Recipe: Spritz Cookies: Brown Butter Maple, Chocolate, Shortbread, Spicy Spritz Cookies

BROWN BUTTER MAPLE SPRITZ
Recipe By : Sara Frudden, Chicago
Serving Size : 30

1 1/4 cups Unsalted butter
1 cup Confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons Salt
1 Egg
2 Egg yolks
2 1/4 cups Unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Pure maple syrup
Milk or whipping cream, -- if necessary

1. To brown the butter, melt butter in a small, heavy saucepan over low heat. When fully melted, increase heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the butter turns a medium brown and smells nutty. Measure out 1 cup to use for cookies and reserve the rest for the filling. Refrigerate until firm but not solid, about 30 minutes.

2. For cookies, heat oven to 325 degrees. Have ready a cookie press and ungreased baking sheet(s).

3. Beat the 1 cup brown butter, 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl of electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and egg yolks and mix to combine. Stop mixer and add flour; mix on low speed just until flour disappears.

4. Transfer dough to a cookie press and press onto baking sheet in desired shapes, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until set, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5. For filling, cook maple syrup in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over high heat for 5 minutes. Cool to lukewarm then stir in remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Beat the reserved brown butter in a food processor or a small bowl of electric mixer until light. Add the syrup mixture and beat until smooth. If mixture is too thick, add a small amount of milk or cream until it is spreadable.

6. Assemble cookies by spreading about 1/2 teaspoon filling on the flat side of half the cookies. Sandwich with another cookie.

Second-place winner in the 1995 Chicago Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest.

Chocolate Spritz Cookies
Recipe By : Mirro Cookie Press booklet 1970's
Serving Size : 48

1/4 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 Tablespoons Milk
4 Ounces Unsweetened Chocolate -- Melted And Cooled
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Small Carton Glac d Cherries (opt.) -- Halved

Preheat oven to 375 .

Cream shortening and sugar well. Beat in egg and milk. Stir in melted and cooled chocolate. Gradually blend in flour and salt. Place dough in cookie press . Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, use wreath shape cookie press disk and press one half glac d cherry in center of each wreath. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
Remove at once to cooling rack.

NOTES : Bake just a few on the first try to test time. Be careful to not burn bottoms.

Mom's Cookie Press Shortbread

1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt -- optional
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Mix well, put in cookie press and put cookies on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 approx 20 minutes. Cookies should not brown too much.

Spicy Spritz Cookies
Recipe By : 365 Great Cookies You Can Make
Serving Size : 40

1 1/2 sticks margarine -- softened
1 egg white -- whipped
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c unbleached flour
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven at 350. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine margarine, egg white, and vanilla. In another mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients just until moistened. Spoon dough
into cookie press fitted with template of desired shape. Press cookies 2" apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Ana