Monday, October 08, 2007

Another practice run
--Spritz Cookies


Spritz Cookies
Best Recipes From The Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars Copyright 1979, 1981, 1982

1 cup Land O Lakes Sweet Cream Butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla or almond or lemon flavoring I used vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In 3-quart mixer bowl combine butter, sugar, egg and flavoring. Beat at medium speed, scraping sides of bowl often, until light and fluffy. Reduce to low speed (or by hand); stir in flour and salt until well combined. Dough can be divided and tinted if desired. If dough is too soft, chill for easier handling. Force dough through a cookie press onto ungreased baking sheet. Decorate with colored sugar or cinnamon candies, etc. Bake near center of 400 degree F oven for 8 to 14 minutes or until cookies are light golden around the edges.

Makes 6 dozen cookies.
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I've tried using a cookie press before and it was a disaster. It was a cheap one from Ollie's so I wasn't surprised (it was very cheap). Spritz cookies are lovely on a cookie tray but I could never bring myself to invest in a more expensive cookie press. Then I saw this Wilton press at Ollie's for only $4.99 ($2 or $3 more than the last one I bought) and they had it on display. It looked sturdy and easy to use so I went out of a limb and bought it. It was easy to use although I had to squeeze twice for each cookie. That may have been my fault though. I messed up the dough and added too much flour so then I added more butter to compensate. I was feeling impatient by that point so I didn't chill the dough.

This was a test run for Christmas and I think they were a success, even with me screw-up. I got fewer cookies by double pumping them but they were still a good size. They had that buttery taste you would expect from a spritz cookie. Nothing that knocks my socks off but very tasty. Their job is to dress up a cookie tray and I think this recipe will work. I don't want to experiment too much because I don't know how many batches of dough this cheap press has in it! I just hope this recipe works when I don't mess it up.

*edited 12/2011 to add picture of the Christmas trees.

Blast From The Past: Ricotta Cookies from December 2005, another pretty Christmas cookie. I'm thinking about Christmas cookies early this year, which is weird considering that summer won't go away.

Question of the Day: Are you having unseasonably warm (or cold) weather in your area?

6 comments:

ThursdayNext said...

It is about 86 here today on Long Island New York...they reopened the beaches here this weekend, lifeguards and all!

Anonymous said...

It's very warm over here in Southern New Jersey. I like the warmer weather, but I don't like that the mosquitos are still around!

Keep on blogging! I love your site.

Annie said...

I'm in RI and this Saturday it was close to 90 degrees. We had an art festival in the area and people were sweating and dying of thirst! It was crazy.
I should start thinking about Christmas cookies now too. But I have to get through a bake sale next weekend,it should be fun...Pumpkin muffins, loafs and brownies, YUM.

Unknown said...

Yep! We're still in the 90's but are supposed to be in the low 80's by the end of the week.

Randi said...

I think it was 91F today. Way too hot for October.

Anonymous said...

10-12-2007 your recipe collection reads hungrily!! enjoying it. gg