Thank you cookies, neighbor exchange cookies and just cookies

I fully recovered from my rough week, finally! I’m going through the last week of teaching of the year, which, as always, is a nightmare but still I’m in great mood in expectation of the holidays! I have also received two awards.

The first, from the amazing Lora from Cake Duchess

And the second, from the fantastic Lindsey from Gingerbread Bagels

Thank you ladies for the fantastic awards!

But this is not it. On Saturday afternoon, the doorbell rang and the hideous lady that usually brings the mail looked totally different in that moment (she really is hideous!). She was handing over to me a box. I knew what it was going to be. And for once I did not even notice how annoying that lady is. I totally focused on the box and I started to jump around the house like a rabbit!

You see, last week I was the lucky winner of Josie’s (Daydreamer Desserts) giveaway. The prize was a wonderful cookie press and I couldn’t be more excited to win it, not for one, not for two but for three reasons! First, I never ever ever won anything. And I keep entering giveaways, just for fun, just because I like leaving comments to my fellow bloggers. But I really never won anything…until last week. Now the curse is broken…really broken because the same week I won another giveaway (more on this in another post). Second, I never had a cookie press and I always wanted one! Third, the cookie press arrived just on time for the cookies exchange with my neighbors.

This is what I made them…I really wanted to use my new cookie press J

I tried one of the recipes on the booklet of the cookie press…just to be sure they were the right cookies to be made with a press. The cookies came out amazing, which is good. The sad part is that I did not get to keep these cookies! They all went to my neighbors. And as I am mentioning this, I just wanted to let you know that I am submitting these cookies to Damaris' December cook offs over at Kitchen Corners. The topic of the cook offs this month was in fact "giving cookies". As I did not get to keep these cookies, I guess I qualify for the cook offs. You get the recipe and should also head over at Kitchen Corners to check the other recipes that will be posted by next Sunday. 

Vanilla cookies (Spritz cookies)

Ingredients

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

225 gr (2 sticks, 1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

200 gr (7.1 oz or 1 cup) sugar

1 egg

12 ml (2 ½ tsp) vanilla extract

2 gr (½ tsp) ground cardamon (I did not put it)

2 gr (1/2 tsp) salt

320 gr (11.25 oz or 2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour, sifted

food coloring (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and the sugar and beat well on medium speed until, until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, the vanilla extract, and the salt. Using a spoon or a spatula, stir in the flour until well mixed.

Pack the dough into the cookie press. Fit with the desired disk design (this time I manly used the snowman and the tree). Press the dough out onto ungreased baking sheet, spacing the cookies 1” apart.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until just firm and lightly gold. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.

You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Have a sweet day!