Tri Color Christmas Spritz Cookies Food

CHRISTMAS SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Place flour and salt in medium bowl; stir to combine.
• Beat powdered sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg, almond extract and vanilla.
• Gradually add flour mixture--mix until well blended.
• Divide dough in half.
• If desired, tint half of dough with green food coloring.
• Fit cookie press with desired plate (or change plates for different shapes after first batch).
• Fill press with dough; press dough 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Decorate cookies with cherries and assorted candies, if desired.
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until just set.
• Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
• Prepare Icing, if desired.
• Pipe or drizzle on cooled cookies.
• Decorate with cherries and assorted candies, if desired.
• Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.
• --Icing--.
• Place all ingredients in medium bowl; stir until thick, but spreadable. (If icing is too thick, stir in 1 teaspoon additional milk).

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.

TRI-COLOR BULLSEYE SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add and mix in 1 egg at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix. Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl and add to the butter mixture, beating until the flour is just incorporated.
• Separate the cookie dough into 3 bowls as follows: a small amount for the center of the bullseye then divide the rest equally for the other 2 rings. Add 2 to 3 drops of one of the food colors to the small bowl, stirring to distribute the color evenly. Repeat with a different food color for each of the remaining bowls of dough.
• Place each colored dough in separate piping bags, making sure to put the smallest amount of dough in the bag with the smallest tip. Starting with the outside of each bullseye, pipe 3-inch rings onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Use the next bag to pipe the second colored ring inside the first ring, then use the third bag to fill in the center of the bullseye. If the edges of the piped rings overlap, use a bit of water to moisten a finger and smooth out the uneven section.
• Freeze the bullseyes for 10 minutes before baking. Then bake until the cookies are set but not yet golden brown, about 11 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees at the halfway mark.
• Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack before serving.

TRICOLOR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
• 2. Butter three 8-inch square baking pans.
• 3. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
• 4. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour.
• 5. Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
• 6. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until small crumbs form.
• 7. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined.
• 8. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
• 9. Add the orange zest and beat until combined.
• 10. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.
• 11. Divide the batter among three small mixing bowls.
• 12. In the first bowl, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the batter, and mix well.
• 13. Continue to add a few drops of food coloring and mixing until the batter is medium orange in color.
• 14. In the second bowl, add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated.
• 15. Leave the third bowl plain.
• 16. Pour each batter into a prepared pan and smooth the tops.
• 17. Bake the layers for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.
• 18. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
• 19. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely.
• 20. Remove the parchment.
• MAKE THE FILLING.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the jam and amaretto until warmed through and completely blended, 3 to 5 minutes.
• ASSEMBLE THE TRICOLOR COOKIES.
• 1. Place the chocolate layer on a serving rack and evenly spread half of the apricot jam over the top.
• 2. Top with the plain (or white) layer and spread with the remaining apricot filling.
• 3. Top with the orange layer and let the layers sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes (or while you make the chocolate glaze).
• MAKE THE GLAZE.
• 1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.
• 2. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth.
• 3. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
• 4. Spread the glaze over the top of the bar cookies, completely covering the orange layer (some glaze may spill down the sides of the cake).
• 5. Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping completely sets (about 1 hour).
• 6. Remove the tray from the refrigerator, wait 30 minutes for the chocolate to warm up, and cut into 20 individual squares or use a small cookie cutter to create your own shapes.
• 7. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

TRI-COLOR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 3 (13- by 9- inch) metal baking pans. Line bottom of each with foil and spray with vegetable spray. , 2. Break marzipan paste into small pieces and grind with sugar in food processor until no lumps remain. Transfer to a large bowl and add butter. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then add yolks and almond extract and beat well. 3. Beat in flour and salt on low speed. 4. Beat egg whites in another bowl until they just hold stiff peaks and stir one third into batter to lighten slightly (batter will still be stiff). Fold in remaining whites thoroughly. 5. Divide dough into thirds (about 1 1/2 cups each). Stir green food coloring into one third and red food coloring into another, leaving one third plain. Spread each dough separately into a pan. (Layers will be thin.) 6. Bake layers in batches in middle of oven until just set and beginning to turn golden along edges, about 10 minutes total. 7.Line a large shallow baking pan with wax paper and slide green layer into it. Spread half of jam evenly over green layer and carefully top with plain layer. Spread remaining jam evenly over uncolored layer and carefully top with pink layer (trim edges if necessary). Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large cutting board or baking pan. Chill at least 3 hours. 8. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove weight and plastic wrap and spread chocolate evenly over top. Let stand at room temperature 15 min to set. 9. Cut into small bars and serve.