Recipe: Mother's Poinsettia Cookies (cookie press)

MOTHER'S POINSETTIA COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 cups flour, sifted*
Red and green food coloring
Superfine sugar
Dragees (for decorating)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, almond extract, salt and eggs together with mixer. Work in flour by hand.

Divide dough in half. Using red food color, color one half of the dough to desired shade. Using green food color, color remaining half of dough to desired shade.

TO SHAPE THE POINSETTIAS:
Take a pinch of green dough in palm of your hand. Roll with finger of other hand in your palm to tapered shape. Lay on ungreased sheet. Take a fork dipped in 4x sugar and flatten green to make leaf. Space leaves four to a row, making 3 rows of leaves. DO ALL LEAVES FIRST.

Using the sunburst plate of cookie press fill the press with red dough, drop out red flower at the bottom of the leaf. With toothpick, indent center of flower and put silver dragee in center.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. Cool on racks.

Store in tin box between layer of wax paper.

*Cookie dough must pass easily through a cookie press. It may be necessary to add from 1/4 to 1/2 cup more flour to adjust consistency.

From: Vicki,La