A Christmas Favorite - Spritzgebäck

Traditional holiday cookie plate with green tree-shaped spritz

Spritzgebäck is a type of German Christmas biscuit made of flour, butter, sugar and eggs. When made correctly, the cookies are crisp, fragile, somewhat dry, and buttery. The German verb spritzen means to squirt in English. As the name implies, these cookies are made by extruding, or "squirting" the dough with a press fitted with patterned holes (a cookie press) or with a cake decorator to which a variety of nozzles may be fitted. In the United States, the name is often shortened to spritz.
Spritzgebäck is a common pastry in Germany and served often during Christmas season, when parents commonly spend afternoons baking with their children for one or two weeks. Traditionally, parents bake Spritzgebäck using their own special recipes, which they pass down to their children.






How to Make Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are created using a cookie press. Sure, nothing beats the classical chocolate chip cookies, but if you just want a break from chocolate chip, then these cookies will be great. The variety of designs adds to their appeal and makes them ideal as both holiday season treats on the table and as holiday gifts.

This recipe will prove to you that spritz cookies are quick, easy, and fun to make, and they're ideal to make with your family or friends.

Makes 7 to 8 dozen cookies


Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract



Directions:


1 - Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Assemble all the ingredients and items needed to prepare the recipe.
2 - In a small bowl, combine the baking powder and flour.
3 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer or whisk until light and fluffy.
4 - To the beaten butter mixture, add egg, milk, almond and vanilla extracts. Mix well.
5 - Slowly add the flour and baking powder mixture to the beaten mixture. Beat until well combined.
6 - Fill the cookie press with dough. Select the disk patterns you wish to use and put into place.
7 - Press the cookies onto the ungreased cookie sheet.
8 - Place in the oven when you have a tray full. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or when golden brown.
9 - Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet sitting on the cooling rack. Then remove the cookies from the sheet and leave to cool completely.
10 - Enjoy! Eat these plain or decorate them. Here are some decorating tips:
*Sprinkles: Use chocolate, rainbow or sugar sprinkles. Add sprinkles before baking the cookies. If you haven't done so already, ice and then add them.
*Sandwich: Take two cookies and spread some chocolate or jelly between them.
*Icing: Take some cookie icing and spread it all over the cookie.
*Toppings: Add on other desired toppings such as nuts, colored sugar or chocolate chips.
11 - If giving them as a gift, place them in a pretty box. Line the box with wax or parchment paper first and add in carefully. You might like to compartmentalize if adding different spritz shapes. Finish with a pretty bow and perhaps attach the ingredients list so that the recipient can be reassured of the contents.


http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Spritz-Cookies