Spritz Cookies, Cookie Press Cookies, and Shaped Cookies Of All Kinds

Shaped cookies, or Spritz Cookies, come in a wide variety of textures, flavors, and shapes and include those formed by hand, with molds, or using a cookie press. Spritz cookies, crescents, balls, stars, diamonds, buttons, thumbprints, tuiles, rugelach, and some shortbread all fall into the category of shaped or molded cookies.

Many richer, softer, shaped cookie dough needs to be chilled before shaping so pay close attention to the recipe's instructions.

Many Shaped Cookies are formed by hand. Making attractive shaped cookies by hand requires more time and patience than simple drop or bar cookies, but the results can be well worth it, especially for the occasion calls for fancier cookies. For the most attractive hand shaped cookies, take your time to mold them carefully and uniformly. As with most things in life, practice makes perfect when hand shaping cookies.

Spritz cookie dough tends to be higher in fat and must be pliable and the perfect temperature to be extruded properly from your cookie press. It can't be too warm (it will stick) or too cold (it will crumble). Most cookie presses come with instructions for proper operation that you should follow to guarantee success.

Sometimes shaped cookies call for using a piping bag and tuiles usually get their shape from common kitchen items like a bowl, mug, glass, or rolling pin.

When you are in the mood for cookies that are a little more special or want to challenge your cooking making and cookie shaping abilities a bit, I hope you will give one of these beautiful, delicious, recipes for shaped cookies a go.

Tips and Tricks for Baking Beautiful Shaped and Spritz Cookies:

• Always mix your cookie dough as directed, measuring carefully.
• Be sure to chill your dough thoroughly when instructed to do so.
• Take your time shaping cookies so they are of uniform size and shape.
• Don't get discouraged when shaping dough by hand and using a cookie press or pastry bag. Remember that practice makes perfect.
• Closely follow the manufacturer instructions when operating your cookie press.
• Be sure to place your shaped cookies only on cool cookie sheets.
• Once baked, set your cookie sheet on a rack until the cookies are cool enough to transfer with a spatula without distorting their shape. Double check your recipe for the cooling time required before attempting their transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Shaped & Spritz Cookies Recipes

• Brown Sugar Cookies
• Chinese Almond Cookies
• Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
• Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
• Easy Snickerdoodles Recipe using Cake Mix
• Easy Snickerdoodles Recipe using Pre-Made Cookie Dough
• Fortune Cookie Recipe
• Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies
• Italian Lemon Cookies
• Jam Thumbprint Cookies
• Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Mix and Match Cake Mix Cookies Recipe
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
  • ~ Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies - Sandwich Style
  • ~ Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies - Thumbprint Style
• Pecan Cookies
• Potato Chip Cookies
• Snickerdoodles Recipe
  • ~ Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe with Cake Mix
  • ~ Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe with Pre-Made Cookie Dough