Unchilled Spritz Cookie Dough Recipes

SPRITZ BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Fill cookie press, and form cookies on baking sheets according to manufacturer's instructions.
• If decorating, brush with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles. Bake until edges are firm (not brown), 10 to 15 minutes. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheets; cool completely on a rack.

UNCHILLED SPRITZ COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Beat butter using an electric mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds.
• Add just 1 cup of the flour, all of the sugar, the egg, baking powder, vanilla, and almond extract (add a few drops of food coloring if desired).
• Beat until well combined.
• Beat in rest of the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour.
• DO NOT CHILL DOUGH.
• Force dough through a cookie press fitted with a decorative plate onto ungreased cookie sheets, following the directions on your cookie press (Leave about 1 inch between each cookie on the sheet).
• Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are firmed but not browned (these will not get brown when done- if they are brown, then they are burnt).
• Remove to a wire rack to let cool completely before icing.
• Mix icing ingredients, adding only as much milk as needed to get a spreading consistency.
• You will have extra icing.
• Dip tops of baked cooled cookies into icing and then into a bowl of colored sprinkles, if desired.
• Let icing on cookies firm up, then store in airtight containers.
• They freeze well.

TRILOBITE COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well.
• Sift in the flour and baking powder and gradually stir to incorporate all the flour into the creamed mixture.
• Do not chill!
• Make a sausage shape with the dough a little smaller than the barrel of the cookie press. Load the barrel and insert the serrated slot shape in the end.
• The serrated slot is usually used to make rectangular cookies by squeezing out a length of dough. That's not what we are going to do. Put the cookie press flat against the baking sheet and squeeze until you feel a bit of resistance, then lift off the cookie press, just as you would do for most of the other shapes. This gives an oval shape with ridges that looks a bit (a lot!) like a trilobite.
• If you are very clever, make all the trilobites the same size. Alternatively, accept that you probably won't get them all the same size and deliberately make some baby ones and mummy and daddy ones.
• Bake at 200deg C or 375degF for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the baking sheet and let the trilobites cool on a cake rack.
• At this stage, Prof Hart sticks two cookies together with some jam. I didn't have enough time to do that.
• Break the chocolate into a bowl and microwave on medium for 1 minute. Stir and then continue to zap for 30-10 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted.
• Dip about one third of the end of each cookie in chocolate and place on baking paper or waxed paper.
• Place two candy decorations or silver dragees on top for eyes.
• Leave until the chocolate has set.
• Store in an airtight container until, as the Prof says, they are extinct again.

BUTTER COOKIES - THREE COOKIES IN ONE DOUGH

Steps:

• Mix eggs, butter, and vanilla.
• Add dry ingredients and stir well.
• For Cutouts: CHILL WELL.
• Roll out for cookie cutters.
• For Jam Centers: Place dough on wax paper.
• Roll into a tube form with the wax paper surrounding it well.
• Place in refrigerator and CHILL WELL.
• When chilled, cut off slices of the tubed dough to make a round cookie.
• You can press a spot in the center for the jam to be placed, or just put a nut there for another alternative.
• For Snow Balls: Before chilling, add 1 1/2 cups walnuts.
• CHILL WELL.
• When chilled, make small 1 inch balls out of dough and roll them in Confectioner's sugar.
• Bake all three types at 400°F for 8-10 minutes.
• The cookies should brown slightly.