Delicate Buttery Festive Cookies

I burned my first batch trying to rush them before guests arrived, edges too dark, bottoms stuck to the pan. The second try I left the butter too cold and the press jammed halfway through a star shape. By the third batch I finally stopped fighting the dough and let it stay soft, let the press do its job, and suddenly there they were: dozens of perfect little ridged discs that tasted like every Christmas cookie tin I'd ever opened as a kid.

My neighbor brought over a cookie press she hadnt used in years, this old metal contraption with discs rattling around in a tin. We sat at the kitchen table figuring out how to load it, laughing every time a cookie came out lopsided or the dough squirted out the side. By the end of the afternoon wed made five dozen, half of them slightly wonky, all of them gone by morning.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter: It needs to be soft enough to blend smoothly but not melted, think the texture of mayo, because too-cold butter will clog the press and too-warm butter makes the shapes sag.
• Granulated sugar: Just enough sweetness to balance the butter without making them taste like frosting, and it creams beautifully into a fluffy base.
• Egg: Room temperature is key here, cold eggs wont incorporate and youll see little streaks in the dough.
• Vanilla extract: The backbone flavor that makes these smell like a bakery, use the real stuff if you can.
• Almond extract: Optional but it adds this subtle warmth that people cant quite place, just dont use more than half a teaspoon or itll taste like marzipan.
• All-purpose flour: Measured by weight if possible because too much flour makes them dry and crumbly, too little and they spread into puddles.
• Fine salt: A tiny amount that sharpens the butter and keeps the sweetness in check.
• Colored sanding sugar: Catches the light and adds a little crunch, press it on gently before baking so it sticks.
• Chocolate for drizzling: Melted and drizzled thin, it turns these into something fancy without any extra effort.
• Sprinkles: Pure joy in tiny pellet form, use them if you want the cookies to look like a party.

Instructions

Preheat and Prep:

Set the oven to 350°F and line your baking sheets with parchment if you want easy cleanup, or leave them bare if theyre nonstick. The cookies wont spread much so you dont need to worry about sticking.

Cream the Butter and Sugar:

Beat them together until the mixture looks pale and fluffy, like whipped clouds, this takes about three minutes with an electric mixer. Scrape the bowl halfway through so nothing hides at the bottom.

Add the Wet Ingredients:

Crack in the egg, pour in the vanilla and almond extract if youre using it, then beat until everything looks smooth and unified. The dough should smell faintly sweet and nutty.

Mix in the Dry Ingredients:

Add the flour and salt gradually, mixing just until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dont overmix or the cookies will turn out tough.

Load the Press:

Fill the cookie press according to how it works, most have a tube you pack with dough and a plunger you twist or pump. Choose your favorite disc shape and lock it in.

Press the Cookies:

Hold the press upright against the baking sheet, squeeze or twist until you feel the dough release, then lift straight up. Space them an inch apart because they barely spread.

Decorate Before Baking:

Sprinkle on colored sugar or tiny sprinkles now, pressing them in lightly with your fingertip so they dont roll off. Skip this step if you want to drizzle chocolate later instead.

Bake Until Just Set:

Slide the sheets into the oven and bake for seven to nine minutes, watching for the faintest gold at the edges. Theyll still look pale in the center and thats exactly right.

Cool and Finish:

Let the cookies sit on the sheet for two minutes so they firm up, then move them to a wire rack. Once theyre completely cool, drizzle with melted chocolate if you want that bakery look.

Save Pin

I packed a tin of these for my daughters teacher and she told me later her whole class wanted to know where they came from. Something about the shapes, the way they looked handmade but uniform, made them feel like more than just another cookie. I made three more batches that week.

Flavor Variations You Should Try

Swap the almond extract for a teaspoon of lemon zest and youve got something bright and springy, almost like shortbread with attitude. Orange zest works the same way, especially if you drizzle dark chocolate over the top. I once stirred in a tablespoon of espresso powder and the whole batch tasted like a sophisticated coffee shop treat, subtle but unmistakable.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

These keep beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, stacked between sheets of parchment so they dont scratch each other. You can freeze the baked cookies for up to three months, thaw them on the counter for twenty minutes and theyll taste just as good. The dough itself doesnt freeze well because it changes texture, so if youre making ahead, just bake everything and store the finished cookies.

Troubleshooting Common Press Problems

If your cookies are coming out flat and shapeless, the dough is too soft, let it rest at room temperature for ten minutes and try again. If the press keeps jamming or the dough wont come out, its too stiff, add a teaspoon of milk and mix it in gently. Sometimes the disc itself gets clogged with dough, just pop it out, scrape it clean, and snap it back in.

• Press straight down and lift straight up, tilting will smear the shape.
• Ungreased or parchment-lined sheets work best, greased pans make the dough slide.
• Rotate your baking sheets halfway through if your oven has hot spots.

Save Pin

These cookies dont need much fuss to feel special, just a little patience with the press and a willingness to let them be what they are: simple, buttery, and gone faster than you expect. Make them once and youll understand why people keep cookie presses in drawers for decades.

Recipe FAQs

→ What ingredients create the dough?

The dough combines softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, a large egg, vanilla extract, optional almond extract, all-purpose flour, and fine salt.

→ How is the dough shaped?

A cookie press is used to form delicate, festive shapes by pressing the dough directly onto baking sheets spaced about an inch apart.

→ What decorating options are recommended?

Colored sanding sugar, chocolate drizzle, and sprinkles may be added before or after baking to enhance appearance and flavor.

→ What baking temperature and time are used?

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 7 to 9 minutes until edges are barely golden, then allow to cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack.

→ Can the almond extract be substituted?

Yes, lemon or orange zest can replace almond extract to vary the flavor profile.