Tri Color Bullseye Spritz Cookies Recipes

MY FAVORITE SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• On low speed, beat in the flour and salt. Turn up to high speed and beat until completely combined.
• Follow cookie press manufacturer's directions to fit your cookie press with a decorative plate. Scrape some of the dough into your cookie press. Hold the cookie press perpendicular to the lined baking sheet and press out the cookies 2 inches (5 cm) apart. If desired, decorate the shaped cookie dough with sprinkles or press a chocolate chip into the center. Note: It's helpful to lightly brush the shaped cookie dough with water before adding sprinkles-this helps them stick.
• If the cookie dough becomes too soft as you work, chill the shaped cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake until very lightly browned on the edges, 7-9 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, drizzle with melted chocolate.
• Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

OLD SCHOOL SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a big bowl, combine the butter, sugar, lemon zest, salt and vanilla and mix until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the baking powder, taking care to mix well. Add the eggs and egg yolk and stir well. Add the flours and gently stir until a smooth ball forms. Wrap the dough in plastic and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet (or sheets) with parchment paper (no cooking spray).
• On a floured surface, roll out tennis ball-size pieces of dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut out the shapes you want. Lay them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between each cookie.
• Bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack, then decorate them however you like with Royal Icing and your favorite sprinkles.
• Using a stand mixer and the whisk attachment, whip most of the powdered sugar with most of the other ingredients. Whip for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the royal icing holds its shape and is bright white (not translucent). If it is too soft, add more powdered sugar. If it is too stiff, add a bit more liquid, drop by drop. If you are using only one color, add a few drops of the color at this point and keep whipping until you have the shade you want; otherwise, proceed to the next step.
• To store royal icing, the ideal way is to scrape it out of the bowl and into a plastic, disposable piping bag, then leave it at room temperature. Don't cut the bag until you're ready to use the royal icing, and don't overfill the bag--you want enough room to tie the back of the bag off to keep the royal icing airtight. If any air comes into contact with the royal icing, it gets hard and that part of the icing is useless. Never attempt to mix the hard bits back into the royal icing--you'll ruin the whole batch. The other accepted method of storing royal icing is to scrape it into a plastic or ceramic bowl, and cover it with a wet paper towel. This method works, but it wastes both paper towels and royal icing. It's also just annoying. When you're piping small designs, you want to use very small parchment piping bags. It's easy to stick the nose of a large piping bag into a smaller one and extract exactly how much you'll need. When the icing is in a bowl, you have to use a spoon to get it out. The spoon is difficult to get into a piping bag, and you'll keep using spoons and wasting royal icing. Get with the times people. Do it right and don't waste food.

GRANDMA'S SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add egg and almond extract; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture until blended., Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with toppings. Bake until set (do not brown), 7-8 minutes.

BLACK, WHITE AND GREEN COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Cream the butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer. Scrape the bowl and mix in the eggs. Scrape the bowl again and add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix to combine, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined-do not overmix.
• Using a 3-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop the batter for 6 cookies onto each prepared baking sheet. They will spread, so make sure there is plenty of room around each scoop. Bake, rotating the baking sheets once during baking so they bake evenly, until the edges of the cookies just start to brown, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Let the cookies cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. If you don't cool on a rack the cookies can steam themselves and get gummy.
• For the icing: Whisk together the milk, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in a liquid measuring cup. Add the powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer). Add the milk mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and whip until fluffy and smooth. Stir in the cardamom and lemon zest.
• Transfer 3/4 cup of the icing to a small bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder until well combined. Divide the remaining icing evenly between 2 more small bowls; add the pistachio paste to one of the bowls and whisk well to combine.
• To decorate: Spread the pistachio icing on half of the flat side of each cookie. Refrigerate the cookies for 5 minutes, then spread the other half of each cookie with the white cardamom icing. Drizzle the chocolate icing over the tops. Sprinkle with the ground pistachios, if desired.
• Let the icing set for 5 minutes in the fridge and enjoy!

ELVIS COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking sheet or sheets with cooking spray.
• In a big bowl, mix the sugar, butter, peanut butter, molasses, vanilla, baking powder and salt until it's all one color. Add the bananas and mash them up real good in there.
• Add the flour and gently mix until incorporated, with no lumps.
• Fold in the chocolate chips, pretzel pieces and bacon.
• Using two spoons, form balls about the size of a large walnut and drop them on the prepared baking sheet(s) at least 2 inches apart. Place the sheet(s) in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes.
• Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden on the outside and super gooey in the middle, just like the King would want them. Let cool on a wire rack off the baking sheet.
• Find this recipe and more in Duff Bakes: Think and Bake Like a Pro at Home ($27.50, William Morrow).

