Are spritz cookies hard to make?

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Even after all the great advice and a third try I am throwing in the towel on sugar cookies.
By the time it comes to frosting I am so exasperated I am just slapping icing on the darn things and the outcome is so not pretty. Are spritz easy to make? Do you have a great cookie press? Thanks!

[fortato]

Susan... it's not that it's hard. It's just a pain in the ass.

The dough goes together easily, and goes into the gun fine... and then won't stick to the pan when I try to make a cookie. Or something else goes on. I've never had an easy time with Spritz cookies.

(I even have a good cookie press- Williams-Sonoma...)

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on it though.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Spritz are not for novices. :)

[wendibird22]

I'm sugar cookie challenged to the max, but enjoy my cookie press (I have the Wilton one). I love love love that I can color the dough, squeeze out a shape, add colored sugar or sprinkles or not, and slap up in the oven and be done with it. Although the recipe says not to chill the dough, I do find that slightly chilling the dough makes them release from the press and stick to the sheet better. I also think it depends on the press shape...some work better than others. I was about ready to throw the pumpkin shape away a few weeks ago, but didn't have the same issue with the xmas shapes.

I also really, really love the taste of a spritz...the almond extra has crack in it I swear!!!

[ChunkyNicksChunkyMom]

Susan... it's not that it's hard. It's just a pain in the ass.

The dough goes together easily, and goes into the gun fine... and then won't stick to the pan when I try to make a cookie. Or something else goes on. I've never had an easy time with Spritz cookies.

(I even have a good cookie press- Williams-Sonoma...)

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on it though.



Um why on earth would a cookie need to stick to the pan? Don't they just kind of lie on it???? Not like they are jumping on over the edges... why am I so cookie challenged, we are all chocolate chipped and ginger cookied-out!

[marie]

I also really, really love the taste of a spritz...the almond extra has crack in it I swear!!!

:yeahthat:

When you press the cookie dough out of the press, the cookie that you have formed has to stick to the pan - otherwise it just sticks to the dough coming out of the press. hopefully, someone can describe the issue better than I.

BUT - there are tons of other "drop" or "shaped" cookie options.

Snickerdoodles
Plain sugar cookies - rolled into balls, flattened with bottom of glass
Pumpkin cookies
If you can do peanuts in your family - peanut butter cookies
Chocolate caramel surprise cookies (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-caramel-surprise?autonomy_kw=chocolate caramel surprises1)
Shortbread
Biscotti

Also, have you tried gingerbread people? I find gingerbread dough to be much more forgiving than sugar cookie dough.

I'm addicted to cookies and baking them. Consider me your cookie enabler. :waving4:

marie
mama to
DD1 9/03
DD2 12/07

[trentsmom]

Spritz cookies can sometimes be a little fussy. I have the cookie press from Pampered Chef, and the first time I made them, I followed the directions and tried to press the cookies onto one of my baking stones. Didn't work for me since my stones had been used so much they were non-stick, so the cookie dough would not stay in place. I now use a regular cookie sheet and know that I might have to wash it in between batches if it gets too slick.

A few years ago, I started using ATK's recipe (http://myfoodaffair.blogspot.com/2007/10/spritz-cookies.html). Only difference is that I use almond extract instead of vanilla. I think I use more than called for because I really like almond-flavored things. It's a good-tasting cookie that doesn't leave that strange taste/feeling in the back of my mouth that most other spritz recipes do.

[billysmommy]

My dad is the only one in our family who can make spritz cookies. He makes it look SO easy!!! I'll have to ask him his secret, it's probably the cookie press he uses ~ it's the one his grandmother used.

I can do sugar cookies but have never had luck with spritz cookies

[alien_host]

Susan... it's not that it's hard. It's just a pain in the ass.

The dough goes together easily, and goes into the gun fine... and then won't stick to the pan when I try to make a cookie. Or something else goes on. I've never had an easy time with Spritz cookies.

(I even have a good cookie press- Williams-Sonoma...)

I'd love to hear anyone else's thoughts on it though.

:yeahthat: this is me to a T, same cookie press too and I HATE it, the cookies do not stick to the pan and look horrid. I gave up years ago.

ETA: what I mean by "don't stick" is that I push the dough out of the press and it just dangles there and I can't get the cookie on the pan and I end up with a disaster.

[manda]

I have trouble getting the first couple to stick to the pan, but after that they are super easy, IMO

[MoJo]

I LOVE spritz cookies! That's towards the top of the holiday traditions in my family that I can't wait to carry on with my own children. I too have an ancient electric cookie press (I think it's Sears).

I've been helping my mom make them for as long as I can remember, so I never considered it difficult except when I first moved out on my own and tried using a manual cookie press.

[Puddy73]

There is a bit of a learning curve, even with a good press. You need to practice lifting the press and releasing the dough onto the tray. Although butter tastes better, I've also found that adding a small amount of shortening to the dough really helps the cookies to hold their shape.

I like to make fancy cookies, but honestly my kids are just as happy to frost slice and bake cookies. They only care about the sprinkles.

[karenj2]

Mmmmmmmm.... spritz cookies are YUMMIE!

I used to have no problem with making these - until my cookie press broke. I've since gone through two presses and they've both broken on me!! ARGH!

(Good thing the dough tastes just as good as the cookies)

My other Christmas cookie go-to are molassas cookies rolled in white sugar. YUM.

[mskitty]

My dad is the only one in our family who can make spritz cookies. He makes it look SO easy!!! I'll have to ask him his secret, it's probably the cookie press he uses ~ it's the one his grandmother used.

I can do sugar cookies but have never had luck with spritz cookies

Yeah that! I bought a plastic Wilton and ended up throwing it in the trash because it broke the first time I used it. Back to my grandma's old metal one that works like a charm.

mskity