You may not know them as "Spritz Cookies" but you know you've seen them every holiday season. This recipe is best used with a Cookie Press, which is essentially a caulk gun for cookie dough. The dough is meant to be slightly sticky and smooth so it sticks to the cookie sheet (but not sticky enough that it will come off on your fingers when touched). Please also make sure you have plenty of time to make all the cookies, as the dough is best used unchilled and within 2 hours of preparation.
This recipe usually makes about 5 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Butter (salted - room temperature)
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
Sprinkles, if desired.
Steps
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the Butter and Sugar until fully creamed and incorporated.
3. Add the Egg, Whole Milk, Vanilla Extract, and Almond Extract. Continue beating on low-medium until full incorporated.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the All-Purpose Flour and Baking Powder.
let's be Frank: Make sure your Baking Powder and Flour (as well as other ingredients, of course) are not expired. Most people don't pay attention to expiration on Flour or Baking Powder and that can make a difference in how they bake. Also - it's BAKING POWDER here, not Baking Soda...yes, I've made that mistake before.5. Gradually add the dry mixer to the liquid mixture until the dough has formed.
let's be Frank: If using a stand mixer, switch the paddle attachment to a dough hook before the dough gets too thick to avoid damage to your mixer. 6. Once the dough has formed, ensure that it is a little sticky and begin loading up the cookie press with the dough. The extra dough can be wrapped in cling wrap so it does not dry out while using the cookie press.
7. Press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet with the cookie press. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.
let's be Frank: If you are having a hard time getting your cookies to stick to the baking sheet, you can typically solve this in one of two ways:
(1) The dough is not sticky enough - this can be fixed by adding a few extra drops of whole milk and kneading that into the dough. Don't add too much or you'll need to use more flour.
(2) Pop your empty baking sheet into the freezer for ~1-2 minutes before using the cookie press. This sometimes help the dough stick to it.8. Bake for ~5 minutes or until the base becomes a golden color; the cookie tops will remain white.