Very nice, Martha! I never had much luck with cookie presses, either.

Gotta love Oxo! :-)

Oh, those cookies are so pretty!

Glad you found a cookie press that works great for you! (I really like Oxo stuff!)

I just made a double batch of spritz for our neighborhood Christmas decoration block party. It is my younger son's favorite cookie, and I use the old hand held barrel cookie press from the '60s.

Oh, the wreaths in particular make me very nostalgic.

My mother always made tons of Spritz cookies. Yes, the wreaths were my favorite. Mother had that same cookie press and keeping the dough exactly the right temp/consistency was a huge challenge. As my mother aged,, the arthritis in her hands became very bad. I blamed that cookie press!

I have one but have never been successful with it! Tell me your secrets! PLEASE! Lol

The week before Christmas my father, God bless him, used to take one night after work to make Spritz cookies with us kids. It was always green Christmas Trees and pink Flowers. They went into foil lined tins that my grandmother saved from the very old days of fruit cake or purchased "fancy cookie" giving. I have the blue container that looks like Wedgwood.

In 1965 part of our Christmas present was my parents getting tickets for us to go see THE SOUND OF MUSIC over an hour away in the next state. It snowed that entire day but my "never day die" father didn't falter and we were some of the only people on the road that night. My mother brought the cookie tins and passed out those green and pink Spritz cookies to all of us through the movie.

Precious memory...

I once bought an electric cookie press (think about 30 years ago). It was easier on my hands, but it was still difficult to use and a nightmare to clean. It's the constant putting the dough back in the refrigerator to "firm up" and then taking it out to "warm up" that is what makes these such a nuisance to make. They are delicious, though!

Islay -- I had an old fashioned press and could not get it to work but got a new oxo one and it made it so easy!

Islay, I like the old fashioned Mirro one that I bought over 50 years ago. You have to put the disc into the tip so that the number on the disc will be on the inside of the barrel when you screw it shut. This basic pressed cookie maker works every time. I bought one for my son on Ebay, as they don't make them any longer. But he thinks it is a gem.

I also have the old Mirro cookie press, the one with the copper top and bottom and various discs. Grandma always used it to make spritz with it, my favorites were the camels, she always flavored those chocolate, the wreaths were green and the poinsettias were red and mint flavored. Sometimes she would dip the bottom/flat part of the cookie in chocolate to make it "fancy". Mother had it and she gave it to me, because she never used it. She isn't really a baker.

I've never really had trouble using it, although I seldom make spritz. I like them, but the kids and grandkids all like those frosted sugar cookies better, and my favorite is Grandma's Chewy Molasses, so the spritz seldom get eaten.

Annie

Martha, I'm sorry to be so late in my comment, but I love your spritz and know they tend to be a labor of love : ) My Mom and I used to make them together, so your photo reminded me of some lovely Holiday memories, and I thank you! I've never made them on my own, not sure why, but thinking next year I should!

We always dyed the Christmas tree spritz green, ha ha!

2ManyDiversions -- yes, often Christmas trees ARE green!