Unchilled Spritz Cookie Dough

By joejudy

I have been making these buttery little cookies for Christmas every year since I was a little girl. You can color the dough any color you like or leave them plain. I sometimes color half the dough green and half red, then put two lumps of each color through the cookie press at the same tiem to create two-toned cookies. I originally got the recipe from "Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book". You may choose to ice these cookies or not - it is completely up to you. NOTE: This recipe is NOT compatible with the Pampered Chef Cookie Press, which only works with recipes calling for far less flour. I have used a manual Wilton cookie press, and also an electric standard cookie press with great results.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sweet unsalted butter, no substitutes
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• food coloring, as desired (optional)
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar (sift before measuring)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• milk, as needed
• colored sprinkles

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 38mins
Adapted from food.com

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 2 Beat butter using an electric mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds. 3 Add just 1 cup of the flour, all of the sugar, the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and almond extract (add a few drops of food coloring if desired). 4 Beat until well combined. 5 Beat in rest of the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour. 6 DO NOT CHILL DOUGH. 7 Force dough through a cookie press fitted with a decorative plate onto ungreased cookie sheets, following the directions on your cookie press (Leave about 1 inch between each cookie on the sheet). 8 Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are firmed but not browned (these will not get brown when done- if they are brown, then they are burnt). 9 Remove to a wire rack to let cool completely before icing. 10 Mix icing ingredients, adding only as much milk as needed to get a spreading consistency. 11 You will have extra icing. 12 Dip tops of baked cooled cookies into icing and then into a bowl of colored sprinkles, if desired. 13 Let icing on cookies firm up, then store in airtight containers. 14 They freeze well.