How to Make Press Cookies With a Pastry Bag

Preparation

1). Set aside butter or margarine to allowing it to reach room temperature. Assemble and measure other ingredients.
2). Prepare a reusable or disposable pastry bag by selecting a large pastry tip that is suitable for piping cookie dough.
3). Separate the pastry tip from the threaded ring (coupling). Drop the pastry tip, pointed side down, into the point of the cone-shaped pastry bag. Holding the tip in place, mark the outside of the bag with a pencil midway between the tip's point and its threaded edge.
4). Remove the pastry tip and fold the bag so the pencil mark is visible. Cut across the pointed end of the pastry bag at the mark.
5). Drop the pastry tip, point side down, into the pastry bag. The pastry tip will protrude through the hole in the pastry bag and should expose one or two threads upon which to attach the screw ring. The bag is now ready for filling.

1). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Decide on the shape of your cookies. Open circles, hearts and figure eights take a good bit of experience and practice. An easy shape for beginners is a squiggle, or S-shape.
2). In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except decorative toppings using hand mixer.
3). Fill the bag halfway with cookie dough. Twist the top of the bag closed so the dough is pressed against the pastry tip. Hold the bag shut with the left hand if you are right handed (and vice versa).
4). Apply consistent pressure with your free hand to gently squeeze the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
5). Decorate the pressed cookies with colored sugars or candy sprinkles.
6). Bake for six to nine minutes, or until dough is set but not brown. Remove from oven and cookie sheet.