Both piping and pressing work with this dough. For those who have never formed cookies with either method, piping is likely to yield better results with less practice. In fact, most cooks can turn out rosettes and stars that look as fancy as store-bought on the first try.On the other hand, a press does yield cookies with a distinctive, charming appearance. Certainly if there is already a press in the house, it is fun and rewarding to put it to use. The key to success is to chill the dough just enough so the cookies can be forced through the press plate neatly and hold their shape during baking. Since most presses come with a variety of design platesΓÇösuch as rosettes, stars, rigid strips, and Christmas treesΓÇöit is a good idea to try several and see which ones produce the most attractive results. (Keep in mind, with both piped and pressed cookies, any that do not come out quite right can be scooped up and formed again.) Some Spritz cookies are soft and tender to the point of being cakelike, but these are more on the crisp-tender side.
Grease cookie sheets.
Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
Add and beat until well combined:
2 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Sift over the top and stir in until well blended and smooth:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
To pipe the cookies:
Stir in:
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
until the dough is soft enough to easily force through a pastry bag tube.
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350┬░F.
Fit the piping bag with a 1/2-inch-diameter open star (or similar) tip. Fill the pastry bag no more than two-thirds full, twist the opening tightly closed, and squeeze out generous 1 1/2-inch rosettes or stars, spacing about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets. (For best results, keep the bag and tip perpendicular to the sheet, with the tip almost touching the sheet.)
To press the cookies:
If the dough seems soft and difficult to handle, stir in
1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cover and refrigerate the dough until slightly stiff but not at all hard, 30 to 40 minutes.
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350┬░F.
Ready the press by inserting the desired design plate by sliding it into the head and locking it into place, or follow the manufacturerΓÇÖs instructions. If you are unsure whether the dough is of the right consistency, put a small amount in the press tube and press out several test cookies. Chill the dough further before continuing if it does not go through cleanly. When the consistency is right, fill the press tube with the dough, packing it down firmly. Press out the cookies, spacing about 1 inch apart on the sheets. Keep the unused dough refrigerated as you work.
If desired, decorate piped or pressed cookies with:
Candied cherry bits, almond bits, colored sugar sprinkles, or nonpareils
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are just slightly golden and barely tinged with brown at the edges, 9 to 12 minutes. Remove the sheet to a rack and let stand until the cookies firm slightly. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool.
