topic Re: Spritz cookie in Recipes

Spritz cookie

Mom2Dogs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:30:00 GMT

Does anyone know of a recipe for spritz cookies that DOES NOT use the cookie press?

Years ago I was able to make the cookies with no issues. Lately the press just does not work properly and I am not interested in buying another press and having the same results. I'd love a recipe with out the hassle of the cookie press. thanks!

Re: Spritz cookie

Desertdi — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:39:16 GMT

You can drop them from a teaspoon, and press them with the tines of a fork.

OVER HANDLING, tho, is what makes them tough. (Don't "roll" them into balls.)

Re: Spritz cookie

Kachina624 — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:45:55 GMT

If it isn't made with a press, it's not a Spritz cookie, it's just a sugar cookie.

Re: Spritz cookie

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:02:29 GMT

@Kachina624 Unfortunately that's not true.

I pulled out my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook for the OP.

Re: Spritz cookie

Kachina624 — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:06:28 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs

"What are Spritz Cookies? Spritz cookies are a lot like sugar cookies. They're buttery and sweet and, with the right recipe, hold their intricate shape when baked. Sugar cookies are shaped with cookie cutters and spritz cookies are shaped with a cookie press."

Re: Spritz cookie

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:23:09 GMT

I drop teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet to bake:

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cups sugar

4 oz cream cheese

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour

Mix butter, sugar, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, and zest in big bowl with hand mixer until smooth. Beat in egg yolk. I mix in the flour by hand.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven until light brown around the edges, 9 to 11 minutes.

Cool sheet on rack for 5 minutes. Place cookies on rack to finish cooling

Re: Spritz cookie

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:17:59 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

I am so happy you asked and I looked. I was using my Pampered Chef cookie press and last year I determined the cookies are way too big and tough. They're probably not tough to the people I give them to but to me I like a delicate crisp cookie and here's what they say.

From America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

The success of these confections rest primarily in the management of finicky ingrediants. Found out you can actually pipe these cookies!

If using a pastry bag, use a star tip to create the various shapes. For stars, a 1/2 to a 5/8 inch tip works best, but for rosettes and S Shapes, use a 3/8" tip. Measure the diameter of the tip at the smallest point. To create stars, stars should be about 1 inch in diameter. to create rosettes pipe the dough while moving the bag in a circular motion ending at the center of the reosette rosettes should be about 1-1/4 in diameter

To create S shapes peipe he dough into compact s's they should be about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide.

one sheet at a time for best results. if reusing a baking sheet make sure it's cooled.

1 large egg yolk

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened but still cool

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon table salt

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 375 deg

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

whisk the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla in a small bowl until combined set aside.

in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and salt at medium high spped until light and fluffy about 3 minutes scraping down the bowl and beater as neeed. with mixer running at medium speed add the yolk cream mixture and beat until incorporated. about 30 seconds. with the mixer running at low spped, gradually beat in the flour until combined. give the dough a final stir to make sure the flour is mixed in.

pipe cookies, bake 1 sheet at a time until light golden brown 10-12 minutes rotating the baking sheet halfway through. cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes and transfer to wire rack

Re: Spritz cookie

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:22:49 GMT

@Mom2Dogs

Here's the variations

Spritz cookies with lemon essence

follow recipe adding 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon to the yoke-cream mixture in step 1 and adding 1 teaspoon finely grated zest from 1 lemon to the butter along with sugar and salt in step 2

Almond Spritz Cookies

Grind 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 2 tablespoons of the flour in a food processor until powdery and evenly fine, about 12 pulses, combine the almond mixture with the remaining flour. Follow the recipe for Spritz Cookies substituting 3/4 teaspoon almond extract for the vanilla.

I think this will be my new favorite recipe and I'm piping them this year!

Re: Spritz cookie

Mom2Dogs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 16:50:54 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs Thanks for the info and recipe...I can pipe!! I love the flavor of spritz cookies!!!

