In a large bowl combine butter & cream cheese and beat until well combined

Add sugar and beat until fluffy

Next, add egg, peppermint extract and food coloring (if desired)

In a separate medium bowl stir together flour and baking powder

Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture in batches and beat until well mixed

Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for around 1 ½ hours or until easy to handle, it should feel firm

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out the dough to about a ⅛ th inch thickness. Be careful not to roll it out too thin or your cookies may be too fragile or burn.

Cut your dough with shamrock cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. I prefer to line with a silpat or parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until just done. Be very careful as these cookies cook quickly and can easily burn if you’ve chosen a small cookie cutter. Err on the side of caution and take them out early!

When finished remove from the oven and put them on cooling racks to cool and frost if desired!