Pistachio Spritz Cookies Recipes

CRAN-PISTACHIO COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with Reynolds Parchment Paper; set aside. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, pudding mix and flour. Stir in melted butter and eggs until soft dough forms. Add pistachios and cranberries; mix well.
• Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheet. Press with fingers to slightly flatten.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the over and preheat to 375 degrees.
• In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together on medium speed the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating smooth after each addition. Scrape down the side of the bowl and beater. On low speed, add the flour and mix only until it is completely absorbed. Remove the bowls from the mixer and finish mixing the dough with a large rubber spatula.
• Insert a die into the cookie press, then fill it with about a quarter of the dough. Press the cookies out onto the prepared pans, leaving 1-inch around all cookies. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or just until they are a very pale golden color. Slide the paper from the pans onto the racks. If desired, decorate with bits of candied fruit, raisins or nuts; make into sandiwches with ganache or melted milk chocolate; or dip partially into chocolate that may further be dipped into chopped nuts or shaved chocolate. Store the cooled cookies between sheets of parchment or waxed paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 400 degrees F. Combine powdered sugar and shortening in a large bowl; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, salt, water, vanilla and almond extracts. Using a spoon, stir in flour until well mixed.
• FIT cookie press with desired template. Fill cookie press; press dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar, if desired.
• BAKE 7 to 9 minutes or until set, but not brown. Cool one minute. Remove to cooling rack.

PISTACHIO SPRITZ COOKIES (ALMOND FLOUR)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 °
• 2. Cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and extract and mix well. Combine flour, ground almonds and pudding mix and add to creamed mixture.
• 3. Since there are ground nuts you need to use a dye design that has large openings on your spritz gun so the dough will squeeze through onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• 4. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• 5. Once cooled ice with a powdered sugar glaze. I added green food coloring and topped with sprinkles.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SPRITZ WASHBOARDS WITH PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Make Cookies:
• Heat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Make Buttery Sugar Cookie dough as directed, with the following exceptions:
• Eliminate the egg.
• Substitute 1 cup confectioners' sugar for the granulated sugar and substitute 3/4 teaspoon almond extract for the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
• Pack the cylinder of the press with some of the dough. Proceed according to the cookie press instructions. Pipe the dough in 3-inch-long strips onto a large ungreased baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart. Use a paring knife to cut the dough free from the cookie press.
• Freeze or chill the cookies on the baking sheet until firm.
• Bake until edges are pale golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes, then transfer cookies with a metal spatula to racks to cool.
• Continue to pipe, chill, and bake more spritz washboards in batches with remaining dough (pipe and chill on second sheet while first sheet is baking; cool baking sheets between batches and use fresh parchment paper).
• Decorate Cookies:
• Melt chocolate (see Cooks' Notes) in a deep metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove bowl from the pan. Use a folded towel to tilt the bowl slightly, so that the melted chocolate is deep enough for dipping the cookies.
• Put pistachios in a shallow bowl.
• Set cooling racks on baking sheets.
• Dip cookies, one at a time, in chocolate so that it coats about half the cookie on the diagonal, then scrape off the excess chocolate from the bottom of the cookie against the rim of the bowl.
• Sprinkle the chocolate with some pistachios and arrange the cookies on the racks.
• Let cookies stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set, about 1 hour.

SOUR-CHERRY PISTACHIO CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If using frozen cherries, spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature until cherries have thawed almost completely but still hold their shape, about 30 minutes. Drain off any accumulated liquid.
• Whisk together the pistachios, flour, oats, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until creamy.
• Stir pistachio mixture into butter mixture until just combined. Work mixture through your fingers until it forms coarse crumbs ranging in size from small peas to gum balls; set topping aside.
• Stir together cherries, remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the cornstarch, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Transfer cherry mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle the topping evenly over cherry mixture. Bake until topping turns golden and juices are bubbling, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack 1 hour before serving.