Sprits Cookies

This week I was tasked with bringing a dessert to an Easter gathering, so I'm back again with another sweet submission, which is fine because honestly these books are 90% dessert recipes anyway.

This recipe comes from my BRAND NEW church cookbook that was generously given by Donalee Strand via her son, my good pal Anthony Strand. St. John Lutheran Church Cookbook comes from Hatton, North Dakota (home of Carl Ben Eielson!) and was published in 2004 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the church. I found this recipe (provided by K. Peterson) in the "Ethnic" section of the book, which Anthony accurately pointed out is almost entirely Norwegian recipes.

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Mom's Sprits Cookies

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1/2 cup Crisco

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Mix all together and place in cookie press. Bake at 350­­° until golden brown.

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Sprits (or spritz) cookies do require a cookie press, which I happen to own. I usually only see these cookies at Christmas, but my press comes with a good variety of shapes for year-round enjoyment. The umbrella would have been appropriate for spring as well, but I ended up choosing the butterfly.

I thought these turned out pretty well, but I do have a few suggestions. If you always use unsalted butter like I do, you will need to add a little salt to the dough. I also thought that they didn't hold their shape very well in the oven, so it might be beneficial to chill the dough before pressing them. I learned that the dough won't stick to parchment paper, so a chilled, ungreased pan works well. And sprinkles are best applied before baking. Finally, depending on your preference for crispness, these will be in the oven for about 10-13 minutes. I like 'em softer so 10 was perfect for me.

Final rating: 4/5 way too easy to eat like 12 in a row