White Poinsettia Spritz Cookies

Poinsettias Are Here!

One thing I love about the weeks leading up to Christmas is that grocery stores like Giant and Safeway (if you’re from Northern Virginia!), stores like Walmart, mega stores like Costco, and home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes start selling loads of  poinsettias.  Large or small, they are such a beautiful symbol of the holidays.  The lowest prices I’ve seen for the smaller plants seem to be at Walmart (just like with pumpkins!).  Costco has the biggest plants I’ve seen.  Regardless of where you buy them, these bold plants make every space festive.  At home, we like to put one on the kitchen table, and then a few around the Christmas tree.

Each year, I see more and more white poinsettias available.  These gorgeous plants gave me the idea for a bit-sized spritz cookie.  If you have a cookie press, try this recipe out!

As you can see from this picture, try as I might, uniform flower shapes were not in the cards for me this day.  My kids tried it out and had more success.  But no worries–these imperfections make the finished product more interesting.

This recipe makes a lot of little cookies.  To add variety, I suggest dividing up the dough and making different kinds of cookies using different cookie press disks—some White Poinsettia Spritz Cookies (using the five petal disk), some glazed Christmas trees, and some snowflakes just sprinkled with colored sugar crystals.


Print Recipe
White Poinsettia Spritz Cookies
2016 © HollyTrail.com
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
dozen
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
For Decorating the Cookies:
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar (or more as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • red decorative sugar
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings
dozen
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
For Decorating the Cookies:
  • 1 cup confectioner's sugar (or more as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • red decorative sugar
Instructions
Make cookies:
  1. Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Fit dough press with a four-petal flower cookie disc.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, almond extract, and milk.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. Gradually mix flour into butter mixture. Mix only enough so that the dough appears smooth.
  4. Fit the cookie press with a five-petal disk. Shape dough into logs that fit into the cookie press. Following the manufacturer's instructions, press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and let cool completely on a wire rack.
Make glaze:
  1. After cookies have cooled, mix confectioner’s sugar with lemon juice. Add more confectioner's sugar or lemon juice if needed to reach the desired consistency. [Lift spoon and drop some glaze back in the bowl: if a ribbon forms that takes a couple of seconds to disappear, the consistency should be correct.]
  2. Brush glaze onto each cookie, sprinkle with some red decorative sugar, and place a piece of dried cranberry in the center of the cookie. Let glaze harden for at least an hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving or storing.
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