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Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Virtual Cookie Exchange!

'Tis the Season - for love, for family, for joy, oh, and for COOKIES!



Carol (Just Let Me Quilt) has organized this fun virtual exchange of favorite holiday cookies!


My dear husband has fond childhood memories of gathering in the kitchen with his family, making Christmas Spritz cookies and decorating with gumdrops.  When he learned I was going to make a batch, he grabbed his apron and became my kitchen helper.  He jokes that no man has ever been killed while doing the dishes, haha!  He's a keeper!


I don't know about you, but I have not seen gum drops for years, and, as it turns out, even our local grocery store does not carry them!  So we settled for fruit snacks. Those are kinda gummy, plus, they're "nutritious", right?


                                           Spritz Cookies
                                                   Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
                                                   Cream:  3 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/2 c.)
                                                                 1 c. sugar
                                                   Add:      2 egg yolks
                                                                 1 T. vanilla
                                                   Stir in:   1/4 t. salt
                                                                 3-3/4 c. sifted flour

Fill a cookie press with the dough, then follow manufacturer's instructions to press cookie shapes on to an ungreased, unlined cookie sheet.  We used a little green food color in the dough for the trees.


Now for the fun part, especially if you have kitchen helpers!  Decorate with sprinkles, sugar crystals, gumdrops, or candies if desired.

Bake 9-10 minutes until bottom of cookies are slightly golden.  Cool on a rack.  If you want a sweeter cookie, sprinkle with powdered sugar while still hot.  YUM!  Yield: 6 dozen or so cookies.


