Butter Spritz Cookies With Jam

This is the same as the Butter Spritz Cookies except you put jam in the middle of the cookie. Any jam of your choice is fine. Two tips on making successful spritz cookies: NEVER greased the cookie sheet. Run the cookie sheet in cold water after every batch to make the sheet cool again so the cookie sticks to the sheet.

1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Jam of your choice.

Combine everything except flour to a mixing bowl. Beat at a medium speed for 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add flour. Beat at a low speed for 3 more minutes, scraping the sides often.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place dough inside a cookie gun. Using your desired template (flower shaped ones work best), press cookie onto cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Using a piping bag or a ziploc bag, pipe some jam on the center of the cookies.

My partner and contributing author, Praetorblue, is proud of his cookie gun creations.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool cookies before storing them away. Makes about 5 dozens.

Gingerbread Spritz Cookies

This recipe is for those who can't be bothered with rolling on cookies dough and then pressing them with a cookie cutter (me!). A classic recipe done in the style of "spritz". I used the pine tree template and decorated them with sugar confetti to make it look like Christmas trees. Two tips on making successful spritz cookies: NEVER greased the cookie sheet. Run the cookie sheet in cold water after every batch to make the sheet cool again so the cookie sticks to the sheet.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, molasses and brown sugar for 1 minute. Add in egg and vanilla essence. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt. Add to creamed mixture and beat until thoroughly mixed.

Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Add cookie dough into the cookie gun and press them on ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Let it cool before storing in a container. Makes about 5 dozens.

Butter Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are cookies that come out of a cookie gun. The word "spritz" comes from the German word "spritzen" meaning to spray. I've recently bought a cookie gun from Wilton's (Cookie Pro™ Ultra II) and it's a pretty good product. I remember making these cookies when I was in Malaysia with my aunts in preparation for Chinese New Year. These cookies are fun to make and are relatively easy. The cookie gun comes with a wide variety of templates so your cookies can be a different every time you make them! You can decorate them with colored sugar, candy confetti, candied cherries, etc. Two tips on making successful spritz cookies: NEVER greased the cookie sheet. Run the cookie sheet in cold water after every batch to make the sheet cool again so the cookie sticks to the sheet. Here's a basic butter spritz cookie recipe.

1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine everything except flour to a mixing bowl. Beat at a medium speed for 3 minutes until it is light and fluffy. Add flour. Beat at a low speed for 3 more minutes, scraping the sides often.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place dough inside a cookie gun. Using your desired template, press cookie onto cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool cookies before storing them away. Makes about 5 dozens.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

My partner said "Everything taste good wrapped in bacon!". Indeed he's right. It's tricky to cook bacon wrapped shrimp because shrimps generally take less time to cook than bacon. So, in order to get the shrimp and bacon done at the same time (while not having overcooked chewy shrimp or worse uncooked bacon), choose large shrimp and thin sliced bacon. I'm using "extra jumbo" shrimps in this recipe, which basically has 16-10 count per pound. You can de-vein the shrimps if you want but I generally do not bother doing it.

1 lb. shrimp, 16-20 count (shelled, with tail on)
1 package bacon, cut slices into halves.
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Wooden skewers or picks

Mix shrimps with Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Wrap them with bacon and secure with wooden skewers or picks.

Grill on each side for 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Grilled Asparagus ... With Bacon?

Here's a quick and easy way to prepare asparagus. Grilling them! What's better? Wrap them in bacon and then grilling them! I don't really have a measurement for this recipe, just get some asparagus and grill them. If you want to wrap them in bacon and then grill them, just get a package of bacon (although you want to avoid the thick cut ones). And congratulations, you just became the hero of meat eaters and vegetarians alike!

 

Asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
A drizzle of olive oil (you don't need it if you're using bacon)
Bacon (cut slices in half)
Wooden skewers or picks

Wash and clean asparagus. Trim the fibrous stem.

If you're wrapping the asparagus with bacon, this is the time when you want to wrap them. Continue until you've finished wrapping the asparagus. Skewer two or three of these wrapped asparagus together. This will make turning them easier when grilling. Season with salt and pepper. In a hot grill, grill for about 2 minutes on each sides. Serve warm.

If you're just grilling the asparagus as is, skewer two of three of them together. This will make turning them easier when grilling. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. In a hot grill, grill for about 2 minutes on each sides. More if you don't like your asparagus al dente. Serve warm with some Parmesan cheese or balsamic vinegar.