage, store in a Ziplock bag in the refrigerator. Icing will keep for one week.

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I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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