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Sunday, December 7, 2014

It's Holiday Cookie Time!

You know me - I love all cookies.  I don't discriminate between taste, shape, type, or season.  But if pressed to choose, I'll admit Christmas brings out the very best of cookie-land.


Spritz butter cookies!

During the holidays, my kids and I make many varieties of goodies.  But year after year, the ones that always end up first on the list are these scrumptious spritz butter cookies.


Cody mixing the dough

Growing up, my mom had a vintage cookie press.  It popped out cool-shaped treats.  Mom had a amazing butter cookie recipe that she would whip up during the holidays.  The cookie press would create stars, wreaths, Christmas trees, pinwheels, and even camels!  Before entering the oven, my siblings and I would cover each one with liberal amounts of colored sugar.  In my family, it just wasn't Christmas without a big plate of "spritz cookies."


Little camels, ready for the oven

When my kids came along, I continued the tradition.  I acquired the exact same cookie press as my mom (an amazing garage sale find!).  Using her recipe, I'd set the kids down for a fun afternoon of baking.  While I mixed the dough, and squirted cookies onto the pan, they were in charge of decorating.


Squirting out trees

When my kids became teenagers, our roles reversed.  My son Cody, who loves to bake, took over the job of chief cookie maker.  I was happily demoted to sprinkle-shaker.


Making cookies is a family project

This past weekend, both kids were home for Thanksgiving.  Getting in the spirit of the season, Cody dug out my cookie press.  Joined by my daughter Denise and I, the three of us enjoyed a fun afternoon of baking.


I even found a way to help, while keeping that foot elevated

Still sidelined by slowly-healing bunion surgery, I found a way to help decorate while keeping the foot elevated.


Adding the sprinkles

Volunteering to bring cookies for a party later that week, Cody whipped up three batches.  He kept one white, colored one green, and another red.  Denise and I adorned his creations with red and green colored sugar.  So festive!


"No more pictures mom!"

Being laid up for the past month, I was eager to use my camera again.  My poor kids became unwilling subjects.  They put up with me for awhile.  Then I got "the look" from my daughter.


The cookies are done!

My new camera goes up to 6400 ISO.  All of these photos were shot at ISO 6400 without using a flash.  Although some images were a bit grainy, but I think most of them turned out quite nice.


Mmmm.....nothing better than freshly baked cookies

Our house quickly filled with the mouth-watering aroma of cookies baking.  Once a batch was pulled from the oven, my kids and I eagerly sampled the goods.  (Hey - gotta do quality control!)  Is there anything better than a warm cookie straight from the oven?

Although my kids are now back at their jobs and school, I look forward to having us all together again at Christmas.  Hmmmm.......think I can get them to make some more cookies?

Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday

27 comments:

  1. Send your kids to my house with the cookie press. I'll help - with the sampling.

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  2. The cookies looks delicious and glad you all had a good time together. I love to bake different holiday cookies as well. I'm not good at sugar cookies. Drop ones are the best. I think my favorite is Russian tea cakes. Some years ago we made galaxy cookies, which are balls of different colors and then you roll them in sprinkles. Fun! Heal soon. I'm sure it's not fun laying around! Sigh! Hugs!

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  3. What a wonderful way to spend time together! And the cookies look soooooo delicious? Mind if I reach in and grab one? Or two...or three...nom nom nom... You need taste testers, no? :)

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  4. I LOVE spritz cookies and my mom makes them. I can never get the dough to come out of the press properly.

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  5. What fun to see you all making cookies! They do look very good! :)

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  6. Your cookies all look delicious.. I have seen looks like that from my son.. Cookie making is a fun time for all the family! Great shot, enjoy your new week!

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  7. What great kids you have to help you bake!

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  8. I see a business in your future. You could get a premium price for those if you whipped them out for hikers in the backcountry!

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  9. Perhaps you can answer something I've puzzled about for ages - what exactly is a 'spritz' cookie? What makes it different from other cookies?
    Your daughter's 'look' is classic. There is nothing scarier than a daughter's 'look'!

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  10. I wouldn't mind dropping in to do some quality control testing as well! My Mum had a press like this but it only had stars and circles. I'm impressed with the trees and camels etc.

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  11. How fun. And they all look delicious. I must admit I LIKE cookie dough too. Got milk?

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  12. Hahahaha! LOVED this post! I am pretty sure I've gotten THAT look before from my kids:) I inherited my mom's cookie press but have never tried making spritz cookies...yours look fabulous!
    Blessings, Aimee
    PS: Sorry your recovery is taking longer. That must be frustrating to you.

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  13. i love the fact that you bought the same cookie press that your mum had, and that your kids, although obviously now grown, still love making these cookies with you.
    I must get to Christmas baking soon! Have a great week. I am joining you over at Our World Tuesday.

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  14. How great to have such traditions! My mom had a 'cookie gun' that made shaped cookies--I guess that's a memory I'll keep forever.

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  15. They all look like yummy and creative cookies and good company helping!

    Happy Week,
    artmusedog and carol

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  16. I love cookies but have to be very careful as I can easily put on more than 5 pounds in a couple of days. It doesn't come off that easily!

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  17. I've also love Spritz cookies since childhood! Your children did a wonderful job making them. I had the same press but it finally broke a couple years ago and I had to buy a more modern version. I just finished decorating for Christmas this year and soon the cookie baking will begin.

    I hope you are healing well! I know you must be looking forward to hiking again.

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  18. Very nice photos!The cookies looks delicious.

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  19. Mmmm - so delicious!

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  20. They look so festive. I've never heard of a cookie presser before but what a great idea to be able to create all those different shapes.

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  21. Nice looking cookies - we are about to launch into gingerbread making.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

    PS: The word verification thing is a glitch from Blogger/Google - its turned off on my site. As far as I can tell you can ignore it and just hit publish - and in fact if that works this comment will show up because I can see word verification on your site as a I write!

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  22. It worked without the verification!

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  23. Oh yum! These are one of my favorite cookies. I really should get a press. I remember my mom having one growing up. What a fun time you had making cookies! Happy holidays!!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  24. I LOVE cookies, just like Cookie Monster, I'd gain 10 lbs in your house. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  25. The pictures did turn out great with your new camera! That's a great ISO range. I wish mine would go that high!

    The cookies look really yummy. I've never used a cookie press like that before but it looks like fun and makes the cookies so pretty.

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  26. My mom also made spritz cookies, using a press she got for a wedding gift. And although we girls all have her cookie recipe, we have no idea what happened to her Mirro cookie press. I can still remember those afternoons spent making and decorating cookies for Christmas... what wonderful memories you've made with your kids!

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