December 22, 2022

Five Spice Spritz Cookies

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies

Christmas is just around the corner, so fast, amirite?!  And we're buzzing around, making secret gift plans, decorating the house and, of course, making our Christmas cookies.  

This year we made cookie press cookies, also known as spritz cookies.  A couple years ago I tried making these cookie press cookies for the 1st time and it was a big ol mess: cookie dough not sticking, not pressing out right, just about everything going wrong... 🥹  So I gave up.

I thought to try it again.  But this time we added our own twist to these Christmas Spritz Cookies, a touch of five spice powder to add an exotic flavor to these yummilicious crisp buttery cookies.  We also worked out how to successfully get those darn cookies out and onto the cookie sheet!

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies

Spritz cookies are butter based so we start off with creaming butter and sugar til light and fluffy.  Then an egg is added to help bind.

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies

We wanted to switch up the traditional flavoring and add an exotic edge.  We decided to add five spice powder,  a mix of cinnamon, fennel, star anise, ginger  and clove spices.  

Wow, we really loved the citrusy, peppery, liquorice-y flavor that it added to our cookies.  Awesome 😁!

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies

This is my cookie press.  It's a cookie gun, really.  You load up the metal cone with batter, add a template and, bang bang, you're ready to shoot them cookies out!
Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies
Load up cookie press with dough
Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies
Place on cookie template

The dough is going to really sticky.  I don't think I've ever worked with such sticky cookie dough before.  This is good and will help the pressed cookie stick to the cookie sheet.  

You want to pull back the plunger inside the tube so that you can load the dough in.  For my cookie press there is a button to press and you can pull back the plunger.  

Once tube is full top with a template of your choice.  The one we're using in the photo is the christmas tree template.

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies

Now screw on the end ring that will secure the template.  Press the cookie press trigger until the inside plunger pushes the dough right up against the template.

Now you're ready to shoot press some cookies out!

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies

If everything works the pressing is easy and fun.  Just press the cookie press right against the metal cookie sheet (don't use parchment paper or silicone sheet, too slippery to adhere) and press the trigger once.  Wait a beat and then lift straight up.  A beautifully pressed cookie should appear like magic from beneath.  

The first round we did worked perfectly.  However by the second round we started having problems with the dang cookie not sticking to the sheet, instead sticking to the goshdang press.  Urrrgh!

After some quick research we worked out the following tips to successful cookie pressing:
  1. Wash the cookie sheets each time if you need to use it again.  Butter from the already baked cookies will make the cookie sheet slick and therefore the new cookies pressed will not stick properly.
  2. Make sure the cookie sheet is completely dried.  Water also will impede sticking.
  3. Chilling the cookie sheets will help cookies stick.  I haven't tried this but logic is sound.
  4. Cover the dough when not in use.  I forgot to cover and my dough dried out a bit ☹️.
  5. Don't refrigerate the dough.  I tried that and the dough became even harder to handle.
Hopefully, with these handy tips you can have an easy Christmas cookie pressing!

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Last step is the best, decoration!  We used colored sugar sprinkles, gold star sprinkles, confetti sprinkles and hundreds thousands sprinkles to fancy up our pressed Christmas cookies.

To be sure the decorations stick even after baking, press lightly on the sprinkles after sprinkling.  Or you can lightly brush cookies with water first before sprinkling on decorations.

Keep an eye on the baking and remove from oven when the edges just touched with a golden brown.

Happy days before Christmas, many carols and delicious cookies in your every day!

Christmas cookies, Spritz cookies, recipe, Five Spice Cookies, press cookies, xmas cookies
Christmas Spritz Five Spice Cookies
(makes 60 cookies)   Prep time: 15 mins  Cook time: 9 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened to room temp, 230g
  • 3/4 cup sugar, 150g
  • 1 egg, at room temp
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/3 cup all purpose flour, 292g
  • 2 tbsp five spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • sprinkles for decoration

Directions:

Preheat oven 350°F (176°C).

Cut butter into cubes.  Beat butter and sugar for a couple of mins until light and fluffy.

Add in egg, vanilla extract and beat until thoroughly combined.

In another bowl mix together flour, five spice powder, and salt.  Add to the creamed butter and beat until just combined.  The batter should be very, very sticky.

Shape batter into a cylinder and drop into cookie press tube.  Top with a cookie template of your choice, screw on the press cover ring.  Once batter is packed in press the trigger until the plunger inside has pressed up against the batter.  Cover remaining batter as you work to prevent it from drying out. 

To make the cookies press the cookie press gun tip straight down onto the cookie sheet.  Press one time.  You'll hear a click.  Wait a second.  Lift the cookie press up.  The pressed cookie dough should stick to the cookie sheet metal, allowing the press to separate from pressed out cookie.

Press more cookies out, leaving an inch between cookies.  Decorate if desired with decorative sprinkles.  Press lightly on sprinkles to secure.

Bake for 8-9 mins, or until the cookie edges have just turned a golden brown.  Remove and let cool for a couple of mins on cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Enjoy and Merry Xmas!

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