If you don't have a cookie press, this butter cookie dough works well to roll out and cut, or roll in balls and flatten with the bottom of a glass then bake and enjoy!
~~~
GIVEAWAY!  Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to win a bundle of Quiltscapes patterns plus some extra little goodies thrown in for good measure.  Giveaway ends on Saturday night.
Be sure to visit these blogs this week for tasty inspiration!
December 5 

71 comments:

  1. They like delicious. I must say I can't remember the last time I saw gun drop either.

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  2. Deon, they sound so delicious! Let me see if I can convince my husband to help (he already does the dishes so I don't think I will need to threaten him with his life!). :-)

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  3. Please check your recipe. 3 sticks of butter is not 3/4 cup. It is 1 1/2 cups. I love spritz cookies with cream cheese. Merry Xmas and keep baking!

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  4. Hi Deann,
    Spritz cookies have always been my favorites and I have fond memories making these as well. The recipe looks delicious and I will be PINing it. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  5. One of my favorite treats from my grandmother's was oranges. They always seemed to taste sweeter at Christmas, especially when they were from her~

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  6. Oh, don't those cookies look yummy and so pretty too. Your hubby is a wise man. You did well. Thanks for the giveaway, I always am in awe of your patterns.

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  7. I have a treasured gumdrop tree from my mother that we always kept full of red and green gumdrops throughout the holiday. I have found 1 pound containers of them at several places every year - Hobby Lobby, the Dollar Store, Walgreens, and our local HEB grocery.

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  8. Great idea to use the fruit snacks :) Thanks for sharing and the giveaway today :)

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  9. I loved all cookies when I was a child. I do remember Mom making some of those Spritz cookies in all shapes. I loved to help.

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  10. Just love the picture of hubby in the apron! Sometimes you can find gum drops in specialty stores or online, but I think the fruit snacks are great, and way less sugar.

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  11. I remember making spritz cookies years ago with my kids. Yours look delicious! What, no gumdrops in the store? Fruit snacks taste better anyway. Thanks for sharing your recipe and playing along today!

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    1. Not on the candy aisle, the cooking aisle, the Christmas aisle, even checked the bulk aisle. Found lots of gummi bears, Swedish fish in all colors, sour patch kids, gummi worms, peach rings - now those might be nice! No luck. Even considered craisins or currants, which might not be a bad way to go.

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  12. Spritz cookies are a favorite of mine, interesting about the gum drops.....I'm going to have to look for them. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. These look yummy! We love spritz cookies but I have never used gumdrops or fruit snacks on them. Going to have to try this ... thanks for the idea, Deonn ... :-) Pat

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  14. We always have some Norwegian food at Christmas like Lefse a tortilla-like flat bread. It is made with cold mashed potatoes, four & rolled very thin with a spiral rolling pan & finally cooked on a flat, hot grill. rozz01(at)cox(dot)net

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  15. Wow, I can tell it has been a while since I hosted a blog hop - configured the Rafflecopter without a way to share comments. That has now been fixed, and I'll list the previous comments here! I love to hear about your Christmas traditions and treats!

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  16. Thanks for sharing the recipe and the opportunity to win some patterns. You are very generous.

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  17. Lisa E: We always made lots of cookies to share with friends! pizzelles were a favorite.

    Cindy K: These look delicious! Quilters are so creative, great substitution for gum drops!

    Mary C: My Favorite Tradition is setting up my Nativity Display. Going to see the Nutcracker when my Granddaughters were younger.

    Kay E: Every Christmas day we all got a new colouring book and felt tips, we would colour and eat chocolate all morning.

    Janey C: Our favorite tradition was taking all 7 of our young sons to our neighbors to give cookies and songs on Christmas Eve.

    Carol K: I have always loved Spritz cookies too, and look forward to Christmas time when I get to have some! Thanks for sharing!

    Bonnie L: my mom used to make whipped shortbread cookies

    Liz H: As we got older, we would go to Midnight Mass and then have a big Irish breakfast afterwards!

    Judy: Love the cookies = it's a shame I need G-F recipes
    Judy, I found a great link for GF Spritz cookies!
    https://www.landolakes.com/recipe/16787/best-ever-spritz-cookies-gluten-free-recipe/

    Paulette: love the idea of cut up fruit snacks

    Anita J: I loved oranges from my grandmother, they always tasted so sweet


    Carla H: My grandma made PEPPERNUTS (PFEFFERNUSSE) and I loved them. Most of my family wouldn't eat them, so more for me. ;)

    Patty H: My moms applesause cookies and January thaw(a kind od fudge) were always a treat foe me. I can't make them like she could.

    Karen A: I always bake my Nana's shortbread cookies.

    Kris: We make sugar cookie gingerbread cookies :)

    Daryl: I love all cookies and remember Mom making Spritz cookies too!

    Connie: White Elephant Exchange

    Sandra T: Our family tradition is that we all get together always on Christmas Eve to have dinner and then exchange presents. My mom looks forward to this every year and every year we continue to celebrate Christmas Eve with her. Lots of hugs; good food and of course, presents. Wishing you Happy Holidays and thank you for being a part of the Christmas Exchange.

    Lauren: We loved to carol around the neighborhood and take treats to friends.

    Sam: driving around town at night to view Christmas lights

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  18. These look delicious! I'm always looking for a good spritz cookie recipe :) Now if I can find my cookie press!

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  19. Caryn S: Going to my Great-Aunt's for homemade tamales. All the aunts would make some, both savory and sweet.

    Theresa T: My mother taught me to make kolachy , which is a pastry cookie with egg whites, sugar and nuts rolled up in it.

    Pat (Scrapatches): The Tree has always been my favorite tradition ... :) Pat

    Rosalind G: Norwegian food like Lefse

    Nancy A: Gathering at grandparents home along with aunt, uncle, and cousins for a full week. It was like a week long slumber party.

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  20. I love the way you managed to make your cookies healthy by adding the nutritious
    gummies : }

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  21. I haven´t try this recipe.Looks yummiest,added to my list.
    We love to bake cookies om Christmas with children when we meet with my brothers and sisters and also any day in the year,the last one I made was with coconut.

    Wishing you a nice Advent season.

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  22. Love cookies..any kind. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  23. My father was just looking for gum drops.

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  24. Spritz are my go-to Christmas cookie! I make them every year, with gummy candies too! I remember one year when I was a kid and we were spending the holidays with extended family, my mom made dozens and dozens of spritz cookies. We had bucketfuls of them!

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  25. Spritz cookies are one of my favorites. We always made them when I was a child and I have always made them each Christmas. Now I need to show my grandson how to make them.

