December 20th was the day I finally found the energy and inspiration to bake some Christmas cookies. It's something I truly enjoy doing, and would have been sad if I had never gotten around to it this year. There are several varieties of cookies that I consider to be traditional Christmas fare for our family, including the two kinds I baked this year: Spritz and Peppernuts.
As usual, I didn't think to start taking pictures until I was well into the process! This is a pan full of the spritz. My cookie press happens to be a Pampered Chef tool, and I really like the way the cookies turn out. There is only one shape that never seems to come out of the press correctly (a wreath), so I don't use that one.
I experimented with adding the sprinkles before baking and after baking. Both ways work, but there are pros and cons. If I put them on prior to baking, they melt into the cookie better. But the sprinkles that roll off the cookie can cause the edges of the cookie to burn a little while baking. And the sprinkles stick to the cookie sheet. If I add the sprinkles after baking, they don't stick to the cookie quite as well.
Next, I baked a batch of "Dark Peppernuts." It's a recipe my aunt gave me years ago. I only took this one picture, but yesterday I baked "Light Peppernuts" and took more pictures, which I will put into a separate post.
My third project for the day was half a batch of dairy-free spritz cookies for the family member with the dairy allergy. I used Earth Balance baking sticks instead of butter, and was impressed with how nicely the dough behaved with the cookie press. The flavor was quite acceptable as well.
I used red and green sprinkles on the dairy-laden spritz, and blue sprinkles on the dairy-free spritz, just to make it easier to identify which was which.
Recipes for Spritz and Peppernuts are readily available in cookbooks and on the internet, so I won't take the time to type mine here. However, I will quote the extra bit of information my aunt added to the bottom of her recipe for Dark Peppernuts: "My mother, your grandmother, made a small cream can full of these. It didn't close so tightly that I couldn't get in, so I saw to it that they never got old."