Lemon Straws

1 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Few drops yellow food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Blend together butter and cream cheese; add sugar and cream thoroughly until fluffy.

Combine egg, lemon juice, lemon rind and yellow food coloring. Add to butter mixture until well blended.

Sift the flour and baking powder together; add to creamed mixture. Mix until well blended. Place dough in refrigerator, and chill for about 10 minutes.

Force 2-inch ribbon strips through cookie press onto ungreased baking sheets and bake at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yields 4 dozen.

Chocolate Spritz Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Hershey’s? Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

Combine flour, cocoa and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture; mix well. Fill cookie press. Use attachments to form cookie designs 1 inch apart on unbuttered cookie sheets. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or just until set.

Transfer cookies to wire rack; cool completely.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

Spritz Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring (optional)
Colored sugar (optional)
Chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; add flavorings, egg and milk and stir until well mixed. If you wish to color the dough, add color now and mix well.

Sift or mix flour and baking powder together, then add to dough (this is more easily done in two or three parts). Mix with hands if necessary as dough will be very stiff. Push dough into a spritzer gun and press shapes onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes and no longer.

NOTE: Spritz cookies can be made into shapes by using a cookie press.

Spritz Butter Cookies

1 pound butter
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food color (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract and butter. VERY slowly add flour. Mix well. Blend in food coloring, if desired. Place in cookie gun and decorate as desired. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Cream Cheese Spritz

Source: Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup margarine
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Combine cream cheese, margarine, sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until well blended. Add flour; mix well. Chill.

Force dough through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes or until set and very lightly browned.

Yields 108.

Cream Cheese Cookie Press Cookies

1 cup butter
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat butter and cream cheese well. Add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes until light brown.

NOTE: You can also use almond extract instead of the lemon extract. A nice Christmas touch is to tint the dough with green food coloring, then sprinkle the cookies with red sugar before baking.

Cookie Press Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Cream butter, adding sugar gradually; beat until light. Add egg and flavoring; mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients. At this point, the dough can be divided and food coloring mixed in.

Fill cookie press with dough and shape on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on racks.

When completely cool, cookies can be dipped in melted chocolate then into jimmies or ground nuts to decorate. Enjoy!