Spritz Cookies

Hi,

Half way through the week!  Woohoo!!  Two more full work days and then the Christmas Party on Friday.  I can’t wait, I love dressing up and having someone else serve me food!  lol

Today in the mail I got my very last package from the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  I’m sad that it’s over!  I loved getting cookies from fellow bloggers.  I appreciate everyone’s effort and sending cookies.  I loved them all!   Now I can’t stop eating them!  Ok, hang on….  I need to have just one more, make that two more, that makes like 12 15 or more cookies for today.  I’m offically going on the cookie diet.  Wonder if I could lose weight if I did?

Today’s cookies came from Bean Town Baker!  They are a wonderful Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies.  Honestly, they are the best Gingerbread Cookies I ever had.

Jen (love her name) sent me these big chewy cookies that have the perfect flavor of Gingerbread and the chocolate really makes this cookie stand out!  It’s so perfect!  I’m so glad I got them and I hope to get Jen’s recipe so I can make them!!  These are way better then any traditional Gingerbread Cookie.  You should check out Bean Town Baker’s Blog, she has a lot of great recipes.  I saw one for Butternut Thyme Bars that I want to make and she has lots of cookies to that look delectable.  So check it out!  Thanks Jen for the cookies, I just ate one as I was typing this!!

Now for my Cookie of the day!  Here is my runner up cookie, number one was yesterdays Peanut Butter Cookie, and these are my number two.  These are also my Mom’s favorite, that’s why I made them, to give to her!  There a wonderful little dainty cookie that is pleasing to the eye and to the stomach.  Not to mention low in calories unless you eat like 10 of them, like me!

Aren’t they adorable?  There a Spritz Cookie.  There a soft butter cookie with almond flavoring.  I really love these cookies!  These are really an old time classic.  I remember as a kid my Mom making these.  I always thought they were so pretty.

There really easy to make, but using a cookie press was kind of a pain in the butt!  But I managed.  By the way, JC Penney’s has a Wilton Cookie press normally $19.99 and it’s on sale for $10.99 and they have a $10.00 off anything coupon, so I paid .99 cents for a $20.00 cookie press.  Get your coupon online and then go to JC Penney’s and get your press.  For $20.00 more Cuisinart makes and electric cookie press, I almost bought it, but figured I didn’t use a press that much!

Spritz Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. You will need two ungreased baking sheets.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy  (2-3 minutes).

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.

On low speed, gradually add the flour and salt and mix until incorporated.

NOTE: To get the different colors, I would divide the dough into 3 sections. I would take one batch of the dough, place it back in the bowl, add 2 or 3 drops of food coloring, beat until all the colors were incorporated (about 1 minute). I did this with green and the same for red, and I left the white uncolored.

To Press Cookies: Scrape some of the dough into your cookie press that has been fitted with a decorative plate (follow manufacturer’s instructions). Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the ungreased baking sheet, with the tip almost touching the sheet, and squeeze the trigger. (If you find the dough is too soft, because the shape of the cookies is not clearly defined, then chill the dough.) Continue to press out the cookies, spacing about 1 inch apart. If desired, decorate the cookies with pieces of candied cherries, nuts, colored sprinkles or colored sugars.

To Pipe Cookies: Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch diameter open star tip. Fill the pastry bag about half full, twist the end of the bag to close, and pipe 1 1/2 inch (3.5 cm) rosettes or stars by holding the pastry bag perpendicular to the ungreased baking sheet, with the tip almost touching the sheet. Squeeze the pastry bag firmly and evenly without moving it until the shape is the desired size. Stop squeezing and push the pastry bag down a little and then lift the pastry bag straight up. Continue to pipe cookies, spacing about 1 inch apart. If desired, decorate the cookies with pieces of candied cherries, nuts, colored sprinkles or colored sugars.

Bake cookies for about 6 – 9 minutes or just until the edges of the cookies are barely tinged with brown. Remove from oven and gently transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies will keep at room temperature for about one week or they can be frozen for several months.

Makes 90 Cookies

Calories per cookie:  35,  Fat:  2.1,  Sodium:  7.6,  Potassium:  4.8,  Carbs:  3.5,  Sugar:  1.1,  Protein:  .04

You simply must try these cookies!  There easy, they don’t take a lot of ingredients and if you have a cookie press you can pop out 90 of these cookies in an hour including baking time.  These were the first time I ever made them, and I am truly pleased with the outcome.

I wanted to let you know I updated the Trader Joe’s page.  I added some seasonal items on there and some new stuff too!

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway. One lucky winner will get a spatula that sponsors helping “Kids with Cancer” and I’m throwing in a dozen of cookies.  I have a cookie I want to make, I’m just trying to figure it out in my head on how to make it.   The only hint I’ll give is it takes after one of my favorite holiday drinks.  Can you guess?  So don’t forget to enter, giveaway ends Saturday at Midnight!!

Thats it for me!  Have a great week.  Time to do some MORE exercising, I overdone the whole cookie thing today!  Cookies morning, noon and night!