The almond shortbread is simply adorable with its festive sprinkles. It's fun, shareable, and a great addition to your Christmas cookie list. It also makes wonderful edible gifts for colleagues and neighbors at Christmas time.
Almond Spritz Cookies are a holiday classic that can be found in almost every cookie jar. They're buttery, crunchy, and easy to eat in a handful. The shortbread cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. If you don't have a pastry press, you can also use a piping bag to shape them. For more rustic versions, you can also skip pressing entirely. Chill the dough for an hour, then roll out balls 2cm apart onto the baking tray and flatten with a fork. A pinch of colored sugar makes everything pretty.
Buttery traditional spritz cookies with icing
At your next holiday party, set out a tray of these pretty little shortbread cookies and watch them disappear in no time.
Preparation:15 minutes
Baking time:8 minutes
Servings:48 pieces
Ingredients for the cookie dough:
- 250 g butter (very soft but not melted)
- 150g sugar
- 300 g Allzweckmehl
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp Almond extract
- 1 TL Vanilleextrakt
Ingredients for the glaze:
- 100g powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk, sifted
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 TL Vanilleextrakt
At will:
- Gel food coloring
- Nuts
- Candied fruits
- pieces of candy
- Streusel
preparation:
- Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed with mixer until well blended and light in color. Add flour, salt, egg, almond and vanilla extract. Mix on low until well blended. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again until all ingredients are incorporated. The cookie dough should be a little sticky so it will stick to the pan.
- Divide the dough if necessary if you want to color it with food coloring. Place the cookie dough in the press and press it onto the ungreased cold baking sheet. Decorate as desired and bake in a preheated oven at 200 ° C for 7 to 8 minutes, until firm but not brown. Immediately and carefully place the cookies on a baking rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough on a cold baking sheet.
Swedish shortbread cookies with ground almonds
This is an authentic Swedish recipe that has been passed down in the family from Swedish ancestors. It is unique because the shortbread contains real almonds and not just almond flavor. A delicious cookie!
Preparation:45 minutes
Baking time:35 minutes
Servings:48 pieces
Ingredients:
- 50 g blanched almonds, peeled
- 200g butter, softened
- 1 No
- 200g sugar
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp milk
- 240 g Allzweckmehl
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Preparation of the shortbread cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned or oozing aroma. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely. Grind the almonds in a food processor or blender to a sand-like consistency. Make sure the almonds have cooled otherwise you will end up with almond butter.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the almond extract and milk. Add flour, baking powder and salt and process them into a soft dough together with the ground onesroasted almonds.
- Lightly grease the baking sheets and fill the pastry press with the dough. Depending on their size, press the cookies out at least 2 cm apart. You can experiment with different cookie designs.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the pastries are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a minute before removing them from the sheet to cool completely.
Preparation of the glaze:
Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Brush the cookies lightly and decorate with nonpareils as desired. Allow the glaze to set completely before storing, about 1 hour.
Shortbread cookies with almonds: Useful tips and troubleshooting
- The butter should be very soft, so soft that it barely holds its shape.
- The egg should be at room temperature.
- Do not put the dough in the refrigerator before pressing. Make sure it is warm, not cold. If it's not sticky, it won't stick to the mold. Place the press with the cookie dough in a warm place to soften.
- Use only cold metal baking sheets.
- If the dough doesn't stick to the pan, try placing the tray in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Do not use baking paper because the dough will not stick when pressed.
- To start the press, press twice to form a cookie twice as thick. When you pull up the press and leave the cookie on the sheet, the remaining dough that comes out of the press should be a little more cracked. This will help the next pressed cookie stick to the mold. Continue pressing until the tray is full.
- Be careful when adding food coloring. Too much of it changes the consistency of the dough.
- Bake colored onesCookies separately, as they brown quicker than plain cookie dough.
