Spritz Trouble-Shooting Tips

Regardless if you use a Cookie Stamp or a Cookie Press... These cookies make a pretty display on your dessert table. Here's a few SPITZ cookie PRESS Tips

 

What is a SPRITZ cookie you ask???

 They are simple butter cookies, shaped by putting the dough through a cookie press. The name comes from the German word spritzen, meaning “to squirt” because the soft dough is squirted or pushed through a cookie press to make fancy designs. The cookie press is fitted with different nozzles or discs to form different patterns and cookie shapes.

The key to using a cookie press is to have your dough at the perfect consistency so it will stick to the baking sheet when pressed. You’ll also need to use REAL BUTTER and a good recipe so the cookies retain their original shape once baked!

Tips for Decorating Spritz Cookies:

• Mini M & M's look best on a plain white cookie - NOT tinted cookies - add BEFORE Baking.
• Spiced Gumdrops halved; added to the cookie BEFORE baking adds beauty, flavor and texture.
• Mini Chocolate Chips added BEFORE baking works well for the "poinsettia design" or another circular design.
• Add a maraschino cherry half BEFORE baking, or another candied fruit, finely chopped nuts etc... also work to add BEFORE baking.

Glazing [Optional]

Sprinkle Christmas sprinkles over the wet glaze. The sprinkles will stick the glaze enhancing you cookie design. Let set for 1 hour

• Lightly BRUSHING the glaze on the cookies works best. If you dip or drizzle the Spritz cookies, the icing ends up much thicker and distorting the cookie shape.
• Colored Sugars, Sprinkles and some nonpareils do not bake well, so adding some sparkle with a simple vanilla glaze AFTER BAKING is the best option.

Simple Vanilla Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon KARO light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Lightly brush the glaze onto the cookies and decorate as desired with nonpareils. Allow the glaze to set completely before storing, about 1 hour.

Tips for Troubleshooting Common problems:

• You must use butter in this recipe. The secret of a great spritz cookie is a dough that is fat enough to press or pipe, yet sturdy enough to hold it shape in the oven. It must be butter.
• The butter should be very soft room temperature; so soft it will hardly hold its shape. Not melted, but close.
• Make sure your egg is at room temperature.
• DO NOT refrigerate the dough before pressing. If you are not ready to press dough out yet... refrigerate slightly so the butter does not melt further and be sure to let dough warm once again when ready to press. [Usually splitting dough or remolding with your hands for the press tube is enough warmth.]
• Use gel food coloring for these cookies. Too much food coloring can alter the cookie dough and cause them to spread AND brown more quickly.
• Make sure the dough is warm, not cold. If it’s not tacky, it will not stick to the pan. 
• Place the cookie press, with cookie dough inside, in a warm location if needed to soften.
• Only use light metal baking sheets. DO NOT use baking stones.
• The cookie sheet must be cold. Freeze or refrigerate cookie sheet after each use.
• If the dough will not adhere to the pan, try placing the cookie sheet in the freezer for a few minutes.
• Do Not use parchment paper or a Silpat mat. The dough will not stick when pressed.
• Light colored baking sheets produce lighter colored cookie. Dark pans promote browning. For the prettiest cookies us a light colored baking sheet.

Pressing and Baking Tips:

• To get the cookie press started, squeeze twice to make a double thick cookie mound. Once you pull up the press, leaving behind the cookie on the pan, the remaining dough coming out of the bottom of the press should be a bit jagged and rough. This will help the next pressed cookie to stick to the pan. Continue pressing until the pan is full. Remove the larger cookie dough and put it back with the remaining dough before baking. Repress as needed.
• These cookies bake quickly so please watch the baking time carefully. Start by baking just a few to check your oven and the best baking time. ALWAYS Use a timer!
• Dark colored pans can brown the cookies too much. These Spritz cookies should be very pale in color, just set, and barely brown on the bottom.
• Take care when adding food color. Too much will alter the consistency of the dough and cause the cookies to spread more than desired. I recommend gel food color only.
• Bake tinted cookies separately as they brown more quickly than plain colored cookie dough. the "tree" shaped cookie is smaller so requires a shorter baking time.
• Burnt a batch or back is too dark to your liking??? NO problem... Easily brush the backside of a spritz cookie with melted {chocolate} almond bark or sandwich two cookie shapes together for another delicious creation.... provided they are not too badly burnt. that is black lol

Can Spritz cookies be frozen?

Spritz cookies freeze beautifully for up to 2 months! Even decorated and glazed, these cookies freeze very well.

• Thaw at room temperature or keep refrigerated for longer storage.
• If you plan to ship these Spritz cookies to loved-ones, freeze them first and then get them to the post office while still frozen. They’ll arrive thawed and ready to eat!

VARIOUS FLAVORS

Peanut Butter, simple Shortbread, Lemon, Gingerbread, Chocolate etc...

VARIOUS COOKIE PRESS PATTERNS

SMALL TRIAL RECIPE [about 3 dozen only]

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature*
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks, well beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract**
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Assorted food colorings, candies, and/or sprinkles (optional)***

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Refrigerate UNGREASED cookie sheets until ready to use. NOTE: Pressing the dough out onto cool, ungreased baking sheets makes it possible for each application to stick on contact. You will need to clean off the cookie sheets between batches.

In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, egg yolks and flavoring with your electric mixer or mix by hand.

Gradually add flour to mixture, mixing well after each addition.

NOTES:
The secret lies in the dough, which should be neither too soft nor too firm. It it is too soft, the cookies will have no definition, and if the dough is to firm, the cookies will bake too dry. To test the dough's consistency before baking a batch, press a small amount of dough through the cookie press cylinder.

If the dough is too soft so that it doesn't go through cleanly, chill the dough for about 15 minutes.

If the cookie dough is dry, your spritz will fail. To avoid dry cookie dough, be sure to measure your butter exactly and blend your ingredients together by hand rather than in a mixer. Dry cookie dough won’t flow through the cookie press and if you do happen to get some shapes onto the cookie sheet, dry cookie dough bakes into dry and crumbly cookies. Remember, don’t over-mix, over-handle, or over-bake. If the dough is too dry, use 1 or 2 teaspo ons of whole milk and mix it into the dough with your hands.

If dough becomes too soft during use, refrigerate dough about 5 minutes or until firm enough to hold its shape (the dough will crumble if it is too cold, and it won't stick to the cookie sheet).

#spritzcookies #troubleshoot #recipesbest #easy #tips #cookiepress #spritz