Spritz Cookies

Great recipe, but you will need a cookie press to make spritz. It makes a ton of yummy, buttery cookies, and is well worth the investment.

ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups butter
  1 cup granulated sugar
  1 egg
  2 Tablespoons milk
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  

directions

Preheat oven to 375?F. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla, and almond extract; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough.

Do not chill.

Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges; Sprinkle with colored sugars if desired. Remove cookies from sheet; cool on rack.

Cake Balls

In 2008, Leigh and Kelly made cake balls.  It was the first time I had ever tried them.  Life changing!

cake mix
1 can frosting
white or milk chocolate bark

 1. Bake cake according to package directions.

2. Let cake cool for about 30 minutes or until you can touch it without burning your fingers.

3. Tear up cake in a mixing bowl.

4. Mix can of frosting into cake.

5. Using a melon baller or tablespoon, distribute cake onto wax paper in the form of balls. (you pick the size)

6. Place on wax paper in the refrigerator on a cookie sheet. Let firm in there for about 30 minutes.

7. Melt chocolate bark in the microwave or stove.

8. Once cake balls have chilled, dip balls in the chocolate after making sure cake has been rolled into a ball shape.

9. Place balls back on wax paper and put in the fridge to cool.

10. Once the chocolate has hardened, sit back, enjoy, and freak out because cake balls are the best way to eat cake ever!

Leigh's Sugar Cookie Frosting- 2012

Royal Icing

3-3/4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
3 Tablespoons  meringue powder (can buy at Michael's)
6 Tablespoons warm water

Beat 4-5 minutes until smooth.

If you want it thicker (to outline) add a little more sugar. If you need it thinner (flow consistiency) to "fill in" add a little bit more water.  (Trial and error.)  Leigh puts her icing in separate bowls and add food coloring.  (Leigh uses AmeriColor and Wilton gel.)

After you outline the borders, allow them to dry 15 minutes, then you can fill them in. Leigh uses icing bags. Let them dry an hour before adding any details. After they are completely dry, they can be stacked and packaged.