Re: Spritz cookie

RespectLife — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:32:05 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
You can drop them from a teaspoon, and press them with the tines of a fork.

OVER HANDLING, tho, is what makes them tough. (Don't "roll" them into balls.)

@Desertdi

Two years ago, I made tons of them, no problem. This year I made a big mess! LOL

They kept sticking, couldn't get them outta the press.

One of my recipes says to roll the dough into logs and refrig....when you say don't roll into balls...is that what you mean? I shouldn't do that?

Re: Spritz cookie

Desertdi — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 17:53:44 GMT

@RespectLife Spritz dough is very delicate, and should NOT be rolled. di

Re: Spritz cookie

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 18:57:53 GMT

The secret to making delicate light cookies is don't overwork the dough.

The more you handle the dough, the tougher the ccokie is.

Even mixing in your flour, just enough to incorporate and no more.

My mom used to make Mexican Wedding Cakes and Pecan Fingers along with her spritz that just melted in your mouth, no chewing required. She had a Sunbeam mix master and not a kitchenaid, I think that too had a lot of do with making melt in your mouth cookies.

Re: Spritz cookie

RespectLife — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:32:26 GMT

Thanks so much @Desertdi

I appreciate the tip! I will never roll again!

And...I added food coloring and did way too much kneading to get it all mixed in.

I realize that now.

BUT do you refrig before putting in the cookie press? How cold should the dough be?

TIA !!!!

Re: Spritz cookie

RespectLife — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:39:05 GMT

@Mistreatedbycs

TOTALLY guilty on that too.

I used my KA and I know I let it go WAY too long. The dough was def over mixed.

And then as I told @Desertdi

I added food coloring and kneading it over and over was the wrong thing to do.

My mom made Spritz with the cookie press and they were always perfect! And she rarely baked.

I am so bummed mine were awful last year.

They spread, lost their shape...DH ate them cuz we don't waste (LOL) but not one was gifted!

Do you both always use a cream cheese recipe?

I tried an all butter one last year and thought that was why they spread so badly.

So I tried again w/ a cream cheese recipe and failed again!

But I CAN make Chocolate Crinkles, Pizelles and Sugar Cookies!

Re: Spritz cookie

Desertdi — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 19:55:07 GMT

@RespectLife I have only used a butter batter (no cream cheese), and mixed by HAND, and not refrigerated.

(I have not baked since I retired to Arizona. But I MUST add: Never bake on a stormy day.) di

Re: Spritz cookie

Mistreatedbycs — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 21:07:36 GMT

@RespectLife

The recipe I provided does NOT have cream cheese. My source was America's Test Kitchens.

I love that book, there is absolutely nothing I have made that didn't turn out or I didn't like.

Re: Spritz cookie

Kachina624 — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 22:26:22 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
@RespectLife I have only used a butter batter (no cream cheese), and mixed by HAND, and not refrigerated.

(I have not baked since I retired to Arizona. But I MUST add: Never bake on a stormy day.) di

@Desertdi I understand the science behind not making candy on a humid day but what in the world difference would it make with cookies? None, I think.

Re: Spritz cookie

Desertdi — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:36:18 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:

@Desertdi wrote:
@RespectLife I have only used a butter batter (no cream cheese), and mixed by HAND, and not refrigerated.

(I have not baked since I retired to Arizona. But I MUST add: Never bake on a stormy day.) di
@Desertdi I understand the science behind not making candy on a humid day but what in the world difference would it make with cookies? None, I think.

@Kachina624 Thunder CAN cause a cake to fall......and you will never get crisp cookies on a VERY humid day (while it is raining).

This is not from science. It's from experience.

Re: Spritz cookie

Kachina624 — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:37:47 GMT

@Desertdi I guess you're not making your famous crisp cookies this week.

Re: Spritz cookie

Desertdi — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 01:47:07 GMT

@Kachina624 UGH.......it is SO BAD, it took a few pieces of lingerie 45 minutes to dry......IN THE DRYER.....