The same simple dough for the cookie press flavored 3 different ways for the Holidays: Peppermint Christmas Trees; Salt and Pepper Maple Wreaths; Fiori di Sicilia and Orange Snowflakes. Affiliate links have been used in this post to link to items I am discussing.
I am determined to slide these cookies in right before Creative Cookie Exchange on Tuesday in case some of you are still looking for cookies for your cookie tins. Cookie press cookies have been a total revelation this season. They come together quickly in festive shapes made more festive with sprinkles. And as I guessed earlier in the fall, the simple vanilla dough I shared before was the perfect blank slate for various flavor variations. First I made Fiori di Sicilia and Orange Snowflakes:
For these I added 2 teaspoons of Fiori di Sicilia Extract
and a few drops of orange oil to the dough when I added the vanilla. You could also use a teaspoon or two of orange zest instead of the oil.
Next I made Salt and Pepper Maple Wreaths:
These were Alex’s favorites. For them I added 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper to the butter. Then I added 2 teaspoons of Maple Extract
with the vanilla. A good coarse grey sea salt was sprinkled onto the unbaked cookies with Christmas sprinkles.
Last I made Peppermint Christmas Trees:
You could use peppermint extract to make these, adding it with the vanilla, but I prefer peppermint oil. I added drops of peppermint oil until the dough was as strong as we wanted it (pretty strong). The first few drops I added with the vanilla, but I mixed a few extra drops in after the flour had been added because I wanted a stronger flavor (we really like peppermint).
These cookie press cookies have been this year’s cookie revelation! Such festive shapes, such easy flavor variations, and they keep really well in cookie tins. I took some to a party last night, the oldest of which were made 2 weeks ago, and you could not tell. They were all devoured.
You can find the basic recipe here. Happy holiday cookie baking!
I love how you took one base dough and added bits of different flavors to each batch of cookies! Definitely a great time saver.
These are so cute! My mom has a cookie press and I’ve never learned to use it, but I think I will now! I love how easy these and flexible these are. Can’t wait to get my hands on that press!