Spritz Cookies
Posted: February 28th, 2016, 5:13:58 pm
Spritz cookies are a traditional German cookie, generally made around Christmas. There are a number of variants out there, and the one I'm going to tell you is the one my mother grew up with when she was living in Germany.
Ingredients:
2 sticks (1/2 pound) of unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground nuts (I use almonds, but you can use walnuts, pecans, or a combo; whatever is to your liking)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose or cake flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together thoroughly. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together until you form a smooth ball of dough.
3. Roll out the cookie dough (about 1/4 inch thickness) on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the rolling pin as well to help prevent the dough from sticking to it. Cut cookie cutters of your choice to cut out the cookies. You should get about 35 cookies, depending on the size of cookie cutters you use.
4. Lay out the cookies on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper, spaced apart about 1 inch. You'll likely need more than 1 sheet pan. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove when the edge begin to turn a light brown and let pan sit on stovetop or a cooling rack, where the cookies will continue to bake in the residual heat from the pan. Carefully check the bottom of a cookie. If it's lightly browned it's good, and you should end up with soft cookies. If it's still all smooth cookie dough color, place back in oven for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve alongside your dipping drink of choice, be it coffee, milk, whatever.
Side note: You may opt to glaze these if you wish. I don't as my father is a diabetic, that and he prefers them this way, and in the recipe, you can switch out the cup sugar for a cup of Splenda if you are making these for a diabetic.
Ingredients:
2 sticks (1/2 pound) of unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground nuts (I use almonds, but you can use walnuts, pecans, or a combo; whatever is to your liking)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose or cake flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C.
2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together thoroughly. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together until you form a smooth ball of dough.
3. Roll out the cookie dough (about 1/4 inch thickness) on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour the rolling pin as well to help prevent the dough from sticking to it. Cut cookie cutters of your choice to cut out the cookies. You should get about 35 cookies, depending on the size of cookie cutters you use.
4. Lay out the cookies on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper, spaced apart about 1 inch. You'll likely need more than 1 sheet pan. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove when the edge begin to turn a light brown and let pan sit on stovetop or a cooling rack, where the cookies will continue to bake in the residual heat from the pan. Carefully check the bottom of a cookie. If it's lightly browned it's good, and you should end up with soft cookies. If it's still all smooth cookie dough color, place back in oven for another 5 minutes.
5. Serve alongside your dipping drink of choice, be it coffee, milk, whatever.
Side note: You may opt to glaze these if you wish. I don't as my father is a diabetic, that and he prefers them this way, and in the recipe, you can switch out the cup sugar for a cup of Splenda if you are making these for a diabetic.
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