A pressing situation

 

Aren't cookie presses wonderful? I love the way they produce many beautiful cookies so quickly. I don't remember ever making pressed cookies in my childhood or teen years, although I often helped my mother with baking, especially at Christmas.  I'm not sure that my mother even owned a cookie press; I certainly didn't find one when I cleaned out her house.

When I had a kitchen of my own, I did acquire a cookie press -- if I remember right, as a gift from my mother. I have been through several cookie presses -- at least four that I can recall.

This lemon spritz recipe is a favorite of mine because it is very different. It has a lovely flavor from the fresh lemon juice and rind.

LEMON SPRITZ
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt

Beat butter until light; beat in sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon peel and juice and egg to blend thoroughly. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, blending well.

Fill the cookie press with one-fourth of the dough at a time. Use the plates of your choice to press out cookies about 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. (I often use the camel plate for these cookies, but they are good in any shape.)

Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes, or until light brown on edges.

Remove from baking sheets to cooling racks. Makes about 8 dozen cookies.

I mentioned yesterday how much baking Mr. T has been doing.  One of the cookies he made was Christmas Tree Spritz -- and,  in doing so, he ended the life of yet another cookie press.  We went to our local thrift store that afternoon in search of another, but the store was closed.  So, we investigated Amazon that very day and ordered another, but it has yet to arrive.

Fast-forward to yesterday when we finally got to our thrift store.  We found quite a deal -- a vintage Sawa cookie press, made in Sweden, for only $4!  I have seen them on Etsy from anywhere to $20 to $75.

 Ours is missing the box, but has everything else.   (It came to us packaged in a zip-top plastic bag.)  Everything is metal, which means it is so sturdy and well-made.  My hubby is so pleased with how it works.  Yes, he has already whipped up a batch of spritz!