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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Cookie Press Cookies!



I am quite behind on blogging. I have a few more posts in arrears that hopefully I will get to posting soon. As per usual, I'm quite the busy girl... Training and beginning a new job (that makes a total of 3 jobs), & a Wilton Cake decorating class (pictures and post soon to come... hopefully) amongst the many things going on right now. So please forgive me, but I'll get everything up soon.

A few Sundays back I found myself awake much earlier than Daniel, and knowing I'd soon have less time to bake for fun, I decided to surprise DR with some cookies. Some time ago, Gourmet.com posted their favorite cookie recipes from 1941-2008 and I went bookmarking crazy, telling myself I'd make the recipes I liked in the future. Well, it has been a while and I think this is the first recipe I'm getting around to (is anyone else like that? They keep saving links to things they want to make and never actually get around to it? I have about 5 gajillion links saved, and keep accumulating more!!).

The recipe I chose allowed me to finally bring out the cookie press I got for Christmas. They were quite delicious... as they were cooling, every time Dan passed he grabbed one off the tray and popped one in his mouth. About 15 cookies later, they were finally cooled and I dusted them with powdered sugar. As usual, I found that this recipe improved with a little time. About a day after they were made, they were perfectly buttery, crumbly, and melt-in-your-mouthly. I one-thirded the recipe because I cannot logically prepare a recipe that produces 70 cookies in a house of two people and one shih-tzu. The only other alterations I made were slight, like omitting the almond extract in favor of all vanilla.

Spritz (Norwegian Butter Cookies) from Gourmet's Favorite Cookies: 1941 - 2008.
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp + about 1/6 tsp vanilla (just eye the 1/6 tsp... a little bit more than 1/8 and a little less than 1/4)
1/3 of a large egg (I know, I'm crazy...just approximate)
1 1/3 cup flour sifted with ~1/6 tsp baking powder
~1/6 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat to 350.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the softened butter. Slowly beat in the sugar and then the vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
Add the 1/3 egg and allow to mix to combine. Add the flour and mix just to combine - do not overbeat.
Insert dough in to the tube of a cookie press fitted with your favorite shape plate (though you could also just pipe shapes on to a cookie sheet with a star tip), and press cookies on to *ungreased* *un-parchment paper-ed* cookie sheet.
Bake about 10 - 15 minutes or until just started to turn golden around the edges. Transfer the cookies with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.
Set wire rack on top of a cookie sheet, and dust cookies with powdered sugar.



complete list of Gourmet's Favorite Cookies available here

5 comments:

Ingrid_3Bs said...

How'd I miss this post?

Those look lovely!! I hear ya about the arrears, I'm constantly playing catch up & I don't even try & post everything I bake. (The kids get mad sometimes if they have to wait to much! LOL!)

I took the first 2 courses. That's a story for an email or you can check it out over on my blog. I wrote about it early in my blogging career(ha!). But I'm excited to hear what you have to say & see what you've been up to.
~ingrid

Elyse said...

Awww, these spritz cookies are absolutely precious!

Michelle said...

I love using a cookie press and when I get pressing there's no stopping me!

Your cookies look wonderful!

Donna-FFW said...

Stephanie- These are awesome. I love spritz, I must try your recipe though. The ones I use with my cookie press have orange zest, Id like a chage. I am sooo adding you to my blogroll. I LOVE your site here. SO many good things!! SO glad I found it!

Anonymous said...

cookies design is nice.

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