Christmas Memories

I was feeling extra nostalgic today thinking about how my mom would bake about 12 different kinds of Christmas cookies every year as gifts for her friends. The house would smell like a bakery for a week or so. She was a very good baker (my dad taught her). I would look forward to her baking the Christmas cookies every year.

Before my story turns down the "Lifetime movie" road (because oh yes, it will) I will get on with it.

My favorite cookie was the Spritz. It is like those butter cookies you can buy in the tin from Costco every year. Just a yummy butter cookie. My mom used a pastry bag to make them but since I don't claim to be something I am not...I bought a cookie press. I did a bit of research on cookie presses and found that the highest rated one according to http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ is the Wilton Comfort Grip Cookie Press which you can purchase at your local Michaels.


This baby is under $10.00 and super easy to use.

Making actual "cookies" in the cookie press, well..it takes some practice.

I would like to say that since I am not a baker, I don't have the proper baking pans and cookie sheets. Oh, I have some..but, they are not in the best condition in the world and after tonight it became clear that I need to have a couple of cookie sheets that I only use for the rare occasion when I actually make cookies. I ended up using my only cookie sheet which is warped and therefore doesn't bake the straightest cookies. I went to take them off and many broke apart. That was ok I guess, at least they tasted good. Nice and crispy.

Back to the press. The easy part was putting the patterned tip thing, putting the dough in and using it. What was trickier was getting the cookie to stick to the cookie sheet. I finally figured it out without throwing a tantrum (which was a Christmas miracle) but it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. It WAS way easier than rolling out cookies and using the cookie cutter blah, blah, blah. That takes just waaaay too long. This method was easier than that.

I had planned on using the recipe from the "Cooky Book". Raise your hand if your mom had this book! I used to sit and stare at the pictures for the longest time. She didn't make many kinds out of it, but it was my favorite of her cookbooks. I ended up using a different recipe but it was fun just to have the book out.


I was pretty pleased with how they came out, despite my jacked up cookie sheet and recommend this recipe to all of you! Go make some cookie memories :)


Spritz Cookies

Ingredients:

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, beat yolk, cream, and vanilla with fork until
combined; set aside.

2. In standing mixer, cream butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer running at medium speed, add yolk/cream mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. With mixer running at low speed, gradually beat in flour until combined. Scrape down bowl and give final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain.

3. If using cookie press to form cookies, follow manufacturer's instructions to fill press; Press cookies onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on baking sheet until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes; using metal spatula, transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature.