Spritz Cookies

The cookies my mom has been making me for as long as I can remember. The flavor is one of nostalgia for me.

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

Gel food coloring and sprinkles optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together sugar and butter until lighter in color and fluffy, about 4 minutes on medium speed.

Add egg, mix thoroughly.

Add in flavorings and mix until combined.

Combine the rest of the dry ingredients then add to the wet mixture in two parts. Don’t over mix.

If adding gel food coloring, do it now and mix together with spatula until completely dyed.

Using a cookie press or piping tool, press out cookies in design of your choice. Only a half an inch is necessary between them because they don’t grow or expand in the oven. Before putting them in the oven, put on sprinkles if using.

Bake for 6-8 minutes, until firm. Don’t let them brown or they become crunchy and brittle rather than softer and sugar cookie-like.

Tips:

For the four leaf clover shape, I piped them like this and made the spaces between leaves a little wider with toothpicks on some of them.