Christmas Wreath Cookies

Wreath Butter Cookies

• Before you start on the batter, make room in your refrigerator or freezer for baking sheets! The piped cookies will need to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes before being baked. Sadly the dough can't be chilled before it's piped or else it'll be too thick to pipe.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 1 cup of room temperature butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for a couple of minutes until it looks light and fluffy.
• Add 1 large egg, 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, 2 tsp almond extract, and 1 tsp neon green gel food coloring. Beat at a medium-high speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Mix in 2 1/4 cups of flour (it's important the flour is properly measured! Make sure it's fluffed, spooned into the measuring cup, then leveled, or use a kitchen scale) and 1 tsp fine salt on a low speed until mostly combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until completely combined, smooth, and thick but still pipeable.
• Fit a large piping bag with a French piping tip, closed star tip. Before we fill the entire bag, we're going to test the consistency of the dough and make sure it's right. Scoop about 1/2 cup of dough into the bag, and try to pipe a wreath. If you're able to successfully, scoop the rest of the dough into the bag and seal the top with a rubber band or clip. It takes a bit of hand strength, but the thicker the dough is, the better it will keep its shape as it bakes! However, if the dough is too thick to pipe, scoop it back into the bowl of dough and mix in a teaspoon of milk. Repeat as needed until the dough is pipeable.
• Pipe 2-inch wreaths on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. I piped mine by making dollops of dough in a circle. I piped one circle of dough, then piped another on top of it to give the cookies some nice height and help them keep their shape. You can reference the video in this recipe card to see the process more clearly. Take your time as you do this and give your hand a break between trays. Then press two heart-shaped sprinkles into the top of each wreath to look like a bow.
• Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or the freezer for 15 minutes. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 350°/175°C.
• Once the oven is fully preheated, bake one tray of cookies at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 15-16 minutes or just before the edges start to brown. If you use less dough to pipe each cookie, your bake time may be shorter, so keep a close eye on these as they bake, or bake one cookie on a tray as a test batch before you bake them all. The cookies will spread a tiny bit as they bake, but should still keep their shape.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week.