The Soup Diva

These were my 2022 offering for my annual Cookie Club with the theme of All Saints. Brigid of Kildare is my patron saint who shares my Irish heritage and love of reading, so I prepared a basket of Brigid-themed items for each participant to take home with her cookies and celebrate St Brigid’s Day next February [also known as the Gaelic festival of Imbolc].

• 1½ cups granulated sugar*
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups instant mashed potato flakes
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
• *½ cup more granulated or powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy and light in color. Add eggs, baking powder and soda, salt, and vanilla, and beat until fully incorporated. Add flour, a third at a time, then the potato flakes, mixing slowly after each addition until evenly distributed. Gently stir in walnuts. Scrape down sides of bowl, cover tightly, and chill for at least an hour (overnight is fine).

Pour remaining sugar in a small bowl. Form dough into rustic 1″ balls, roll or dip in sugar, and place on greased baking sheet or seasoned baking stone. Bake at 350 11-13 minutes, until golden. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 8-10 dozen.