TRI-COLOR CHRISTMAS SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the almond and vanilla extracts and egg and mix until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
• Remove all but 1/4 cup of the dough to a flour-dusted surface and reserve. Add enough green gel food coloring to the dough left in the bowl to color it a vibrant green like a wreath, 3 to 4 drops. Mix on low until the dough is completely green. Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and gently fold until it comes together. Wipe the paddle and bowl of the stand mixer clean.
• Place 1/4 cup of the reserved white dough back into the bowl. Add enough red gel food coloring to color it a vibrant red like a fire truck, 3 to 4 drops. Mix on low until the dough is completely red. Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and gently fold until it comes together.
• Tear off 2 Ping-Pong ball-size pieces of the white dough and add to the barrel of a cookie press; add 1 marble-size piece of the green dough and 1 marble-size piece of the red dough. Repeat this pattern until the barrel is filled (you will not use all of the dough). Place a wreath disc onto the cookie press barrel according to the manufacturer's instructions. Press the cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat 2 more times in the same pattern with the remaining dough.
• Bake 2 of the batches until the cookies are firm but not yet browning on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Bake the third batch and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

TRICOLOR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
• 2. Butter three 8-inch square baking pans.
• 3. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
• 4. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour.
• 5. Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
• 6. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until small crumbs form.
• 7. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined.
• 8. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.
• 9. Add the orange zest and beat until combined.
• 10. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.
• 11. Divide the batter among three small mixing bowls.
• 12. In the first bowl, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the batter, and mix well.
• 13. Continue to add a few drops of food coloring and mixing until the batter is medium orange in color.
• 14. In the second bowl, add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated.
• 15. Leave the third bowl plain.
• 16. Pour each batter into a prepared pan and smooth the tops.
• 17. Bake the layers for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean.
• 18. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
• 19. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely.
• 20. Remove the parchment.
• MAKE THE FILLING.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the jam and amaretto until warmed through and completely blended, 3 to 5 minutes.
• ASSEMBLE THE TRICOLOR COOKIES.
• 1. Place the chocolate layer on a serving rack and evenly spread half of the apricot jam over the top.
• 2. Top with the plain (or white) layer and spread with the remaining apricot filling.
• 3. Top with the orange layer and let the layers sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes (or while you make the chocolate glaze).
• MAKE THE GLAZE.
• 1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.
• 2. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth.
• 3. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
• 4. Spread the glaze over the top of the bar cookies, completely covering the orange layer (some glaze may spill down the sides of the cake).
• 5. Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping completely sets (about 1 hour).
• 6. Remove the tray from the refrigerator, wait 30 minutes for the chocolate to warm up, and cut into 20 individual squares or use a small cookie cutter to create your own shapes.
• 7. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

THE BEST SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Thirty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C.
• Spread the almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, or until pale gold. Stir once or twice to ensure even toasting and avoid over-browning. Cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
• Food processor method: In a food processor, process the almonds and sugar until fairly fine. Cut the butter into several pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and process until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until blended. Stand Mixer Method: Use a nut grater to grate the almonds powder fine and then whisk them into the flour mixture. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, on medium speed, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat for 30 seconds, or until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated.
• Scrape the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and use the outside of the plastic wrap to knead together the dough until it is completely even and soft enough to pipe smoothly.
• Scoop the dough into the pastry bag (or spoon some of the dough into the cookie press and cover the remaining dough). Pipe 7 rosettes or 14 stars about 13⁄4 inches in diameter onto the cookie sheet, no less than 1 inch apart.
• To get the best possible shape for the rosettes, use your fingers to smooth the ends of the rosettes after piping. For the stars, hold the bag in a vertical position (straight up and down) with the toothed edge of the tube just slightly above the cookie sheet. Squeeze the bag firmly without moving it until the shape is as wide as desired, just at the point when the lines in the dough are on the verge of curving. Stop squeezing the tube and push the tube down slightly. Lift the tube straight up and away. Decorate with the glacéed cherries set in the centers, and/or top with sugar sprinkles or dragées.
• Bake for 5 minutes. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheet halfway around. Continue baking for 5 to 7 minutes, or until pale gold.
• Set the cookie sheet on a wire rack and use a pancake turner to lift the cookies onto another wire rack. Cool completely.
• While each batch of cookies is baking, shape the dough for the next batch. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 month, or refrigerated or frozen for 6 months.