Fiori Di Sicilia Spritz Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F If you're making shaped cookies using a cookie press, chill two ungreased baking sheets in the freezer while you make the dough.
• Beat together the butter, sugar, cream cheese, salt, vanilla, Fiori di Sicilia, and zest.
• Beat in the egg yolk, then stir in the flour.
• If you're using a cookie press, follow the directions that come with the press to pipe cookies onto the chilled baking sheets.
• If you're not using a cookie press, simply drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the ungreased baking sheets. Top with coarse white sparkling sugar or colored sugar, if desired.
• Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until they're brown around the edges.
• Remove from the oven, and wait 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to racks to cool. Be sure to move the cookies before they're totally cool, as otherwise they may stick to the baking sheet.
• Store completely cool cookies airtight, at room temperature, for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375°F. With a stand mixer (use the paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and whatever extract you wish touse, and beat again until blended. Add the flour and mix on low speed until blended. Fit a cookie press with a die plate. Scoop up about a quarter of the dough* and, using a small amount of flour if needed, shape the dough into a log just narrower than the barrel of the cookie press. Slide the log into the cookie press and spritz the cookies directly onto ungreased baking sheets about 1 inch apart. (optional) Brush the tops with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with colored sugar if using. Repeat with the remaining dough. Otherwise, don't brush with the egg white and sugar and bake plain. Then make the glaze. Bake until the cookies are just golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes (it's best to bake one sheet at a time). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet on a rack for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely. Be sure the baking sheet is cool before spritzing more cookies. Glaze: Blend all of the ingredients. I like to lay my cookies on a cooling rack, and then drizzle the glaze with a spoon. Or, you can dip each cookie in the glaze. Sprinkle with nonpareils or colored coarse sugar. Allow to dry for at least 15 minutes. Store at room temperature or freeze in an airtight container, separating the cookie layers with waxed paper. Tips: I found the dough to be a bit soft to work with my cookie press. I refrigerated the dough for about 30 minutes, and froze each baking sheet. Do NOT line the baking sheets with parchment paper, nor grease them. Spritz cookies want to be on a cool baking sheet. The reason for freezing the baking sheets, is to prevent spreading of the cookies.