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  26. You are so lucky to have a hubby that helps in the kitchen, no less...is willing to bake!! I love it. My dad does all the cooking in my parents house, always has...but my mom is the only baker! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. elanagoldberg5@gmail.com

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  27. I love husbands who help. :)

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  28. We like to go to Balboa Park for December Nights. So many displays, food booths, music and museums. A great way to start the season. : )

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  29. The smell of the house after making shortbread biscuits always reminds me of Christmas.
    Now I am older, somewhat, I make many many batches just to fill the house with the smell. Stacked in a mason jar with a ribbon tie they make a great title gift for friends and family too.

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  30. I just love Spritz cookies! I have my mom's cookie press but have yet to use it. Your recipe has inspired me to make some! Happy Holidays!

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  31. Your Spritz cookies bring back many memories. My mom used to make them and her 8 kids would inhale them! I have her Spritz machine somewhere tucked away. I think I have to find it to make some of these this year! Thanks!

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  32. I have a cream cheese sugar cookie I make and I make Divinity every year.

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  33. I plan on making Spritz cookies for the first time this year! Thank you!!

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  34. My Grandma used to make these cookies! I tried a few years ago, but had trouble with the cookie press. Maybe it is too hot in Houston to make them; it worked just fine in Montana. Thanks for sharing, and Merry Christmas!!!

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  35. I love spritz cookies and never even considered putting gumdrops on them - adorable! Thank you for the recipe, great idea and the giveaway! Merry Christmas!

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  36. I love to make Spritz cookies, and have a Coconut Wreath recipe that we love.

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  37. These are always such fun cookies to make.

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  38. I make spritz cookies every year for Christmas, I love using my cookie press so many different shapes. This coming Monday is my Christmas cookie baking day and also my trashing the kitchen Monday! I just need to buy a few more ingredients tomorrow.

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  39. I love spritz cookies, made them every Christmas with my mom. We used colored sugar but I like the fruit snack idea.

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  40. You definitely have a keeper. I hadn't thought about it before, but truly "where have all the gumdrops gone?". I loved gumdrops as a kid, although sugary. Still, they are better than many sugary treats now a days. And, what a great idea for using them with Spritz cookies. I had never thought of that. But them, I've never mastered Spritz cookies, but absolutely love them. I definitely want to give this a try.

    QuiltShopGal
    www.quiltshopgal.com

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  41. Time to find my cookie press! Yum!

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  42. I have my grandmother's spritz press. I will have to try these again. Thanks for the memory

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  43. I make spritz, too. Such a fun hop. Thanks.

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  44. Spritz cookies are a favorite in our house as well.

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  45. These cookies are a fond memory of mine also. These were always the first cookies my mother made for Christmas every year. I make them once in a while but am the only one in my family who really likes them. thanks for the generous giveaway.

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  46. I love making pumpkin cookies during the holidays. I love just about everything pumpkin this time of year.

    tushay3 (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  47. Those cookies look yummy and super cute!

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  48. Love the idea of using fruit snacks! Use what ya got!

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  49. I remember making Spritz cookies with my mom as kids. We loved that "cookie gun" LOL!
    No gum drops??? Your right, I've not seen them in a very long time and I love the spicy ones! Wishing you a very blessed Christmas...Still enjoying the CD you sent me a few years ago. It's a holiday tradition here now!

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  50. Love the picture of your hubby with his apron. We love Spritz, too. Butter is key, I think, margarine just doesn't have enough flavor. Usually we decorate with colored sugar - gumdrops are new to me. Goodness, NO GUMDROPS!!, what will become of Christmas. lol Have a Merry Christmas, Deonn.

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  51. I've always wanted to try spritzel cookies since I was a kid looking at the Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook. (I was born in the mid 50s, and people my age know what I'm talking about!) Yours are cute and might just push me over that final hill to making them!

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  52. I have never heard of Spritzel Cookies, yet the recipe is very close to one my Grandmother called ButterBall Cookies, which were delicious! I will try your recipe and compare, so thank you for sharing your recipe! My husband does the majority of cooking and baking in our home, yet it is always fun when we do something together also. Thank you also for the opportunity to win such a great prize! Have a great day!

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  53. I love spritz cookies but I'm not good at getting them out of the press. Always ends up a big blob. lol Was is the trick to it? I'll give your recipe a try.

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  54. I need to try to make these cookies, since I have a cookie press that I haven't used for years. Our traditions for Christmas is making cookies, so can't wait to try your recipe.

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  55. Those are so cute and great idea to use the fruit snacks.

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  56. These cookies look really delish - have never tried them! Thank you for sharing, Susan

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  57. How nice to have a hubby that helps in the kitchen!!! My dear hubby, though marvelous in every other way, doesn't do kitchens. Oh, sure, he knows there's a room called the kitchen, and he's vaguely aware that food comes out of that room, but he has no idea of the process that produces that food. Oh, my! Still, though, I wouldn't trade him for a million dollars!

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  58. My hubby loves to bake during Christmas. He makes a triple batch of Chex Mix and fudge every year. Such adorable cookies with the fruit snacks on there.

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  59. I haven't had a spritz cookie in years but I remember how good they are.

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  60. Oh wow!! Those look so amazing!

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  61. Oh, yummy! It’s time to follow suit!

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  62. These look great! What?!! No gumdrops. Kind of like what happened to all the brown M&Ms in a bag when you need them. I'm late visiting but so glad I stopped by here to see your spritz cookies. They look delicious.

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  63. Thank you for sending the beautiful patterns you have published. I appreciate the extra bonus bird ornament kit and your good wishes! Happy New Year and thanks again. June

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So happy you stopped by for a visit! Thank you!