Chocolate Filled Spritz Food

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SPRITZ

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until set (do not brown). Remove to wire racks to cool. , In a microwave-safe bowl, melt candy coating; dip each cookie halfway. Sprinkle with crushed candies. Place on waxed paper until set.

COCOA SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cloves in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
• Fill a cookie press with the dough according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press cookies about 1 inch apart onto 2 baking sheets. Decorate with sanding sugar.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then loosen with a thin spatula and let cool completely on the baking sheet.

CHOCOLATE FILLED ALMOND SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• On a baking sheet roast almonds until lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes, toss every 2-3 minutes Allow to cool to room temperature.
• FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD---------------------.
• Grind almonds and sugar in a food processor until very fine.
• Cut butter into 16 chunks, with the processor add butter a chunk at a time.
• Process until creamy.
• Scrape down bowl.
• Add egg and extract, process until mixed, scrape down bowl.
• Add flour and salt, pulse until just combined.
• Scrape into a bowl.
• ELECTRIC MIXER METHOD--------------------------°- .
• Whisk flour and salt in a medium bowl.
• Cut butter in to 16 pcs, Allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature.
• Grind almonds to a fine powder (can be done with a rolling pin and a plastic bag).
• In a second medium bowl cream butter, sugar until very light and fluffy.
• Add almonds, beat until well combined.
• Lightly beat egg and extracts, add to butter mixture, beat until just combined.
• Stir in flour and salt until just combined.
• BOTH METHODS---------------------.
• With a cookie press or pastry bag fitted with a no 22 tip, put cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart.
• Decorate with colored sugar, etc.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Refrigerate Cookies on the sheet for 20 minutes, this will help them hold their shape.
• Bake cookies one pan at a time for 8-10 minutes (until very lightly browned), rotate pan halfway through the baking to promote even cooking.
• Allow to sit on sheet for 3-4 minutes, remove with an angled spatula to a rack.
• Cool completely.
• FILLING----------------------.
• Melt 3/4 of the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water (160 degrees or so) (bowl must not touch water).
• When chocolate starts to melt remove from heat and stir until smooth, add remaining chocolate and stir until smooth.
• Let the chocolate sit until it's no longer warm to the touch and SLOWLY beat in the butter.
• Do not over beat this mixture.
• Place the mixture in a freezer bag (corner cut off) or pastry bag and pipe it on to the bottom of 1/2 of the cookies.
• Cover with second half to form a sandwich.
• Do about 10 at a time as the chocolate mixture will start to set up.
• Let cookies set for 2 hours for filling to set 100%.
• Store covered in an airtight container for about a month.

CHOCOLATE SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in a large mixin g bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add mixture of flour, cocoa and salt gradually; mix well.
• Press through cookie press onto cool ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until set. Remove onto wire rack.
• Cool completely.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY SPRITZ SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Sift together flour and salt, set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing until blended.
• 2. Fill a cookie press with dough and press cookies about 1-inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
• 3. When cookies are cool, melt chocolate and shortening then add raspberry extract to taste. Note: the chocolate may seize up when you start adding the extract. You can add more extract or shortening to remedy this. You may also need to warm it up more to get it nice and melted because the extract will also cool the chocolate off a little.
• 4. Spread the chocolate mix on a cookie and sandwich another cookie on top. After sandwiches are made, drizzle remaining chocolate over the sandwiches.

SPRITZ COOKIES WITH FOUR VARIATIONS

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.