Pressed Hazelnut Cookies (Spritzgeback)

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, softened
• 1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and well-pulverized

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Add the vanilla and continue beating until smooth.
5. Sift the flour into the mixture 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in the ground nuts.
7. Place the dough in a pastry bag or cookie press fitted with a medium-sized star tip.
8. Pipe the dough out on ungreased baking sheets forming rounds and rings about 1 1/2 inches diameter or s-shapes or crescents about 2 inches long, spacing the cookies 1 inch apart.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are firm and light brown.
10. With a spatula, transfer cookies immediately to a cake rack to cool. Store in air tight container. If you want to freeze them, in a freezable container, lay cookies in layers with wax paper between each layer. Keeps tightly sealed up to 3 months.