"Official" Christmas Cookies made! :)

Years ago I really enjoyed making Christmas cookies and candies this time of year. The only problem, if I made them, I would want to eat them. So, I don't usually make a lot of this kind of stuff anymore, unless I have an event to make them for, etc.

I finished reading a Christmas mystery book by an author, Joanne Fluke, and it had a recipe for "Spritz Cookies." They sounded really, really good, and I had purchased a new Pampered Chef cookie press at the family reunion auction this summer that I had wanted to try out. So...here they are. I found out I didn't know how to run the cookie press when I first started, and even now, I'm not that good at it...especially at the very end when the dough has gotten a little warm and the cookie sheets have a little bit of residual oiliness and are warm. I can't quite figure out how to get the dough to release from the press, but we made it through.

Can you guess who enjoyed putting the sprinkles on?

Here is the recipe:

Spritz Cookies

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

5 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract

Cream the butter, gradually adding the sugar. Beat in the eggs, and add the flour. Mix in the baking powder and extract. The dough will be very stiff. Place dough in cookie press. Press on cookie sheet, and decorate as desired (i.e., sugars, fruit, etc.)

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy!