These are a very traditional holiday cookie.
Caveats: (1.) you need a cookie press to make these.; (2.) I probably should have glazed them or dipped them in melted chocolate for additional pretty.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cream 1 and1/2 cups butter and 1 cup sugar. Mix in 2 large egg yolks, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of vanilla and almond or lemon extract, and 3 and 3/4 cups of flour. This is a totally basic dough. It might be fun to try chocolate and espresso flavorings, mint, or whatever.
Load the dough into the cookie press and them about 1 inch apart of a cookie sheet (not parchment or buttering required). Sprinkle with colored sugars. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until the edges show light brown.
If you would rather glaze or dip them: after they are cool, dip them ½-way in melted chocolate or brush with a citrus glaze (mix together 2 cups confectioners’ sugar with 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon or lime or orange zest, plus 1/3 cup fresh lemon or lime or orange juice).
How hard are cookie guns to operate? I always assumed they’d be one of those things where you have about 2% tolerance between the cookies being so hard they never come out at all, or being so soft the designs melt and look like horrible medical experiments.
I don’t know if my answer will apply to newer cookie presses since I use an antique handed down one – all metal with a screw press – but I’ve never had an issue. The first cookie through the press always comes out a little wonky, but I never have trouble getting the dough through. There’s a technique to dropping them on the cookie sheet though – you press them down straight, then tilt one edge of the press away to remove it. Tough to explain in writing, I’m not sure that made sense.
I think we’ve had this conversation before, but these are extremely similar to my great grandmother’s butter cookie recipe that my family makes at Christmas. Hers uses whole eggs. I had never heard of the term “spritz cookies” until multiple people here told me that seemed to be what my recipe was. Just now I googled it and saw spritz are supposed to include egg and butter cookies are not? I don’t know if I trust that though.
It was easy to work…the first cookie was wonky, the rest okay. The butterfly shape tended to break where the wings hit the body, a structural flaw. Otherwise, easy….
Oh yeah, there’s totally easier and harder shapes! I have a few that I just don’t use because they’re tough to execute with structural integrity (like for some reason I have a camel with very skinny long legs…). Stars, flowers, wreaths, and trees are my go tos, and from the picture, seem to be yours too!
I think when I was a kid, my parents had a similar set.
I think the camel was there for a manger scene, or the three magi/wise men rode on them, or something…