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HERZLICH WILKOMMEN!

Today's Spotlight Recipe: Spritzgebäck       Photo: © racamani - Fotolia.com     Cookie jars in Germany never fail to have Spritzgebäck (Spritz Cookies) during Christmas.  They are made from butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and depending on the recipe, baking powder and eggs. Variations may also include additional ingredients, such as ground nuts (hazelnuts or almonds), coconut, Marzipan, cinnamon or Lebkuchen seasonings, cocoa powder, orange zest, or rum. They are formed by pressing the dough through a cookie press or piping bag (see below) and creating shapes, such as sticks, strings, rings, stars, and trees. After the cookies have been baked and cooled, they are often decorated with a drizzle of melted chocolate. Baking tip:  Do not over-bake the cookies.  Bake them until they just begin to brown (or maybe a few minutes less).  This will ensure a softer, chewier cookie.  However, if you prefer crispier cookies, then allow them to become a light golden brown. Baking them any longer will cause them to become dry. Spritzgebäck 1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter (at room temperature) 3/4 cup Sugar 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour 2 packages Vanilla Sugar 2 Eggs 3/4 cup Ground Almonds In a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until there are no more lumps and it looks creamy.  Add the sugar and vanilla sugar. Continue mixing until the butter has absorbed the sugars and it starts to lighten in color slightly. Add one egg and 1 tablespoon of the flour (this helps the butter absorb the egg).  Once the egg has been completely incorporated into the butter, do the same for the second egg. Add the ground almonds. Continue mixing until combined.  Add the flour about 1/2 cup at a time.  Continue until all the flour is in.  Increase the speed of your mixer and give the dough a thorough beating ... about a minute or two.  Cover the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).  Prepare a few cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Using a cookie press or piping bag (see below), create various shapes of cookies.  Place cookies on the cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cookies just begin browning. If you prefer crispier cookies, allow them to bake to a golden brown. Allow to cool completely.  Store cookies in an air-tight container - these cookies will last for almost 4 weeks.      Photo: © Gina Sanders - Fotolia.com   Its time to begin baking your cookies made with a short dough (Mürbeteig). These are cookies with a high butter content and remain fresh (when kept in an air-tight container) for over 4 weeks. These cookies have a relatively firm dough, which can be rolled out, then cut with shaped cookies cutters. This also includes Spritz cookies. To shape the Spritz Cookies, typically either a cookie press or piping bag is used. In Germany, there is a special meat grinder with a Spritz cookie attachment.  This of course works the best, but these are not readily available here in the U.S. Cookie Press For a firm cookie dough, it is best to use a cookie press. A cookie press will allow you to create a large variety of shapes. Piping Bag For a very soft dough, a piping bag will do well. To help your cookies keep their shape during baking, it is best to refrigerate your formed cookies before baking.