These cookies can be dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes or whatever sprinkle you like.
- Ready in
- Cook:
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoon milk
- Optional Toppings
- 1 4-ounce quality semi-sweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
- maraschino cherries
- sprinkles or candy canes
Directions
Make room in your refrigerator for a baking sheet so the shaped cookies can chill for 20-30 minutes. Without chilling, the piped cookies may over-spread. If you chill the dough prior to shaping, the dough will be too cold/stiff to pipe.
In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add a large piping tip to the piping bag. Spoon a little bit of dough into the piping bag and pipe a 1-2 inch swirl or line on the prepared baking sheet. Note: Start with a small amount of dough to determine its thickness. If it’s too thick, transfer that dough back to the mixing bowl and add another ½ tablespoon of milk. If the dough is creamy enough to pipe, continue piping the dough in 1-2 inch swirls or lines, 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. If desired, place a maraschino cherry in the center of the swirl or sprinkle the dough with festive sprinkles and/or coarse sugar.
Chill the shaped cookies on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the chilled cookies for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides. The cookies will spread like all cookies do, but not completely lose their shape especially if the dough was chilled. If the cookies are smaller, they will take closer to 12 minutes. They’re done when the edges are lightly brown.