Delicate buttery festive shapes (Printable Version)

Buttery dough shaped into festive designs, perfect for holiday celebrations and special treats.

# Ingredient List:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg, room temperature
04 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
06 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

→ Decoration (optional)

08 - Colored sanding sugar
09 - Chocolate for drizzling
10 - Sprinkles

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or use ungreased nonstick sheets.
02 - Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, until well combined.
04 - Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms, scraping down the bowl as needed.
05 - Fill cookie press with dough and press cookies onto prepared sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
06 - If desired, sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles.
07 - Bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until edges just begin to turn golden.
08 - Let cookies cool on sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Optionally, drizzle cooled cookies with melted chocolate.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They taste like a bakery secret that somehow lives in your own kitchen.
  • The cookie press does all the fussy shaping work, so you actually enjoy making them instead of getting frustrated.
  • Forty-eight cookies ready in under thirty minutes means you can go from craving to serving faster than you'd think possible.
02 -
  • Chilled dough is the enemy here—it won't push through the press, and you'll just get frustrated and hand-roll cookies, which defeats the entire purpose.
  • The egg and butter must truly be room temperature, or they won't cream together properly and your cookies will come out dense instead of light.
  • That moment when the edges are just barely golden is everything; a few extra seconds in the oven turns these delicate treasures into hard, bitter cookies.
03 -
  • If you're decorating with sanding sugar, press it on immediately after the cookies hit the sheet while the dough is still slightly sticky—it won't adhere otherwise.
  • Let your first batch cool completely before tasting; they firm up dramatically and taste so much better once they've set.
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