Holiday Cheer

What makes the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of cocoa on a cool December day? Why, a spritz cookie, of course. Light and crispy, buttery and sweet, with just a dash of crunchy sugar or colorful sprinkles top, these are the cookies that impromptu Christmas parties should be made of. Start with a simple dough and use a cookie press to fashion a variety of adorable shapes. For our own Christmas spritz cookies, we choose to divide the cookie dough in half, coloring one part bright green and leaving the remainder its natural creamy color. The green trees we decorated with red sprinkles, like so many Christmas ornaments, while the cream trees received a sprinkle of gourmet sugar, reminiscent of freshly fallen snow.

Christmas Spritz Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Food coloring, optional
Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 375F. Thoroughly cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla, almond; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill.

Place dough into cookie press and press cookies on to ungreased cookie sheet. Top with sprinkles or sugar. Bake 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove cookies from cookie sheet; cool on rack.

Can be made without cookie press, just shape and bake.

Makes 7-8 dozen cookies.