Cookie-Press Cookies
Martha Stewart
Treat the cookie lover on your holiday gift list to a batch of these sweet sugar cookies, adapted from "The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook."
Ingredients
Makes 2 to 3 dozen.
* 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 large egg yolks
* 3 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
* Confectioners' Sugar Glaze
* Food coloring, preferably gel-paste, for decorating
* Sanding sugar, for decorating
* Nonpareils, for decorating
* Silver dragees, for decorating
Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, flour, salt, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
3. Fit cookie press with desired disk and fill with dough. Press out shapes onto prepared baking sheets. Transfer to refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
5. To decorate, tint confectioners' sugar glaze as desired (dividing it among a few bowls to make different colors, if desired). Dip cookies in glaze and decorate with sanding sugar, nonpareils, or dragees. Or place glaze in a small pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (such as No. 3) and decorate as desired. To pipe another color glaze on a glaze-dipped cookie, let glaze set before piping the second color. Let set, at least 2 hours before serving or storing. Cookies can be stored, between layers of parchment, up to 1 week at room temperature in airtight containers.