Spritz Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

This is not a cookie I've traditionally made for Christmas, but it's such a wonderful spritz cookie recipe I really wanted to share it!

SPRITZ CHOCOLATE SANDWICHES

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Buttery Chocolate Frosting:
3 Tblsp. butter, softened
4 1/2 Tblsp. unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
About 6 Tblsp. light cream or evaporated milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

For dough, beat butter until light; gradually add sugar, beating after
each addition. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla to
blend well. Sift together flour and salt; gradually add to creamed
mixture, mixing well.

Put star plate in cookie press. Working with one-fourth of the dough
in the press at a time, press out strips of dough about 2 1/2 inches long
about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400° for 6 to 8 minutes or until very delicately browned.
Remove cookies to cooling rack at once.

For Buttery Chocolate Frosting,
combine the butter and cocoa. Beat in vanilla, salt, sugar, and enough
light cream to make frosting of spreading consistency. When cookies are
cool, put them together in pairs with frosting between. Dip ends of
sandwiches in the frosting and then in the chopped nuts. Allow frosting
to set before packaging or storing cookies. Makes about 5 dozen
sandwich cookies.

For years I made these for the piano recitals of all three children. They were a great favorite on the refreshment table! In fact, they became such a favorite of the kids' piano teacher that I frequently presented her with a tin of these as an end-of-the year gift. These cookies are quite a bit of work, but the impressively delicious results are worth it!