Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas to my Mom & Auntie Sweetie - Going Vintage!


My 86 year old aunt who I've mentioned before just recently sent me all of her baking equipment. This included a "Wear-Ever Cookie Gun" Probably from the 1960"s & in perfect condition, box & all. I have never used a cookie gun - I thought they were called cookie presses and have seen all different models, made out of plastic and even electric. But this was the old fashioned "metal" gun. As long as I was going vintage, I decided to find a recipe out of my mom's 1950 Goumet Cookbook. I found it. Short & sweet & easy.
Spritz
Cream 1 cup of butter until light & fluffy. Add gradually 1/2 cup of sugar & cream together until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, mix thoroughly, and add about 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, or enough to make a soft dough which may be forced through a fluted nozzle of a pastry tube into various shapes. Bake the cookies on a lightly butterd sheet in a moderate oven for about 8 minutes, or until very faintly brown.

This is not that much different from any other Spritz recipe I looked at. To fill in some additions. I used unsalted butter, softened and 2 1/2 cups of flour is just right but no more. I did not butter the baking sheets as I have the Calaphon Sheets - no butter needed. Aunt Sweetie did send me her "old fashioned cookie sheets" but I'll stick with mine & no extra butter. A "moderate" oven was 350 & that worked.

I made tiny trees with green sprinkles
and my 2nd batch will have a citrus glaze which I grabbed from Martha Stewart.
Citrus Glaze 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 tbs of citrus juice,3 tbs of citrus zest, 1 tbs of vanilla & 3 tbs of light corn syrup. I'm making half with fresh lemon juice and the other half will be lime using "Nellie & Joes Fresh Lime Juice" which is the best!

So although this recipe is nothing fancy or that different, I loved being able to use the cookbook and the cookie press. I will talk to my aunt on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day and think wonderful thoughts about my mom.

Also while searching for the recipe, I came upon a bonus! Years ago one of my sister in laws husband was a baker. Every holiday he would bring a box of "Chocolate Leaves" which the entire family would fight over. They still talk about them. (He's no longer in the picture & doesn't bake anymore) so I am heading to the store for the ingredients and will let you know the result!


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1 comment:

  1. Oh, what treasures you received!!! I haven't used my spritz gun in a long time...I need to dig it out and try your recipe. Merry, merry Christmas to you and yours...and thanks for leading me to your blog!

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