Peppermint-Spritz Cookies

Ingredients

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons to ¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookies:
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (6 ounces), room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 tablespoon milk
Red gel-paste food coloring, for glazing (optional)

Directions

Glaze: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Glaze can be stored at room temperature, with plastic wrap pressed directly on surface, up to 3 days; whisk before using. (Makes 2 cups.)

Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter with granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolk, flour, salt, peppermint extract, and milk; beat to combine.

Fill a cookie press with dough and fit with a wreath disk. Press cookies directly onto unlined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until just golden on edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Working in batches, add a drop of food coloring to a small amount of glaze (about 1/4 cup); use a toothpick to swirl a tiny bit. Dip tops of cookies in glaze, then turn glaze-sides up and place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips to set. For additional “swirls,” dip a toothpick in red glaze and drizzle over cookies.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.