Almond Cream Spritz Food

ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. , Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with colored sugar. , Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Cool on wire racks.

ALMOND CREAM SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
• Add sugar, almond extract, and vanilla.
• Beat till combined.
• Beat in flour.
• Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes or till easily worked but not too stiff.
• Pack dough into a cookie press.
• Force dough through press onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake in a 375° oven for 8-10 minutes or till edges of cookies are firm but not brown.
• Remove cookies and cool on wire racks.

ALMOND BUTTER SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Line two or three cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with parchment paper or foil. Set racks on the top and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• In a bowl, soften the almond paste with the sugar and half of the eggs. Beat in the butter gradually, then gradually add the remaining eggs. Cream all of the ingredients until light. Add the flour all at once and mix until all the elements adhere. Do not over mix.
• Pipe 1/2 inch shapes onto the prepared pans with a 1/2 inch star tube (Ateco 4). Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool on the pans

ALMOND SPRITZ PRESS COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening, adding sugar in gradually.
• Add unbeaten egg, sifted dry ingredients, flavoring and a few drops of food coloring. Mix well. (NOTE: you must sift the flour first and then measure or you will add too much flour and the dough will be too stiff!).
• Fill cookie press. Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets using the tree plate. Decorate with tiny multi-colored sprinkles.
• Bake at 400°F for 6-8 minutes. Cool just slightly and remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. (If you wait too long, they will break when you try to move them.).

THE BEST SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Thirty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
• Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, or until pale gold. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid over-browning. Cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
• Food processor method: In a food processor, process the almonds and sugar until fairly fine. Cut the butter into several pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and process until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until blended. Stand Mixer Method: Use a nut grater to grate the almonds powder fine and then whisk them into the flour mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, on medium speed, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
• Scrape the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use the outside of the plastic wrap to knead together the dough until it is completely even and soft enough to pipe smoothly.
• Scoop the dough into the pastry bag (or spoon some of the dough into the cookie press and cover the remaining dough). Pipe 7 rosettes or 14 stars about 13⁄4 inches in diameter onto the cookie sheet, no less than 1 inch apart.
• To get the best possible shape for the rosettes, use your fingers to smooth the ends of the rosettes after piping. For the stars, hold the bag in a vertical position (straight up and down) with the toothed edge of the tube just slightly above the cookie sheet. Squeeze the bag firmly without moving it until the shape is as wide as desired, just at the point when the lines in the dough are on the verge of curving. Stop squeezing the tube and push the tube down slightly. Lift the tube straight up and away. Decorate with the glacéed cherries set in the centers, and/or top with sugar sprinkles or dragées.
• Bake for 5 minutes. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheet halfway around. Continue baking for 5 to 7 minutes, or until pale gold.
• Set the cookie sheet on a wire rack and use a pancake turner to lift the cookies onto another wire rack. Cool completely.
• While each batch of cookies is baking, shape the dough for the next batch. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 month, or refrigerated or frozen for 6 months.