Spritz Cookies With Variations Americas Test Kitchen Recipes

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position; heat the oven to 375°F In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla with a fork until combined; set aside.
• In a standing mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running at medium speed, add the yolk-cream mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running at low speed, gradually beat in the flour until combined. Scrape down the bowl and give a final stir with the rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain.
• If using a cookie press to form the cookies, follow the manufacturer's instructions to fill the press; if using a pastry bag (see TECHNIQUE below). Press or pipe cookies onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until the cookies are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes; using a metal spatula, transfer them to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
• FOR LEMON SPRITZ COOKIES: Follow the recipe for Spritz Cookies, adding 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the yolk-cream mixture in step 1 and adding 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest to the butter along with the sugar and salt in step 2.
• FOR ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIES: Grind ½ cup sliced almonds and 2 tablespoons of the flour called for in Spritz Cookies in a food processor until powdery and evenly fine, about 1 minute; combine the almond mixture with the remaining flour. Follow the recipe for Spritz Cookies, substituting 3/4 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla.
• TECHNIQUE: Filling a Pastry Bag: (1) Make a C shape with one hand and hold the piping bag. Fold the bag over that hand about halfway down, insert the tip, and scrape the dough into the bag. (2) When the bag is about half full, pull up the sides, push down the dough, and twist tightly while again pushing down on the dough to squeeze out any air. (3) Grab the bag at the base of the twist. Using the other hand as a guide, hold the top at a 90-degree angle about 1/2-inch above the baking sheet and squeeze to form the shape.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the egg and mix to incorporate; don't worry if the mixture seems to separate.
• Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the creamed butter. Mix until combined. Using a cookie press, press the cookies onto ungreased baking sheets. Top with sprinkles of your choice. Bake until firm but not yet browning, 6 to 8 minutes. After a few minutes, move cookies to a rack and cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg and almond extract; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture until blended., Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with toppings. Bake until set (do not brown), 7-8 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°.
• Combine all ingredients except flour in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat until well mixed. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate, 30 to 45 minutes.).
• Place dough into cookie press fitted with template. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Chocolate Chip Spritz: Add 1/4 cup coarsely grated semi-sweet chocolate to ingredients and proceed as directed above.
• Eggnog-Glazed Spritz: Add 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg to ingredients and proceed as directed above. Glaze: Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter, 2 tablespoons water and 1/4 teaspoon rum extract in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over warm cookies.
• Spice Spritz: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves to ingredients and proceed as directed above. Glaze: Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over warm cookies.
• Mint Kisses: Add 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to ingredients and proceed as directed above. Immediately after removing cookies from oven, place 1 chocolate candy kiss on each cookie.

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, beat yolk, cream, and vanilla with fork until combined; set aside. In standing mixer, cream butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer running at medium speed, add yolk/cream mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. With mixer running at low speed, gradually beat in flour until combined. Scrape down bowl and give final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain. If using cookie press to form cookies, follow manufacturer's instructions to fill press; if using pastry bag, press or pipe cookies onto un-greased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on baking sheet until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes; using metal spatula, transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature. My tips for best success: Use room temperature butter and egg yolk. Make sure that your baking sheets are clean, and free of grease (or the cookies could stick). Do NOT put the cookies on parchment paper and don't grease the baking sheet! If you are using a cookie press, roll the dough into a "log". It will easily slip into the cylinder. Press the dough into the cylinder, trying to get out the air bubbles. Some of the cookies will come out deformed. Just scoop the dough off the baking sheet, and add back with the rest of the unbaked dough. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes, and loosen them with a spatula. Once completely cool, move to a baking rack.