German Spritz Cookies Food

SPRITZ COOKIES - SPRITZGEBäCK

Steps:

• Mix the butter and confectioners sugar until fluffy and almost white in color.
• Add the egg and the one egg yolks and vanilla extract, continue to mix.
• In a different bowl, mix the flour, salt, and starch.
• Add the flour mix to the butter mix and mix it just long enough to have everything incorporated - as short as possible.
• Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, use some butter or batter to "glue" the paper to the baking sheet so it is completely flat.
• Preheat the oven to 160°C / 320°F, bottom & top heat.
• Put a tip into a pastry bag and pour a portion of the dough into the bag.
• Create shapes like circles, c's, s-shapes and other shapes with the dough while pressing the dough onto the baking sheet.
• Bake for 6 minutes if the tip was rather small, a little longer for larger or thicker tips. Keep an eye on the cookies while baking to adjust the baking time if needed.
• Let the cookies cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate (or candy melts) in a bowl over a pot with hot water.
• Dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate, then add some sprinkle or decoration to your liking.

GERMAN SPRITZ COOKIES (SPRITZGEBäCK)

Steps:

• Add the very soft (but not melted) butter, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Using your hand or stand mixer with the normal beaters, mix everything for around 4 minutes until creamy.
• Add the egg and egg yolk to the bowl and keep beating for 2-3 minutes until they are mixed in.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Give everything a quick stir.
• Switch your mixer attachment to the spiral dough hooks. Then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in small increments while beating. Keep mixing until the flour is fully mixed in.
• Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. If you are using a piping bag (the same kind of bag also used for cake/cupcake decorating) or a cookie press, let the dough rest at room temperature. If you're using a meat grinder for this recipe, place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes so it can chill.
• Once the time is up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
• Now, prepare your piping bag, cookie press, or meat grinder - we usually use a piping bag. You'll want to use a large star tip with your piping bag or cookie press. The larger the opening, the easier the dough will be to push through. Also, the softer the dough, the easier it'll come out of the piping bag.
• Now shape the spritz cookies. You can make whichever shapes you want. Circles with an open hole in the middle, S-shapes, or straight lines are classic choices for Spritz cookie shapes. Some people also like to write their names with the cookie dough. Just make sure to create the letters large enough (and leave enough space in between) since the cookies will rise/expand a bit in the oven.
• Place the cookies on the parchment paper and bake them one baking sheet at a time in the oven for 12-16 minutes until the ends are slightly brown. It takes exactly 13 minutes in our oven but since every oven cooks differently, your baking time might vary slightly. When taking the cookies out of the oven they might still feel a tiny bit soft - that's fine (as long as the bottom is lightly browned). They'll harden once cooled.
• Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a cooling rack.
• OPTIONAL: Once the cookies have cooled, you can prepare the chocolate glaze by melting chocolate chips either in the microwave, in a pot on the stove, or in a hot water bath. You can use any type of chocolate chips (depending on how sweet you want it to taste). We like using semi-sweet chocolate chips. Once the chocolate chips are fully melted, carefully dip parts of the cookies into the melted chocolate and then place them back onto the cooling rack (place some of the parchment paper underneath for easier clean-up). Let the chocolate glaze fully harden before consuming or storing them. Enjoy!

GERMAN SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Make sure to place butter out of the fridge ahead of time so it will be soft and smooth.Allow the eggs to come to room temperature outside of the fridge.
• Whisk soft butter until soft and creamy.
• Sift powdered sugar and add with vanilla powder or extract to the bowl. Cream together untilwell combined.
• Separate the eggs and whisk the egg whites lightly.
• Add the egg whites and a pinch of salt to the bowl and mix well.
• Sift the flour and add, one spoonful at a time, to the bowl. Mix until everything is wellcombined.
• Fill into a piping bag with a large star tip or every other tip you prefer.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Pipe rosettes, the character "S" or other shapes of your liking.
• Bake in pre-heated oven on 340°F for about 12-15 min.
• Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
• You can enjoy the cookies as is or decorate them with melted chocolate, sprinkles or fillthem with jam.

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.

MANDELSPRITZGEBäCK (GERMAN CHRISTMAS ALMOND COOKIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven (375°F, 190°C).
• Grease baking trays.
• Mix butter with sugar until creamy. Add egg and egg yolk and mix until foamy.
• Add almonds and a few drops oil of bitter almonds.
• Add flour (mixed with baking powder) little by little and mix. The dough should be elastic, but will not be smooth.
• Fill in the dough into a cookie press with big star nozzle or better into a meat grinder with a big star nozzle.
• Make/press dough strings of about 2 to 3-inches. Form dough strings into rings, "S", horseshoes or any other shapes you like and place on baking tray.
• Bake for about 12 minutes. Cookies should still be light.
• NOTE: Oil of bitter almonds: if you can't find it, use almond extract.
• NOTE on cookie press: the dough is elastic but not smooth. So using a simple icing bag could be difficult. I use a meat grinder with a special cookie star nozzle. You can use a suited cookie press.
• NOTE on custom yield: I really can't give the correct custom yield. But the amount will make several baking trays. Baking time is given for one tray.

GERMAN SPRITZ WITH VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in large bowl. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla and salt. Beat.
• Add flour. Work into batter. Fill cookie press and press your choice of design onto ungreased cookie sheet. Decorate. Bake in 400 f. oven for 10 to 12 minutes until set and edges are showing a hint of brown. Makes 6 to 7 dozen.
• CHOCOLATE SPRITZ: Exchange 6 tablespoons of flour with 6 tablespoons cocoa.
• ORANGE SPRITZ: Add 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind and 1/2 teaspoons orange flavoring.
• CHOCOLATE ORANGE SPRITZ: Exchange 6 Tablespoons flour with an equal amount of cocoa. Add 2 teaspoons orange flavoring.
• Company's Coming for Christmas.

MY MOM'S SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Beat in flour and baking powder. Use your hands to finish mixing if dough does not come together.
• Add dough to a cookie press and press spritz-shaped cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Carefully transfer to a wire rack and cook completely.