December 11, 2011: Spritz Cookies Recipe

One of my very fondest memories from growing up was making spritz cookies with my mother each year. I absolutely love almond flavor and these buttery cookies are scrumptious without any decoration. Mom and I would tint the batch of dough in shades of green and red and then use our old, aluminum cookie press to make them in shapes of Christmas trees, holly flowers and stars.

I’m not sure if this is the recipe we used or not, but it’s from my favorite old Wisconsin Electric Power Company cookbook and it’s a good one.

Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter

½ cup plus 1 T. sugar

1 egg

¾ t. salt

1 t. vanilla

½ t. almond extract

2 ½ cups flour

Food colors, colored sugar and candy cookie decor (optional)

Cream butter; add sugar. Blend in egg, salt, extracts and flour; knead dough in hands until soft and pliable. If desired, divide dough into separate bowls and add food coloring. Press dough through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets; decorate as desired. Bake at 400 degrees about 8 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.