Fall Leaves Butter Cookies

Who else gets nostalgic when that old school cookie press gets dug out from the back of the pantry? These retro cookies get a new look with autumn shapes and colors to resemble fall leaves.

Holiday baking is my favorite and it’s about to go into full swing. Between my #PBChocSat posts and the many upcoming holidays my butter usage is about to skyrocket. Thankfully some of that butter is going to a good cause because today’s cookies were baked to raise awareness for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a charity rising funds for pediatric cancer research. I have participated every year that I have been blogging! This year, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Visit OXO or cookiesforkidscancer.org for more information.

I couldn’t wait to bust out my new OXO autumn disk set to use with my cookie press. I may be addicted to getting each season’s disk set after trying this set, but I digress. Press cookies were like magic growing up, pressing the lever and watching the fun shapes appear underneath. It’s like making sugar cookie cut outs, but fancier and yet easier at the same time! I’m pretty sure we only busted it out during the holidays too, finally resurfacing after months of being hidden in the back of a cupboard. Usually those dreaded cupboards above the fridge that seem like black holes.

The one we had was electric, without any settings, so you had to find the sweet spot to get the right amount of dough onto the cookie sheet without it turning into a giant blob. It was something to be proud of, mastering this art. However, this OXO cookie press is not electric. At first I was off-put, thinking it crazy to remove that element. It may seem less sophisticated without a power cord, but all you have to do is press the simple pump and viola! Perfect cookies every time. It’s as if technology has advanced or something.

Originally, when I started I had a sheet of parchment paper on the cookie sheet but the dough wouldn’t stick to the paper – rookie mistake. Clearly a non-stick cookie sheet does not need to be covered with parchment paper, especially when dealing with press cookies which function by adhering slightly to the pan. But never fear they come off easy peasy, especially with a handy cookie spatula. I might have acquired more than one over the years and have bought several more as presents.

The coolest thing about these cookies isn’t that they are in the shape of a leaf, but rather that I mixed red, orange, and yellow dyed dough to make the leaves look like they are changing! I thought about dying a little bit green to have some late bloomers in the mix but worried about them turning brown and looking past their prime – no one likes that in cookie or leaf form.

Speaking of fall leaves, Bob and I are actually planning to head back home to Rochester, NY next month to catch a glimpse of the fall leaves – and to get our engagement photos done at the Seneca Park Zoo! This is the zoo at which we both volunteered in high school and first became friends. We’ve known each other for almost 2 decades now and, while we probably would have met through mutual friends another time, the zoo is what first brought us together so it seemed like the perfect spot. But don’t be fooled, we are not high school sweethearts. We didn’t actually start dating until we were done with graduate school!

Three years ago: Swag Bars

Four years ago: Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken

Five years ago: Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Six years ago: Beermosa

FALL LEAVES BUTTER COOKIES

Makes approximately 12 dozen

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

Red, orange, and yellow gel food coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating continuously.
3. Add flour one cup at a time, beating until well incorporated. Separate into 3 bowls and stir in red, orange, and yellow gel food coloring until blended.
4. Roll each dough out into a long, thing log, and then roll together.
5. Place dough in cookie press with the leaf disk. Press dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookie are just turning golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted slightly from OXO friend, Fraya Berg (as stated in the included recipe book).

Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary product from OXO. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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